Like Knives
by lvbg135
Summary: I have been a fan of Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley/Jonathan Good for a few years now. Now that he's finally debuted my muse has inspired me to write something. I've taken certain liberties to make his character my own. In no way is this a MarySue. I would NEVER want to have my character's life. This is a story of what happens when two souls are inextricably linked forever.
1. Chapter 1

She races the sun home in the morning, and the moon up at night. Anything can happen and anything does. There's just today-and then there's tonight. And tonight is wonderful. For this is the night in which changed everything. It was the night in which her life began. Well, not really began. There is only so much that can happen in a fourteen year old girl's life.

Then again, she has lived far more in her short fourteen years on this Earth than most have experienced in an entire lifetime.

There are many things in life she has had to learn, much earlier than she should have been taught them. She had to grow up and become an adult far before she even reached puberty. Her circumstances forced her to see the world through a different set of lenses. She has a difficult time trusting people and for good reason. Everyone in her life whom she has loved and trusted has betrayed her.

Even her so-called mother, or what she likes to fondly call a 'waste of space' cannot even be bothered with her. She's of no use to anyone, not even herself. She would much rather smoke meth, suck Johns off for ten dollars a pop and sleep all day then take care of her child. Don't feel sorry for her. She's been doing this for years. She chose this life and has no one to blame but herself.

The sad part is that she's used to it, which is sad really. A young girl is caught up in the midst of all this chaos. It has become her existence, the only life she has ever known.

A young girl should not be used to hearing a different guy fucking her mother every night or the sound of her mother's pimp beating the living shit out of her because she did not make him enough money. She could not count how many times she has fallen asleep to the sounds of her mother being thrown around by one of her Johns'. She would deadbolt her door at night for fear they would come for her next. Sometimes the fear was so immense she would climb out of her bedroom window and go to a local park nearby. She would sit on a swing or if it was raining under the slide. She has spent many of nights in that park.

Sometimes it would be so cold her entire body would be shivering due to the gelid temperatures, but she was numb to it all. There is only so much a person can take before you become shut off to feeling altogether. It was a defense mechanism she has perfected early on. She would much rather take her chances alone in a park at night than risk being seen by one of her mother's Johns. It's bad enough she has her mother's boyfriend/pimp coming into her room at night. She would be damned if she let anyone else have her. At least the parts that belong to her, which is very little considering all that has been taking from her.

She just could never seem to understand why her mother would go through all of this turmoil, self-respect and pain just for a measly fifty bucks, all so she could get high for an hour. She could never seem to wrap her mind around it.

The first memories she could ever remember of her mother was of her getting high. Her mother did so much drugs it's a wonder she didn't come out deformed or mentally handicapped. Give it time though. Her life's not over...yet.

She remembers being nine years old and spending her nights in a strip club while her mother took her clothes off for sleazy truckers and dirtbag rednecks. They became transients, going from one town to the next sleeping in their car or a dingy hotel room for the night if her mother made enough money tricking. If she was any kind of mother she would have protected her daughter from witnessing these things. She would have kept her safe and protected from the evils of the world rather than immersing herself within it.

Her mother always says that she's more trouble than she's worth, that she should have aborted her or gotten rid of her when she had the chance. She wished she had. Shit, she would have been better off. She never knew her father, never met him. All she knew was that he was someone her mother would much rather forget. Her mother was sixteen when she had her. She was just a child herself. How the hell did she know how to take care of a kid when she could barely take care of herself?

Her mother has given her nothing in life and she has most of it left. The only thing her mother has ever given her in life is a name...Mary. How ironic, huh? She was named after a woman of purity and innocence, but considering her lot in life she was anything but. Her unfortunate circumstances took care of that really quick.

Sometimes life gives you a test before you ever had a chance to learn the lesson. She has no one, but she likes it this way. The less people there are in her life, the less people whom can hurt her. Little did she know that someone was going to come along and challenge every conviction she held dear to herself. This was someone whom was going to change her entire world as she knew it forever. This person would be a driving force within her life for years to come. This person was a kindred spirit, a person who could understand the life she led for this person had lived the same life, had gone down the same roads. You never know when you're going to meet that one person who turns your world upside down. Things happen when you least expect it...something good. By the Grace of God she deserved something good, something real and pure.

This something came in the form of a boy named Jonathan Good. The day she met him was the day her life was inextricably changed forever...for the better. You could call what they had as being a love story, but it's not perfect nor pretty. True love rarely ever is. It's the good things in life which make the bad stuff seem miniscule. Except they were always so preoccupied with the bad stuff that they never took the time to appreciate the good.

Every story has a beginning...this is theirs.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a night unlike any other. Mary's mother was in the living room with her boyfriend and his friends. Loud music was blaring, the cacophonous sounds caused her bedroom walls to shake. From the uproarious laughter that could be heard it was made obvious to her they were getting high. What else could they be doing? It was a day ending in 'y' after all.

Mary was lying in her bed. Her lights were off and she was hiding under her blankets. Her knees were clutched to her chest as she lie there huddled in a fetal position, a defense mechanism she has perfected over the years. She knew any attempts to fall asleep were futile. While every normal person was asleep at this hour, her mother's day was just beginning. Shit, she just woke up from her drug addled stupor a mere two hours ago. Her mother had no sense of time nor any semblance of awareness unless it pertained to getting high and fucking strangers.

It was a school night, she should have been asleep. She had a big Math test the next day. She had really studied hard for it. Believe it or not school was very important to her. She has always loved school. She would look for any reason to get out of this house. She actually enjoyed getting up and going to school everyday. Not every kid her age could say the same.

Not only was she a straight 'A' student, but she was also at the top of her class. It was a pretty amazing feat considering her circumstances. Getting good grades was the most important thing in the world to her in this point in her life. Getting good grades meant that she would be able to get into a good college. It was her only ticket out of this hellhole. The rest of her entire life was riding on these formative years. She would be damned if she let anyone stand in the way of her dreams, her mother included.

Mary had always looked at school as being a means of escape. It was the only positive light she ever had within her life. She would spend hours sitting in the local library either studying or reading. She loved books most of all. She loved being immersed within a book, getting herself lost in a story. She would pretend to be one of the heroines in the book; beautiful, fierce and strong. She could do anything and be anyone. In that short amount of time she was invincible. The horrors of reality couldn't touch her.

With sleep being the last thing on her mind, she reached over onto her nightstand and picked up her favorite book; Henry David Thoreau's, 'Walden.' It has been one of her favorite books ever since she discovered it over a year ago. It was one of the books she was given as a Summer reading assignment. Many kids hated the fact they were given tasks to do when all they wanted was to enjoy their carefree lives as teenagers, but she was thankful for it. It actually gave her something to do with her time. She usually breezed through the books before Summer was even over.

It was not as if she had anything else better to do with her time. She didn't have any friends. Whenever she did make a friend as soon as they found out about her mother's lifestyle, their parents forbid them to speak to her ever again. It was not as if she could blame them. Hell, she didn't even want to be around her mother at times. Any parent who cared about their child did not want them to be friends with a kid whose mother has slept with the entire town. Shit, she has slept with even some of the parents', unbeknownst to their wives of course. She could not count how many of her peers' father's she had seen coming in and out of her home. Living in the small town of Albany, Ohio with only a population of 822 people talk and rumours swirl. Well, it was not exactly a rumour when you witnessed it firsthand. She could not count how many times the local residents has seen her mother whoring herself on the streets or making a fool of herself in the local bar. It was a known fact whom her mother was. She was kind of infamous in this town. Her reputation was one of shame. Her mother was ridiculed everywhere she went and by being her daughter she was fair game. She has been paying for her mother's mistakes since she was born. She was used to it by now. It was a sad but true fact.

Mary has been a loner her entire life and she likes it that way. The less people she has in her life the less they can hurt her. She has learned that valuable lesson the hard way.

She doesn't understand how social services has not come and taken her away. Maybe it's due to the fact no one cares. They have deemed her family to be a lost cause.

She was trying to read her book, wanting to focus her attention as much as possible to the words in front of her rather than what was going on in the room next door when she heard the sound of someone rapping loudly upon her door.

Mary's head snapped up, her eyes widened with fright. Anyone could be knocking on her door right now. It very well could be her mother's lowlife boyfriend. She could not count how many times he had knocked upon her door at night to have a little 'fun' with her. He would be drunk out of his mind most times. The stagnant stench of whiskey and nicotine was potent on his breath as he forced himself inside of her.

She would never forget the first time he came into her room. It was only a year ago. She was lying in bed one night when she felt the unmistakable feeling of someone atop of her. She opened her eyes to find him lying above her. She will never forget the look in his eyes as long as she lives. He looked murderous and ferocious. He looked almost like a wild beast. Maybe in a lot of ways that's exactly what he was. She tried to scream, but he clamped his hand over her mouth. She still had the taste of his skin in her mouth. It was the taste of grime, nicotine and blood. The taste made her vomit onto her pillow. He used his belt to tie her arms. She was absolutely defenseless. She'll never forget how he lifted her nightgown up and forced himself upon her for the first time. She tried to cry and plead, but it only seemed to fuel his sadistic rage. He had this sick and twisted smile upon his face the entire time. At least he had the decency to put on a condom first before he raped her. She liked to think that he was grooming her for her mother's chosen profession, but she would be damned if she lived that kind of life. She would as soon slit her own wrists before she sold her body to complete strangers. If she did not get out of this place soon enough that's exactly what was going to happen, whether she liked it or not.

Mary had lost her virginity that night. She was only thirteen years old and her innocence was stolen by a forty year old meth addicted pimp. Then again, she didn't have much innocence left to begin with. She fondly remembers sitting in the bathtub after it happened. She was cleaning the blood and semen from her legs. She must have scrubbed her skin for over an hour. It was raw and bleeding, but no matter how many times she cleaned herself she could not seem to get clean enough. Her mother came into the bathroom that night. She was high off her ass. How surprising, huh? Mary had reached her arms out to her mother. She remembers sobbing and pleading out for her, but she ignored her pleas. The only thing she said to her was don't forget to pick her up a pack of Newports when she was finished. All she had wanted at that moment was her mother. She wanted someone to put their arms around her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She realized that night she had no one to rely upon but herself. There was not a doubt in her mind her mother knew of what transpired that night, but she could care less. That bastard was the only one who fed her habit. She hated to admit it, but if it wasn't for him they would most likely be living on the streets. She would much rather going back to living in their car or shelters than to rely upon that monster for her survival.

Ever since that night his visits to her have become somewhat of a routine. It usually happened during the wee hours of the morning when her mother was passed out. He would be high and drunk. He would stumble into her room and have his way with her. She would just lie there silently and take it. She would close her eyes and pretend as if she were somewhere else, praying that he would get it over with.

There is only so much someone can take before they reach their breaking point. She was slowly reaching hers. She was on the edge hanging upon a tethered string. All she needed was that final push before she finally succumbed to the madness. It was only a matter of time. She wished fate would stop prolonging the inevitable and just get it the hell over with already.

Mary wanted to ignore the knocks, but she knew it was only a matter of time before someone broke the door down. She heard her mother on the other side of the door, yelling at her to open it.

She let out a laborious sigh and rolled her eyes, walking over to the door and opening it. Sure enough she found her mother standing there. She was wearing the same clothes she has been in for the past two days. A dingy grey v-neck t-shirt that has seen better days and jeans. The clothes hung off her emaciated frame making her look almost like a skeleton. Her washed out bleach blonde hair fell down upon her shoulders in stringy waves. It was oily and unkempt, indicating to her she has not showered in about as long as she hasn't changed her clothes.

She had seen pictures of her mother when she was younger. Believe it or not she was beautiful once. She once had long beautiful brown hair much like her own. Her body was healthy and athletically built. There was a time in her life she used to take care of herself and care about her appearance. Now all she could care about was getting high. Years of drug abuse has ravaged not only her body, but her mind as well. She could not even carry a full conversation without dipping out. She learned through her mother's examples to never become her. She would much rather kill herself before she became her mother.

When her mother saw her, a small smile formed upon her face. She was dipping in and out, indicating to her that she was high. What else is new?

Her mother wrapped her arm around her shoulders, 'Honey, come join the party. Mamma misses her baby.'

Her speech was slurred and sluggish. She most likely had no idea where she was or what she was doing. Maybe that's the sole reason why she did drugs. It was to numb herself to all feeling. Maybe she did not want to wake up and face the fact of what she has become. She would much rather slowly kill herself before she owned up to her responsibilities and failures not only as a mother, but as a human being.

Mary looked up at her mother uneasily, 'I can't...it's a school night.'

Mary looked around the room wearily. Her mother's boyfriend, Slim was seated at the kitchen table with three other men playing cards and smoking cigars. A man and a woman were situated upon the sofa boiling what appeared to be meth in a spoon. The woman had what appeared to be some kind of rubber band around her arm and she was injecting a needle into her arm. She recognized the woman from seeing her hanging around here from time to time . Birds of a feather flock together. She was one of her mother's hooker friends. Drug paraphernalia was scattered upon the coffee table. The stench of cooked meth and stale cigarette smoke permeated the room. Heavy smoke hovered in the air filling the room in an almost dense fog.

Her mother shrugged her shoulders and waved her hand dismissively in the air and took a deep drag of her cigarette, 'Who the hell cares about school? You're never going to need that shit growing up. I can't remember the last fucking time I used any of that shit.'

Mary nodded her head and let out an embittered chuckle, 'I can believe that.'

Slim had noticed her presence and called out to her.

She looked over at him in wide eyed fright. He had this lecherous smile upon his face as he looked upon her. It was a look she has seen upon his face many times. She looked over at him wearily, silently debating if she should go over to him.

Her mother shooed her over, 'Go sit with your, daddy.'

Mary sneered over at him disgust, saying through gritted teeth, 'He's not my daddy.'

Her mother forcefully grabbed her upper arm, 'He's done more for you than your own dad has ever done. You go sit with him if ya know what's good for ya.'

Mary nodded her head defeatedly. It was better to just do what she was told, for everyone involved. She wanted to tell her mother that he's done nothing but cause them both pain and sadness since he has come into their lives. She wanted to tell her he has given her nothing. The only thing he gives her mother is drugs. He has never given them anything worthwhile. While it was true he gave them a place to stay. It was not a home. It was nothing more than a flop house for drug addicts, dealers and hookers.

She reluctantly walked into the kitchen over toward him. She saw the handguns along with half smoked joints on the table. She focused solely upon the handgun. It would be so easy for her to grab the gun and shoot him or her mother putting them both out of their misery once and for all. She would get away with it too considering her circumstances. It would be that easy for her, but alas she digressed. She didn't want their blood on her hands. She has learned eye for an eye doesn't solve anything. She would be just as monstrous as them.

Even with all of this hate inside of her heart she could not kill someone. She just didn't have it in her. She wasn't like these people. She knew the difference between right and wrong. So she decided to sit back and bide her time until she was old enough to get the hell out of here and never come back. Hopefully she makes it that far.

Slim was a very dominating presence. He was over 6'5 and had a solid build. His greasy blonde hair was always wrapped up in a bandana, most likely hiding his balding. His teeth were rotting out of his mouth through years of neglect and drug abuse. He had a dingy unkempt beard that looked as if he had not shaved in months. He always wore the same clothes; jeans, a black t-shirt, black combat boots and a leather jacket. It was his uniform.

His friends weren't all that different from him. They all looked rough around the edges and were all dressed similarly to himself. They were most likely pimps or drug dealers judging by the people they hung around with.

Slim roved his eyes up and down her body, which was covered from head to toe in jeans, a t-shirt and hoodie. Whenever he was around she made sure to cover herself up as much as possible, even during the Summer. She did not want anything to lure him or set him off. Then again he did not need much encouragement. All he needed was to be in the mood for little girls, which was more often than could have went to the police, but she was afraid of what would happen to her mother. Regardless of the fact of how she treats her, she's still her mother. She may not like the person she has become, but she loves her. She's the only family she has in this godforsaken world. She may not be much, but it's all she has.

Slim patted his lap and smiled lecherously upon her, 'Come sit on my lap, baby girl.' He turned to his friends and smiled menacingly, 'Isn't she a pretty little thing?'

His friends at the table all nodded as they played their hands. They all gazed up at her, roving their eyes up and down her form appreciatively. No doubt they had the same idea in their minds he did.

Slim patted her cheek, 'When ya grow up, ya gonna make me rich, baby girl.'

Mary bowed her head, thinking to herself, _Over my dead body._

She would much rather be dead than become his property.

Slim turned to his friends, asking her, 'Wouldn't ya pay top dollar for this pussy?'

His friends all chuckled, nodding their heads eagerly.

She felt an overwhelming bout of nausea come upon her as she listened to him speak. She always hated when he called her by that nickname. It was what he whispered into her ear as he forced himself inside of her night after night.

Mary stood in the kitchen in front of him, silently mulling over her options. She was close to just booking out of the room and running as far away from this place as she could get. She had tried running away a few times, but they always found her. Besides, she was fourteen years old without a penny to her name. It was not as if she could get that far. She would most likely be dead within a week. Judging the dismal direction her life was heading, death wasn't that far off.

Before she had a chance to make up her mind, Slim made it for her. He roughly wrapped his arm around her hip and pushed her down upon his lap. She nervously folded her hands in her lap and gripped the edges of her sweatshirt. She was gripping her sweater so tightly her knuckles were white.

Her entire body was shaking in fear, but she tried to squelch her nervousness. The last thing she wanted to do was feed his ego. He loved knowing she was frightened of him. It gave him power over her. She refused to let him think he had anymore power over her than he does all ready.

Mary closed her eyes in pain and heaved a laborious sigh as she felt his hand inching toward her inner thigh. She clamped her legs shut as a defense mechanism , which seemed to hold him back...so far. It was still early yet and he wasn't that drunk, but give it time. The night's not over yet.

Mary could see her mother off to the distance looking over at the two of them in disdain and animosity. Jealously was elucidated within her eyes as she stared upon them. It was made clear to her that her mother was always jealous of Slim's attention towards her. Her mother was a very narcissistic person. If she had a problem with it though she never said anything. God forbid if she said something out of line. She would most likely get killed. Lord knows Slim's beatings have came close quite a few times.

Little did she know that the attention given towards her was unwanted. He was a grown man for Christ's sakes and she was a pubescent teenage girl. Why kind of power could she hold over this man? How could her mother not see what has been right in front of her for all this time? Her mother had to know what was transpiring. She may have been a druggie, but she could not be stupid enough to not see what was going on. Maybe she turned a blind eye. She would much rather stay ignorant to the fact of what was going on rather than rock the boat.

Her mother would much rather let her daughter be raped and manhandled than stop the proverbial gravy train. How could a mother let her child succumb to this? How could someone be so oblivious? Then again she barely knew where she was half the time let alone knowing what was happening in her own home.

Maybe this was as good as it was going to get for her. As she looked around at her surroundings, tears swelled within her eyes. She refused to believe that. There has to be a silver lining somewhere. Her whole entire life has been one huge nightmare. There was bound to be something good coming her way. She deserved it. Hell, she earned it considering all she has been through.

Thankfully, the sound of the front door opening gave them their undivided attention. Mary looked up and her eyes widened when she saw what appeared to be a teenage boy walking through the door.

Slim chuckled aloud, 'Well lookie here, boys. Look who finally decided to show up. I was wondering when the hell you were coming to bring me my money.'

As the boy made his way into the kitchen he looked around the house wearily. She noticed he was very on edge. His hands were in his pockets and he kept darting his eyes back and forth, almost as if he were bracing himself for a fight. Maybe that's exactly what was going to happen. If Slim and his friends were anything they were unpredictable.

When the boy walked into the kitchen, Mary's eyes widened in shock. She immediately recognized the boy. She went to the same high school he did. They didn't have any classes together for she was a Freshman and he a Junior, but she did recognize him from walking down the halls. If her memory serves her correctly, his name was Jonathan or something like that. In fact, his locker was not that far from her own. She would see him from time to time. He did not seem to have any friends that she knew of. Whenever she saw him he was always by himself. They shared the same lunch and whenever she saw him he would always be sitting outside by himself. She knew he was a loner. The other kids didn't bother with him much from what she could gather.

In fact, none of them ever once said a word to him. You would think a boy such as himself would be an easy target. High school was a playground for bullies, but they did nothing of the sort. It was as if to them he didn't exist. When he walked down the halls they seem to want to be as far away from him as possible. It was almost as if they were afraid of him. She wondered what he had done prior to her being there for him to garner so much respect. For it was made clear to her they feared him. He had somewhat of an infamous reputation from what she could tell. She always admired that about him. She wished others would fear her. Maybe then they would leave her the hell alone.

He was a very unassuming boy. He was tall standing at what she appeared to be about 6'0 maybe a little taller. He could not have been more than sixteen years old given what grade he was in. If he was all ready this tall she could only imagine how tall he would become when he stopped growing. He was stockily built. He was not fat by any means, but he had some meat upon him. It was made obvious to her he worked out in some capacity. He had a shaggy head of reddish blonde hair that was messily unkempt. It looked as if he were continuously running his hands through it. It was sticking to his forehead and sticking up in every direction. His clear blue eyes were his most prominent feature. He had a gold hoop earring in his left ear, which seemed out of place on him. His baggy denim jeans were tattered with holes at the knees and looked as if they had seen better days. He was wearing patent leather combat boots that were scuffed and weathered, which almost looked secondhand if she had to take a guess. A black hoodie completed his attire. In fact, this was the same outfit she remembers seeing him wearing many times. It seemed to be the only clothes he owned. Sadly maybe that was the case.

Oddly, he never missed a day of school. She saw him in the halls almost everyday. When she would get off the bus in the mornings she would see him getting out of his beatdown Chevy. He would be always be smoking a cigarette as he made his way through the parking lot. He would always be wearing that ever present dark denim jean jacket with the collar high above his neck with his hand shoved deeply into his pockets.

He was not conventionally handsome by society's standards. His face was weathered making him look far older than he was. If she didn't know any better she would think he was in his twenties. Regardless of this fact she did not find him to be unattractive. It was quite the opposite. He was not a bad looking boy. Sure he may not have had those pretty boy looks most kids their age had, but she liked him this way. He was different and did not fit into what society deemed as being normal. He played to the beat of his drum regardless of what people may have thought about him. He did not care what anyone else thought about him. He did what he wanted and played by his own rules. He didn't care about anything or anyone. She respected him for that. She wished she could be as half as fearless as he was.

His eyes are what held his maturity. They were glazed over with what appeared to be weariness. Just looking into his eyes she could tell he has seen and experienced things no boy of his age should ever have to see. She could very much relate. It was almost as if she were looking into a mirrored reflection of her own eyes.

Jonathan's eyes widened when he laid his eyes upon the girl. She was the last person he expected to be in a place like this. He recognized her right away. They both went to the same school. He would see her in the halls in between periods. Whenever he saw her at lunch she would be sitting at a table by herself quietly eating her lunch while reading a book. She seemed to be a loner like himself. She kept to herself and didn't seem to have any friends. Well none that he could see. Every time he saw her she was by herself. The other kids in school always gave her shit. They looked for every opportunity to bully her. High school was tough for everyone, girls like her especially. She was an easy target to them. She was quiet and never talked back. She didn't dress like the other girls. She was always covered up all the time in jeans and sweatshirts. She never wore any makeup and her hair was always down hiding her face. He liked the fact that she didn't care enough to dress up. She didn't give a shit. Most girls looked at school as being one big fashion show, but she could not be bothered. He liked that about her, but it was yet another thing which they found to use against her. The only reason why they gave her shit was because she let them. It was as simple as that.

He refuse to let them have that kind of power over him. He remembers the last time he gave a shit. He was only twelve years old. He was in a baseball league with his friends and they were in the championship game. They were at the bottom of the ninth and he was last at bat. It all came down to him. He struck out causing his team to be knocked out of the championship. He thought they were his friends and would have his back, but they all turned on him. They began taunting him, saying he threw and swung like a girl. They called him a pansy and said his mother was ugly, a whore and a druggie. Albeit all these things were true, but it still hurt to hear it. All he could remember was seeing red and beating the ringleader senseless with a Louisville slugger. As he looked into the eyes of the kids that watched in horror he realized right then and there that he was destined to be a loner for the rest of his life.

It was fine by him. He liked it this way. Sure he may have somewhat of an anger management problem, but at least people left him alone. He would much rather people think he was unbalanced and psychotic. He would rather people fear him than be close to him. In his experience the closer you let people get to you the more they can hurt you. He would be damned if he let anyone else hurt him. Not anymore. Those days of him being victimized were over. He's learned early on in life that the only person he can depend upon is himself.

As he stood in the kitchen looking at the girl before him, he could not help but feel as if she knew exactly what he was feeling. He could tell just by looking into her eyes. She caught his eye the first time he saw her. In no way did he mean sexually. Do not get him wrong she was a pretty girl, but she had to be only fourteen years old at the most. She was just a kid. Okay, so he was only sixteen years old, but two years is a big gap when it comes to kids their age. He was not into fucking little girls. He liked girls who were primed and ready and knew exactly what they were getting into when they tangled with him. He liked relationships that had no strings attached. All he cared about was his own sexual gratification. It was safe to say he got bored easily.

She was petite standing at no more than about five foot five. She could get taller. There was still time yet for her to grow. He was pretty sure if he was standing in front of her he would tower over her. She was skinny and he couldn't tell if she was naturally thin or malnourished. He would bet his life upon the latter. Her long brown hair fell in waves down her shoulders. The color of her hair clashed with the pallor of her skin making her seemed washed out. She was a pretty girl with hints of the woman she would later become. There was not a doubt in his mind that when she grew up she would be a beautiful woman. He could tell just by looking at her. Hopefully her surroundings did not ruin her before she even had a chance to begin.

As she slowly looked up at him with tears in her big brown eyes he felt this fierce sense of protectiveness come over him upon that moment. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides and his teeth gritted in anger as he saw the scumbag's hands wrapped around her midsection. No young girl should be sitting on a grown man's lap unless he was their father. He knew just by the way he was intimately touching her this wasn't her father. At least he hoped not. That would be all kinds of fucked up. His jaw locked in anger. He wanted to rip her out of his lap and beat the living daylights out of him, but with the guns on the table he knew things would not end well. For everyone involved.

He wondered at that moment what the hell she was doing here in these circumstances. This was certainly no place for her girl her age. Then again this was no place for a kid his age either, but he stopped being a child a long time ago. His drug addict of a mother made sure of that. In many ways it was as if he were the parent and she was the child.

Jonathan knew by the recognition alit within her eyes she knew who he was. They saw each other every goddamn day. Their lockers were right near one another. She wasn't stupid. She had her head bowed and looked down into her lap. She refused to look at him. The poor thing was most likely humiliated. She looked so frightened. He wanted to help her he just didn't know how.

Slim pushed the girl off his lap, causing her to fall facedown on the floor upon her knees. He heard her grimaced aloud in pain and she used her opportunity to run out of the kitchen and out the front door.

He watched her curiously, wondering where in the hell she was going at this late hour. This was a dangerous part of town and a girl her age shouldn't be running around by herself. Fuck, she probably felt safer out there than she did in here. It surprised him how much he cared about a person's well being whom he barely knew.

Ever since he laid his eyes upon her he felt connected to her. He heard talk going around in school how her mother was a drug addict and a whore. Considering his mother was the same he could very much relate. Sometimes you feel this undeniable connection and bond with someone you barely know just because of your circumstances. In some strange way it made him feel that he was not alone in this, that there was someone else whom knew exactly what he was feeling and where he was coming from.

Slim ripped him out of his revelry by asking him, 'Ya got my money, boy?'

Jonathan nodded and handed him the cash.

Slim counted through the bills and scoffed, 'Two hundred dollars? That's the best ya can fuckin do? Boy I gave ya a fuckin prime corner.'

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, 'It was a slow night. Next week should be good. It's the first of the month.'

He wasn't proud of the fact that he sold drugs for a living, but he had to make money somehow. His good old mother was not doing anything to take care of him. He has been working ever since he was thirteen years old. He was tired of eating ramen every fucking day for dinner and wearing the same clothes day in and day out. Shit, sometimes he would go two or three days with nothing at all. It was a good thing his school fed him or he would have been dead a long time ago.

Besides, it was not as if he was going to make a career out of this. Being a drug dealer was not on the top of his lists of things he wanted to aspire to become. It was easy money and convenient. Most importantly he was good at it. No, he had bigger dreams. He always had dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. Ever since he was a child he remembers watching old videos of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. They were so charismatic. People loved them. They were on a separate plane from everyone else. People worshipped them as if they were gods. They became their characters and were almost invincible. When they were in the ring nothing else mattered but winning. It reminded him of his life everyday. It was a dog eat dog world out there and everyone was fighting for the top spot. Wrestling was something he was naturally drawn to from the inception. He had the drive and focus. All he needed was the tools in which to utilize it.

The money he made from selling drugs he was saving up for wrestling school. He spent most of his time hanging around a wrestling school nearby. He would sweep the floors and help clean up all while watching the wrestlers train. He would study their every moves, wishing he was given the opportunity to do the same. The owner wouldn't let him train. At least not yet. He was too young and was making him wait until he was eighteen years of age, but he would not let that deter him. He still worked out everyday and practiced the moves. Sometimes he would spend all day in the gym they would have to kick his ass out at closing time. He wanted to show them that he was serious about his aspirations. This was something he knew he was destined to do. It was not just a passing fancy or a hobby. He knew without a doubt the gift of wrestling was the only thing he has ever been blessed with. He has been fighting his way through his entire life. He was made for this shit. He just needed one person to let him show what he was made of. He would show this town once and for all what he was made of. He would show them all.

Slim grabbed his gun from the table and pointed it directly under his chin, 'Ya fucking stealing from me, boy?'

He refused to show his fear. Hell, he wasn't even scared. He just stood there and looked straight ahead with a stoic look upon his face. He would be damned if he let this motherfucker see his fear. He wished he had the nerve to shoot him and get his life the hell over with.

Jonathan shook his head, 'No, wanna check my fuckin pockets?'

Slim chuckled, 'Ya gotta set a balls on ya boy, I'll give ya that. But if I found out you're stealing from me I'll blow your fucking brains out and no one would give a shit. Is that understood?"

Jonathan averted his eyes and stared him directly in the eye as he said in a sardonic tone, 'Loud and clear.'

Slim huffed and flopped back down onto the kitchen chair. He shoved fifty dollars into his hand, 'Get the fuck outta here.'

Jonathan nodded his head. He didn't have to be told twice.

As he was walking out the door, Slim called out to him causing him to turn back around, 'Ya better tell your fucking mother to show her face on my corner tomorrow or her ass is done. She owes me some fucking money. I don't pay her to fucking get high and sleep all day.'

Jonathan nodded his head once again, choosing not to say a word as he walked out the door.

What he wanted to say was if it wasn't for him supplying her the drugs maybe she wouldn't be passed out all day, but he digressed. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. His mother made her bed and now she has to lie in it. Maybe she would be better off dead. Not just for himself, but for her as well. If it wasn't for his mother his little cousin would still be with him. The social workers never would have taken her. He could have protected her. She would not have to go through what he had. They said he wasn't good enough to take care of her and they were probably right.

He still misses her every second of every day. She was the only positive light he ever had in his life and she was gone. Everyone in his life just takes takes takes. It's all the same. He has started with nothing in his life and has most of it left.

When he got outside, he reached into his pocket and took out his pack of cigarettes. He quickly lit one and took a deep drag, letting the nicotine steady his nerves. He was so angry right now all he wanted to do was bash someone's skull in. See, this is why he needed wrestling. It would give him a positive reinforcement to vent his anger. He has this rage boiling up inside of him. It's only a matter of time before it comes to the surface and he ends up killing someone. The last thing he wanted was to end up like his father and spend the rest of his miserable life in jail.

Jonathan got into his car and just sat in it for a few minutes. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm his frayed nerves. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly it was a wonder it didn't break. His was so angry he was shaking. All he wanted to do right now was go to the gym and knock around the punching bag for awhile. That would let him lay off some steam. Training was the only thing that kept it grounded. If it wasn't for his training he would have most likely killed himself or someone else by now.

If there was one thing he hated in life it was to be intimidated, especially by some lowlife gutter trash like Slim. Who the hell did he think he was talking to him like that? Who was he to point a gun in his face and threaten his life? He should have choked the life out of him with his bare hands. If only he wasn't so afraid. He'll admit it, he was afraid. He may have such a hardened and rough exterior on the outside, but on the inside he felt...he did. He bled just as much as the next person. He has the scars to prove it.

Flashes of the girl in that house came in his mind at that moment. He shouldn't have let her be treated like that. He should have protected her. If he was any kind of person he shouldn't have let her run out like that all by herself. There was no telling where she could or what may have happened to her. She was just a young kid. She needed someone to look out for her. She needed someone strong to keep her safe from harm.

He shook his head, laughing to himself. Why the hell was he thinking about this? Why should he care what happens to her? She's nobody to him. Not really anyway. In the year they have been going to school together never once had they uttered a single word to each other. THey weren't friends. Shit, they were complete strangers to one another, yet when he looked at her he never thought that.

When he looked at her he just wanted to keep her safe. Maybe he wanted to rectify whatever wrongs that may have happened to his little cousin, but he knew it was so much more than that.

Ever since he first laid eyes upon her he kept his eye on her. Whenever he saw her at school he would carefully watch her, making sure no one bothered her. He would watch as they heckled her as she walked down the halls. She always kept her head held high and never once shed a tear. She never gave them the satisfaction of seeing her falter. Of course if they ever got physical with her that's when he would step in, but for the most part she seemed as if she could handle herself. She never let them get to her. It was made obvious to him she was stronger than she looked.

In a lot of ways she reminded him of himself.

Jonathan rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his absurd thoughts. What the hell was he thinking? Why did he think he could take care of this young girl when he could barely take care of himself?

He looked up at the house for one last time, heaved a laborious sigh and turned on the ignition driving away.

As he was driving down the street with his heavy metal music blaring to clear his head his eyes widened by whom he saw walking on the sidewalk. It was her. He could not believe it.

Without thinking he pulled his car over to the sidewalk. She froze and took a few steps back. Her eyes widened in fear and she gasped aloud in surprise.

As soon as she saw the make and model of the car she knew exactly who it was. Raucous heavy metal music was blaring from the car so loudly it was shaking.

Mary's heart was palpitating at lightening speed and she began shaking in fear. She looked around at her surroundings to see if there was anywhere she could run to escape from him. She had no idea what he was capable of. She did not care if they want to school together or not. She did not trust anyone. What would make him any different? If he was friends with Slim that meant he was bad news. She knew the type of men he hung around with. They were nothing more than douchebags, scumbags and criminals. It was made obvious her assumptions of him were very wrong. He was out to hurt her just like everybody else.

She stood there frozen to her spot unable to move due to her fear. Her eyes were like a deer caught in headlights, which was the perfect analogy to describe this moment. The light rain made it impossible for her to fully see him.

All she could see was him getting out of the car. His form seemed massive, his presence commanding and intimidating. As he kept getting closer he seemed to become even bigger and bigger. It was almost as if his shadow engulfed her.

Before he had a chance to get any closer to her she turned around and began running. He kept calling out to her, but she ran as fast as her feet could take her. It began raining making it difficult for her to keep her steadfast pace. The wind began picking up slightly knocking the wind right out of her. She tried breathing through her nose, but that just made it worse.

Mary found herself running through a field. She knew he was behind her because he kept calling out to her, saying he wasn't going to hurt her, but she wasn't going to fall for it. She has heard that line many times before and they did the exact opposite of what they promised.

Just as she thought she lost him, she felt an iron clad grip go around her waist stopping her dead in her tracks. She muttered a curse word under her breath and closed her eyes bracing herself for whatever was to come.

He loosened his grip on her waist and whispered, 'I'm not going to hurt you. All I wanted was to see if you were okay...that's all. '

His voice was very masculine for a boy of his age. It was deep and raspy with husky undertones and the hushed sound of his voice made it even more so.

She chuckled, 'Yeah...right. You're Slim's friend.'

He shook his head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No fucking way. I'm not friends with him. I don't have any friends. '

His grip was loose enough for her to step out of his grasp. She turned around and scoffed, 'Yeah, then why are you coming to see him?'

He crossed his arms over his broad chest and shrugged his shoulders, 'Cause I work for him.'

He wasn't going to lie to her. The girl wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what he was doing there. THe only people who ever associated with Slim were addicts, drug dealers, hookers and sellers. Himself falling into the latter category.

She nodded her head, looking at him wearily, 'You work for him?'

'That's right.'

'Doing what?" She asked him.

He sighed, 'He gives me a corner and a supply and I sell it for whatever he tells me.'

Her eyes widened, 'So you're a drug dealer?'

He shook his head, 'No, I only sell what they give me. I have no idea where they get it from.'

She nodded, 'What's the difference between what you do and being a drug dealer? You're still selling drugs that kill people.'

He ran his hand through his wet hair and nodded, 'Ya have a point there.' He sighed in annoyance, 'Look I don't know if ya haven't noticed but it's raining outside. I was looking to see if ya wanted a ride home. You shouldn't be out this late by yourself.'

Mary laughed in amusement, 'I can take care of myself.'

He nodded, 'I'm sure ya can but you're too young-'

She cut him off with an incredulous 'Fuck you.'

If there was anything she hated more it was when someone treated her like a child. He was talking to her so condescending. Who the hell was he to know what's good for her? How dare he act like he cares about her? He didn't even know who she was. They were nothing to one another. She had no idea what his motives were, but she didn't want to stay here and find out.

She could not get over how much taller he was compared to her. He was such an overwhelming presence. In no way was he a fat guy. No he was all muscle. It was made obvious to her he worked out and took care of himself. He was what one would call athletically built.

The rain soaked his hair causing it to stick upon his forehead. Staring at him under the soft light of the field he looked so young standing there, so vulnerable. He looked all of his sixteen years of age. At that moment suddenly he didn't seem so scary anymore. He looked like a kid, much like herself.

As Jonathan stood there staring at her, he felt his anger slowly dissipating at that moment. As she stared into his eyes he felt the wind being knocked right out of him. No one has ever made him feel like this before. It wasn't anything remotely close to being attraction. Sure she was a pretty girl, but she was still so young. He may have been many things, but a child rapist wasn't one of them. While it was true he may have been only sixteen, but he felt far more mature than he was. He only messed around with girls his age and a year older. Many of the girls he slept with were just as fast as he was and knew what they were doing. She was still a child. She needed time to mature and grow. He saw this girl as a thing to protect and keep safe, not to tarnish or ruin in anyway.

Judging by what happened earlier, he could not help but feel as if he were too late.

The rain made her hair fall limply to the sides. It stuck to her cheeks, which were bright red from the cold and windy rain. Her big brown eyes were wide and alert, almost as if she were ready for anything. She was so small compared to him, reminding him of a China doll. On the outside she looked fragile and perfect, but he knew it was all a facade. In the inside was a cold hearted girl who had to grow up far before her time. He could very much relate. Just looking at her he felt something swelling inside of him he could not discern nor define, but he felt it all the same. Never has he felt anything like this before. It was a burning and aching feeling that started from the pit of his stomach all the way up to his chest.

For the past year since he first laid eyes upon her he has felt this way. That had to count for something right?

Jonathan let out a languished sigh, 'So can I take you home? Do ya live with Slim? Is that where ya live?"

She nodded her head reluctantly, 'It's not my home.' She shook her head, correcting herself, 'I mean, I live there with my mom. Slim's my mom's...boyfriend.'

His eyes widened and realization suddenly began to dawn upon him. He knew exactly what was going on. It looked as if the rumours about her mother were right after all. He was right. They really did have a lot in common. Their mothers not only shared the same drug dealer, but the same pimp as well. It's a small world after all. He thought about telling her this information, but decided to keep it to himself. Everything will be revealed in time. She most likely knew the truth anyway. It was a well known fact in this town the kind of person his mother was.

Besides, it was not as if they were going to become best friends. He just wanted to make sure she was getting home safely. It was the right thing to do. Regardless of what people may think about him he wasn't a complete bastard. Then again, he didn't know if taking her back to that house was the safest thing for her either, but where else was she going to go? She was far too young to be out on the streets by herself. The streets were no place for a young girl. Hell, he has lived his entire life on knows what they can do to you mentally and physically. They make you hard and give you thicker skin. It forces you to grow up fast and become and an adult before you even had the chance to enjoy adolescence.

This is what he sees when he looks into her eyes. There is a maturity there far beyond her years. Her eyes are haunted by things that no girl her age should ever have to see or experience.

Jonathan outstretched his arms and looked up at the sky, 'So, we gonna stand here all night and go back and forth or are you going to let me take you home? We do have school tomorrow, ya know?'

She nodded her head and looked at him wearily.

It was made obvious to him she was still hesitant to take him up on his offer. Who could blame her considering his reputation? He was known to be somewhat of a hothead with an extremely short fuse. There was no doubt she had witnessed him getting into a few fist fights in school over the past year, but they deserved it in his opinion. He was merely protecting himself. It was something he has been doing his entire life. Fighting is the only talents he was blessed with. It was like second nature to him. Fight or flight. It is the instinctual human reaction that is within us all.

Jonathan rolled his eyes and shook his head, 'Fine, suit yourself. Ya wanna stay here standing in a field in the pouring rain in the middle of the night, ya go ahead and do that. I'm not gonna stand here and fuckin beg ya. Guess I'll see ya around.'

Mary watched him as he turned around and walked away. She watched his retreating form as he made his way through the field. She stood there silently debating if she should take him up on his offer. It was pouring out and she was freezing. She was so cold her teeth were chattering and her entire body felt numb. She was soaked to the bone. If he had wanted to hurt her he would have done so by now. They were all alone. He was bigger than her and could have overpowered her in a split second. Maybe he really just wanted to give her a ride home after all.

Then again, he could have just been lulling her into a false sense of security. It wouldn't be the first time and definitely wouldn't be the last. There was just something about him though that put her at ease. She could not seem to put her finger upon it. Maybe it was due to their similar circumstances, but it was so much more than that.

For the past year she has silently watched him from afar. He has always intrigued her with his no nonsense attitude and disregard for society's standards of normal. She wished she could be even a fraction like him. Maybe then others wouldn't take advantage of her so often.

She wouldn't call it attraction or infatuation. She had no use for such things. It was not as if anyone would want her anyway. She was used and damaged goods. All she wanted to do was focus on school so she could get into a good college and get the hell out of this godforsaken town.

Mary would call what she felt for him as being...kinship. For the first time in her short life she actually found someone she could relate to. This was someone whom knew what she was going through. Just knowing this made her feel as if she wasn't so alone in this world as she once thought.

Against her better judgement she began running after him.

Jonathan's eyes widened in surprise when he heard his name being called out. A smug grin fell upon his face. He knew she would change her mind. If she knew what was good for her she would stick by his side.

She ran up to him and smiled sheepishly, 'I would appreciate the ride...thanks.'

He nodded, 'Could have saved us a lot of trouble and just got in the car, ya know? I told you I'm not going to hurt you. I mean what I say. If I wanted to hurt you I could have done so by now.'

Mary nodded her head, knowing he was right, 'I realize that. Sorry for...running. I just got scared.'

He forced a smile upon his face, 'It's understandable.'

There wasn't anything else that needed to be said at that point. There was a mutual understanding between them. They both knew it. There wasn't any need to dwell upon the obvious.

The drive back to her house was silent. He put some music on to fill the uncomfortable silence and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag.

Mary coyly glanced over at him. She could not believe she was in this moment. Never did she think she would end up in his car of all places. Everyone else thought he was such a dangerous and psychotic guy, but she had to disagree. Sure he was somewhat of a troublemaker, but deep down he wasn't a bad guy. He was just given a shitty lot in life and adapted to his circumstances. She could very much relate. The more you push people away the less they can hurt you. He has this hate them before they hate you attitude.

She was now seeing him in a different light. She knew this was a side of him rarely anyone ever sees. It was his vulnerable and caring side. She felt sort of honored that he showed this side of himself to her.

When they pulled up in front of her house, she looked up at the place in disgust. Ad nauseum swelled up within her at this moment. Just looking at this place gave her a sickening feeling in her stomach. She hoped to God Slim had gone out or fallen asleep. She truly did not feel like entertaining him tonight. She has had enough excitement for one night.

Jonathan turned the ignition off and looked over at her, 'I see how excited you are to be back home.'

A small smile formed upon her face at his sardonic words, "Thrilled...' She quickly glanced over at him, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, 'Thanks for the ride.'

He nodded, 'Yeah...' He wasn't really good with social interactions. He had absolutely no idea what he should said to her in this moment or if he should say anything at all. The last thing he wanted was to say the wrong thing, which he sometimes has a habit of doing.

Jonathan wanted to ask her if she was treated this way all of the time, but he didn't want to embarrass her. It was made obvious to him she wasn't in the mood to talk about it and neither was he. If he started pressing her with questions she would do the same. He didn't know if he wanted to start answering questions even he didn't know the answers to. He was still figuring shit out for himself.

She folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs nervously, 'My name's Mary by the way.'

He nodded, 'Jonathan, but people call me Jon.'

Mary smiled and opened the car door, 'Thanks for the ride, Jon. I'll see you at school tomorrow.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...see ya.'

She nodded her head, choosing to remain silent once again. She has learned sometimes it's better to not say a word. Words tend to get you in trouble. It makes things messy and complicated.

Jon watched as she made her way to the back of the house. He shook his head in amusement when he saw her climbing through her bedroom window. She probably didn't want anyone to know she was home so that they would leave her alone. There have been many of nights he has done the same. He hated knowing she had to sneak into her home just to get a good night's rest and peace.

He sat there for a few minutes and waited until she safely entered her room. Something changed this night. He could feel it. For the better or worse he could not tell you. One thing was for certain though; the two of them have not seen the last of each other that's for damn sure.

Let the fun begin...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Thankfully, Slim did not come visit her when she returned home that night. He seemed to be too preoccupied with his poker game with his buddies.

Mary hadn't slept much the night before. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins and her mind was reeling making her unable to fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. She felt on edge. She almost felt like something was going to happen, but what she could not be sure.

She could not help but think about Jon. She could not believe she had seen him here of all places. He was the last person she ever expected to see. She had to admit though; she was really glad she had. She was glad they finally had a chance to talk after all this time. Okay, so they didn't exactly have a heart to heart conversation. Then again, he did not seem like the kind of boy who would pour his heart out to anyone let alone a complete stranger.

Something shifted between the two of them last night, she could feel it. In what way though she could not entirely be sure. She spent the entire night wide awake thinking about him. In all of the years she could remember no one has ever cared about her the way he has. Sure, there have been adults in the past who tried to help her, but they were doing it out of pity more than anything. They considered it to be their obligation to give her assistance. None of it was genuine, not really anyway. It was all ersatz bullshit to satiate their guilty conscience. People will do anything to help them sleep at night.

Mary was nothing to Jon and vice versa. He did not have to give her a ride home last night, but he had. Shit, when she ran he even came after her. This gesture may seem small and insignificant to some people, but when nobody cares if you live or die it means a hell of a lot. It did mean a lot to her. She had no problem admitting that. He didn't have to come after her, but he had. He ran a whole two blocks after her to be exact. That had to mean something right? He had absolutely no reason to do what he had.

She shook her head in disgust at her inane thoughts. She was reading too much into this. Maybe it didn't mean anything to him at all. Last night most likely meant nothing to him. He probably forgot about it as soon as she was out of his sight. She was kidding herself to think someone would actually care about her.

Besides, she did not want to get tangled with someone like him anyway. He was bad news in every sense of the word. He was danger personified. Regardless of that fact, she knew deep down was a scared little boy whose fear of being alone was even greater than could see it every time she looked into his eyes. He may act big and bad, but it was all a facade to hide the pain inside. She recognizes this for she does the same.

We all wear our masks, forever how long or the reasons why do not matter. Everyone is a liar just being themselves.

Even if they never talk again she will never forget that small moment between them. For the first time since she could remember someone had shown her an act of kindness. There weren't any ulterior motives behind his actions. He wasn't getting anything out of it. He did it because he wanted to, it was a simple as that. He'll never understand how much that meant to someone like her. With this one miniscule act he had gave her a small glimmer of hope that there was still some good left in the world.

When the times get even tougher and she feels like giving up, she'll look back on that moment and know that for one small moment there was someone who gave a shit about her. However short amount of time it may have been she knew kindness.

It's hard to give up a memory. No matter what comes after, it's impossible to forget a small amount of happiness. To admit it was a fluke, an isolated moment in time with no chance-because our lives are not circular of reeling around again. She knows this better than anybody.

As she got dressed for school that morning, her stomach was bundled with knots. It was a feeling she only ever associated with him and whenever he was around. She had no idea what that meant. She didn't feel attracted to him. In all honesty she did not know if she was capable of sexual feelings for anyone. It was as if Slim took her ability away to feel anything. She closed herself off to those kinds of feelings. She numbed herself mind, body and soul just so she could get through the day. For if she felt there was no telling what she would do to herself or someone else. Being cold was the only way to survive this. Maybe someday someone would come along who would melt the ice around her heart, but for now she would remain devoid of all emotion. Feelings were a luxury she could not afford in this point in time.

Mary wished she could go out and date like other girls her age. Most girls in school had a new boyfriend every week. They were always chattering away in class and at lunch about how hot this boy was or whom they had a crush on. She would always envy their carefree worlds. They didn't have problems because they didn't want to have problems. It was as simple as that. They were given a choice, she wasn't. From the day she was born her life was not her own. She has been everybody else's girl except her own.

After she got dressed she walked into the living room and sneered in disgust. The living room was completely trashed. Beer bottles were scattered throughout the room and tables. Drug paraphernalia was littered throughout the room along with containers of half eaten chinese food.

She scrunched her nose in disgust at the stench that permeated the room. It smelled like stale sweat, rotten food and Lord knows what else. The couple who she saw in the living room the night before were asleep on the couch with needles still attached to their arms. They most likely passed out after an all night binge.

Mary tip toed through the living room not wanting to wake anybody up. They needed their beauty sleep after all (that was sarcasm by the way.) They would need to catch up on a lot of damn sleep to be considered even remotely attractive.

She walked into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator. She had not eaten dinner the night before. She spent almost the entire night locked in her room. She would rather go to bed hungry than to face them, but her stomach was growling reminding her that one needed food to survive. She was not surprised to see that the fridge was bare except for milk that was passed it's expiration date and food that was turning into penicillin.

There was also syringes which were kept in the fridge to stay sterilized. It was nice to see her mother at least had some standards, albeit how small they were. It was ironic her mother would care so much about contracting AIDS when she fucked men she did not know. At least someone was satiating their appetite.

She closed the fridge door and shook her head in anger. She was so sick and tired of going to school on a empty stomach. She could have went to school for breakfast, but the school bus she took only came at a certain time. If she left any earlier she would have to walk, which was not a short distance by any means. There was a reason she took the bus after all. Well, she survived not eating much after all this time. One more day wouldn't kill her. Besides, she would eat lunch. It usually held her off until the next day. At least that was what she told herself anyway. She could not count how many times she went to bed hungry.

Mary grabbed her backpack by the door and headed out of the house to start her day, thankful to be out of the house for the remainder of the day. She would worry about them later, but for right now this time was her own. School was something no one could take away from her. It was something she could call her own. It was the only time she truly felt in control of her life.

She was walking down to the bus stop when she heard the sound of someone honking their horn. She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw none other than Jon's car pulling up next to her.

Mary gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, bracing herself for whatever was to come. She had no idea what he wanted. She stood there with her eyes solely focused upon his car. She felt the nervousness involuntarily creeping up yet again, but this time it was a different feeling. She wasn't afraid like last night. She wasn't going to run away. Not this time. She would keep her head held high and be brave. She didn't want him to think she was some scared little girl, which is exactly what she was, especially when it pertained to him. Except the fear she felt when it came to him was not malicious. She was more afraid of herself when he was around. She did not know what that meant. She was still trying to figure things out for herself. One thing was for certain though. She was about to find out.

Jon had no idea why he was here. It was as if some undeniable force had brought him here out of his own volition. Ever since last night she had been the only thing he could think about. He hated knowing she was left all alone in that house to fend for herself. He wished he had never seen her last night. He has always prided himself upon his independence. The last thing he needed was to burdened with some little girl.

Regardless of that fact he could not help but think about her. He couldn't even shake her off with a couple hours in the gym. Every time he hit the punching bag all he could see was Slim's face. Her big brown eyes filled with tears was all he could see in his mind every single time he struck the punching bag. The rage he felt last night had boiled to the surface as it had many times before. It took all of the insurmountable strength he had within him last night not to go back to that house and beat the living shit out of him. He hit the punching bag so hard his knuckles bled, but he didn't care. He has always loved pain. It made him feel alive. Every time he felt and saw the blood pouring out of him it made him feel a sense of euphoria unlike any other.

He didn't get a wink of sleep last night. After he left the gym he spent almost the entire night driving around to clear his head. He never went home most nights anyway. He usually just slept in his car or Cody, the owner of the training school would let him sleep in his office. He seemed to trust him. He was the only one who was given a set of keys for the building, which is where he used the gym. He would never admit this aloud, but he has always respected Cody. Hell, he did more for him than his father ever had that's for damn sure. He was encouraging of his passion for wrestling. He gave him something rarely anyone ever did...faith. He gave him hope that with his wrestling he could finally get the hell out of this town once and for all.

Besides, it was not as if anyone would miss him. His mother was far too preoccupied with getting high and getting fucked by strangers than to care about his well being. How the hell could she take care of him when she could barely take care of herself?

Just knowing the fact she was all alone in that house with those monsters did not sit right with him. It made him feel something he was not used to...guilt. For some strange reason he felt responsible for her. Maybe it had to do with their similar circumstances, but he knew it was much more than that. There was a different dynamic between them that was not there before. They were no longer strangers to one another, but they weren't exactly friends either. Fuck, he didn't know what to call them. All he knew was that they were stuck with each other, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Mary stood on the sidewalk and watched as his car pulled up alongside of her.

He had a cigarette clenched between his teeth as he rolled down the window, "Ya didn't run away this time.'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I didn't see a reason to.'

Jon nodded, 'Ya need a ride to school?"

She shook her head, 'No, that's okay. I'm just walking to the bus stop.'

He liked how she didn't give in easily. She was independent and didn't ask anybody for anything. He respected that about her. Little did she know that he didn't give up easily either.

Jon let out an exacerbated sighed, 'Ya would rather sit on a bus with a bunch of fucking faggots than to take a ride from me?'

A small smile formed upon her face at his attempt of a joke, 'Yeah, well I don't pay too much mind to them.'

He nodded his head, 'I can see that.'

Mary saw her bus pulling up to the stop. She averted her eyes between him and the bus, silently debating what she should do.

'So, what's it gonna be?" Jon asked her.

Before she had a chance to make up her mind, she watched helplessly as the bus drove off down the street.

He chuckled, 'Well, looks like ya gonna have to let me take ya to school now.'

Mary rolled her eyes, 'Yeah, looks like it.'

Jon laughed again and opened the passenger side door for her.

She wearily looked around and cautiously walked over to his car. She knew she would have been better off taking the bus, but it seemed as if fate had other things in mind. She wasn't afraid of getting into his car. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. He had showed her last night that he wasn't someone that was going to cause her harm. At least not yet anyway. Give it time though. It always happens sooner or later.

She slowly got into the car and closed the door, taking a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves. She looked over at him and noticed he was still in the same clothes from the night before, but his messy hair was covered with a Bengals baseball cap that has seen better days. She wondered if he even went home last night or he had nothing else to wear. She would bet her life upon the latter.

Mary coyly gazed over at him and smiled softly, 'Thanks.'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah...sure.'

She chuckled to herself in amusement. He really was a boy of very little words, which was another thing she liked about him. She wasn't much of a conversationalist either. The two of them didn't see the need to fill the void with empty conversations. Besides, what the hell could the two of them talk about? Their drug addicted mothers? Maybe they could compare notes and see how many men their mothers fucked in town.

There was a comfortable silence as they drove. They both stole glances at one another every so often, but other than that not much was said.

Jon found it odd that he was driving with a teenage girl and she had not once opened her mouth. Most girls her age wouldn't shut up. They just went on and on about everything and nothing. He liked the fact she was quiet. It put the pressure off him. He couldn't even begin a conversation with her if he tried. What the hell did he have in common with a fourteen year old girl?

Who the hell was he kidding? They had everything in common.

He gazed over at her from his espy. She was looking out the window, refusing to look anywhere in his direction. She was wearing jeans, beat up black sneakers and a pink sweatshirt and her hair was in a messy ponytail. He knew her low maintenance style was not a choice. Most girls her age didn't exactly like the idea of secondhand clothes. God forbid they wear the same pair of pants within the same week. She didn't wear any makeup either like the other girls. The girls they went to school with put on so much makeup they looked like clowns. They thought that by wearing heavy makeup it would make them look older, but it just made them look like little girls playing dress up to him. In his opinion she did not need makeup. She was naturally pretty without it, but she should have the option of dressing like other girls her age. It wasn't fair to her. Then again life rarely is. If anybody knew that it was the two of them.

When they were at a stoplight, he leaned back in his seat to stretch his taut muscles. His muscles were aching and the crisp morning weather didn't help matters much. He was sore from working out last night. He worked out hard last night for over four hours lifting weights and going a couple rounds on the punching bag. Sometimes he would work out so hard he could hardly walk the next day. He liked to push himself to see how far he could go before he breaks. He thrives upon the pain, feeds off it. Feeling pain is the only time he has ever felt truly alive.

He looked over at her and could not help but notice how skinny she was. Her cheeks were gaunt and her skin was pale. It was made obvious to him she wasn't eating as well as she should be. He knows what it's like to be hungry wondering when you're next meal is going to be. His mother would much rather spend her welfare checks on buying drugs than food. It was good to have priorities, you know?

As they began driving down the road once again, Jon turned to her asking her nonchalantly, 'Ya hungry?'I don't know about you but I'm fucking starving.' The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel embarrassed about it. He did not want to make a big deal about it.

He heard the distinct sound of her stomach growling. The poor thing was probably starving. He could tell she missed a few meals or twenty. He knows what it's like to be hungry, but having too much pride to ask for something. Well, if she couldn't ask then he was going to force her to tell him what she wanted. He can be a stubborn bastard when he wants to be. His stubborn nature was the only thing his good for nothing father ever gave him before he went to prison for the rest of his life.

Mary shook her head, 'No, I'm okay.'

Jon rolled his eyes and nodded his head, 'Yeah...okay. I'm just going to stop at the store real quick to get something to eat, all right?'

She nodded her head, a small smile forming on her face.

He parked in front of a corner convenience store and ran in. No more than five minutes later he came out of the store carrying a plastic bag.

Jon got into the car and took out a muffin and orange juice. He threw the items gently into her lap, 'Here. I know you're hungry. I could hear your stomach growling as I was driving. Don't try to fucking tell me you're not hungry either. I don't play fucking games.' He stared her directly into the eyes as he said in a fiercely commanding tone, 'I would appreciate your honesty when I ask you a simple question. Is that understood?'

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah...okay.'

He curtly nodded his head, 'Okay...now eat.'

He didn't want to get stern with her, but he knew she would refuse the food as soon as he gave it to her. It was the only way to get through her rough exterior. In many ways it was as if he was dealing with a female version of himself.

Jon wanted her to drop the self-pity act. She needed to learn that if she wanted something out of life she had to demand it. In this life you can't ask for things nicely...you have to take them. He has had to learn that lesson the hard way.

All of the sudden the image of his little cousin came flashing into his mind. He quickly shook the image off, clearing his head out of its haze and focused on the road in front him. The last thing he wanted to do was let her see him falter. He vowed to himself no one would ever see that side of him. His days of crying were over. He never had the chance to be a boy. He had become a man far long before his balls dropped.

She looked over at him drinking a muscle milk with some kind of nutrition breakfast bar on his lap, 'So, are you like a weightlifter? Isn't that what that drink is for? For people who lift weights, or something?'

Jon nodded his head, '_Something _like that.'

She looked out the windows and rolled her eyes. She could tell by his cryptic answer he wasn't going to elaborate. She wasn't going to press the issue. If he wanted to keep somethings close to the vest, that was fine by her. It was not as if they were friends or anything like that anyway, which is why she had to wonder why he was being so nice to her. There had to be something he wanted from her. She has learned throughout her life that when people are nice they usually want something from her. Something that she is not willing give. Why should he be any different?

"So, what do you want?' Mary asked him.

He shook his head in bafflement, 'I don't know what you mean.'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't understand why you're doing this all of the sudden. We've gone to the same school together for almost a year now and not once have you tried to talk to me. Now you're buying me breakfast and giving me rides. Why is that?'

Mary didn't know why she was pushing him for an answer. It was made plainly obvious to her he wasn't someone who liked explaining himself, especially to complete strangers. She just didn't trust the situation or him. She doesn't know if she's even capable of trusting anyone anymore.

Jon muttered a curse word under his breath and pulled the car over to the side of the road, 'Ya wanna get the hell out of the car? Then get out cause I'm not beggin ya to stay. Honey, that's not me.' He took a few deep breaths to get his anger under control, 'Look, I gave you ride cause I wanted to. It's as fucking simple as that...got it?'

She nodded her head, 'Yeah, I got it.'

He sighed, 'Good, now eat your food.'

There was nothing else that needed to be said after that. She figured that was good of an answer she was ever going to get out of him. It wasn't much but it was a start.

Mary sat there lightly picking at her muffin. He had surprised her with the food. She did not expect for him to get her anything. Then again she didn't expect for her to ever be in his car either. It seems as if the past two days have been full of nothing but surprises. Thankfully these were the good ones. God only knows she's had enough bad ones to last an entire lifetime. She was right in her assumptions. He was a good person. On the outside he had this facade of being some rough and tough street kid who didn't take any bullshit from anyone. Yeah, he may have been all of these things, but on the inside was a very sweet and caring person. No one would ever have believed he was capable of such warm emotions, but she knew it. She had witnessed it firsthand. She decided to keep this precious secret all to herself.

They pulled into the school parking lot and he pulled into his usual spot in front of the building. Thankfully it was still early yet and most of the kids hadn't arrived. She didn't want any of her peers to see her with him. The last thing she needed was for them to think something was going on between them. It would just give them more ammunition for their taunting and she didn't want to fuel the fire.

Jon turned the car off and they both sat in awkward silence.

Mary decided to break the silence by saying, 'So...thanks for the ride and breakfast.'

He nodded, 'Sure.'

Maybe during another one of their conversations she could teach him the words,'you're welcome.' She wondered if they were even in his vocabulary. He didn't seem the kind of person who was blessed with good manners.

She gave him a small smile, 'So, I guess I'll see ya around.'

Jon took a deep drag of his cigarette and nodded his head, 'Yeah...everyday.'

Just as she was about to exit the car, he asked her, 'Ya need a ride after school?'

Mary shook her head, 'No, that's okay. I usually don't go right home after school.' She bowed her head, heaving a laborious sigh, 'I usually go and do my homework in the library and study. It's quieter there.'

He nodded his head, understanding far too well what she was trying to convey, 'If ya change your mind. Ya know where to find me.'

A small smile formed upon her face, 'Yeah...Thanks again for everything.'

Jon bowed his head and shrugged sheepishly, 'Sure...'

He was feeling uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. He did not know how to handle gratitude. Ridicule he could handle. It just fed his drive and pushed him to the limit. Maybe it's due to the fact it's very rare he does something nice for someone, especially someone whom he did not even know.

With one last final look at him, she exited the vehicle.

As he took a deep drag of his cigarette, he intently watched her as she walked up to the building. He clenched his cigarette between his teeth and shook his head. What in the hell was he doing? He was fucking turning into Oprah or some shit like that. This little slip of a girl was making him feel things he hasn't felt in a very long time. Not since his little cousin. She was actually starting to make him feel like he had something to look forward to everyday, which was seeing her.

Maybe he was meant to see her last night so they could finally connect after all this time they spent avoiding one another. It was the fire he needed up his ass to make him realize that he wasn't alone in this. There was someone else who understood him and what he was going through.

No, they haven't seen the last of one another. You can guarantee that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Notes: I wanna thank everyone at the bottom of my heart who has been reading this. Your reviews mean a lot to me. I've been mulling this story over my head for awhile now. I have read so many Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley fics where they just don't do the man justice. I know it's fanfiction, but something he comes off as just a one noted character. I wanted to give him some depth and tribute to the complex man he really is.**

**Also, keep in mind this is fanfiction and not an autobiography. I of course have taken certain liberties and changed things around to make it my own and further move the plot along. **

**I also just got back from TLC in my hometown of Brooklyn. I have to say I was speechless. I am SO damn proud of Seth and Dean. Those boys are going to change the game. I cannot wait to watch their careers in the WWE unfold. My boys are all growed up. I actually had tears in my eyes as I watched the match as did my fiance. My fiance compared it to the equivalent of watching your children graduated from college. I couldn't agree more. My voice is practically nilch and I'm a teacher by the way. But I wouldn't change it for the world.**

**On another note, how damn funny was Dean's facial expressions? The boy takes bumps like nobody's business.**

School was uneventful as it usually is. Jon and Mary had saw each other in the halls in between classes a couple times. Neither said anything to one another. They didn't want the other students to know something was up between them. The last thing they wanted to was give them something to talk about.

The only acknowledgement they gave one another was Jon raising his eyebrows in greeting to her and she curtly nodding her head, giving him a small smile, but other than that you would never know they knew each other.

At the end of the school day, Mary found herself outside of the school. She looked into the parking lot and found her eyes solely focused upon his car. She didn't know why she was looking for him. If she was smart she would just walk away and head to the library. She could not afford getting herself tangled up with anybody. She has made it this far without any friends. She was sure she could survive another three years without them.

Besides, he was two years older than her and would be graduating next year. She would most likely never see him again. Sure, she may run into him every now and then at Slim's house, but she wouldn't have to face him day after day.

Mary shook her head, laughing at herself to where the direction of her thoughts were going. This wasn't an episode of 'Dawson's Creek'. Everyone's problems would not be solved within an hour, including commercials. This was real life. People get hurt and lives are sometimes ruined, broken beyond repair.

From her early childhood she was haunted by the feeling that no one would ever hear her. For the first time since she could remember someone had. In many ways she wished they hadn't. She was better off alone. For when you're alone no one could ever hurt you. The only person you would be able to hurt is yourself. It seems the more she knows something, the less she wants to know about it.

That _something _ being Jon.

Deciding to do the logical thing for once, she continued making her way to the library. As she was turning around, she found herself bumping into something solid. She found her eyes staring into the chest of someone much taller than her. She slowly and cautiously roved her eyes up his form and found herself staring directly into the face of Jon.

He had a wide grin upon his face as he looked down at her, 'Funny seeing you here.'

Mary shook her head, sighing, 'I didn't even hear you come up behind me. You're like a ninja you're so quiet.'

Jon chuckled, 'Yeah, well you weren't paying attention. You have to start being more aware of your surroundings. Ya can't keep walking around with your head up your ass.'

She looked at him incredulously and scoffed, 'Thanks for the advice, but I gotta be going.'

Mary walked away from him, leaving him standing there dumbfounded. He stood there, wondering what in the hell just happened. Yeah, maybe what he said was out of line, but it was the truth. She can't be walking around the world oblivious. She can't keep letting the world walk all over her. When the world comes at her she has to come back even harder. Someone had to teach her to stand up for herself. For some reason he couldn't help but feel as if he were that person, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Jon quickly ran up to her and walked along side of her, 'Where ya headed?"

She looked over at him wearily, 'To the library to study.'

He nodded his head, 'Ya need a ride?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, thanks. I like to walk.'

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'Hell, I walk with ya. I need the exercise.'

She looked over at him, her eyes widening in surprise. She decided it would be best not to ask him why. She got the feeling he didn't like anyone questioning his motives. She was really curious as to why he was now bothering with her all of the sudden. Maybe he felt sorry for her, but maybe he just wanted someone to talk to.

The world is filled with unlikely friendships. How do they begin? With one person desperately in need. And another willing to lend a helping hand. When such kindness if offered, we are finally able to see the worth of those we have previously written off. And before we know it, a bond is formed. Regardless of whether others can understand it. Yes, unlikely friendships such as theirs start up every day. No one understand this more than the lonely. In fact, it's what they count on.

He took a cigarette out of his pocket and quickly lit it, taking a deep drag, 'So, what teachers ya have this year?'

Mary sighed, 'Wilson for English, Jordan for Math and Dulin for Science.'

Jon chuckled, 'Shit, you're one of those nerds, huh? Don't they teach those classes for smart kids or somethin?"

She nodded, '_Something _like that.'

A small smile formed upon his face as she threw his words back at him he had said to her that morning. He had to hand it to her, she gave as good as she got. It was one of the things he liked about her. She didn't hold back with him. Mostly everyone was afraid of him, but she wasn't. Maybe she should be. He was not someone whom should be trusted so easily. If she was smart she should run as far away from him as she could get.

Then again, he wasn't given her any reasons to be afraid of him. If he was a good person he would stay away from her, but he wasn't. He was always a selfish bastard.

Once again they walked in silence, but it wasn't awkward as it usually is. There was a comfortable silence between them that was not there before. They didn't feel the need to fill the void with mindless chatter. They were content enough not to say a word for they didn't want to ruin the fragile silence.

As they were walking, she stole a few glances at him. He wasn't wearing his hat he had on earlier. HIs hair was messy sticking in every direction. Most of if was falling down over his forehead, curtaining his eyes. She had the urge to just lean up and sweep it back. The boy was in desperate need of a comb or a haircut. He may have been somewhat of an unkempt boy, but he wasn't bad looking. He had strong features with an intense gaze that seemed to pierce your soul whenever he looked at you. He had this intensity she had never encountered in anyone else before. His presence was so commanding. You could tell just by looking at him he carried this enormous strength with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He didn't ask for attention, he demanded it. She envied that in him.

She also couldn't help but notice his hands. She was surprised to see cuts and bruises upon his knuckles. They were swollen and red. It looked as if he had been in a rough brawl last night. She hated to see what happened to the other man. He didn't have a mark on his face, indicating to her he won the battle.

Jon looked over at her her and took the opportunity to study her. This was the first time he really had a chance to see her up close in the light of day. She must have taken her hair down in the middle of the day for it fell down her shoulders in waves. She kept most of her hair framing her face, as if she were shielding it from the rest of the world. He couldn't understand why she would want to do that. She shouldn't have anything to be ashamed of. She was a very pretty girl. He couldn't lie. If she were a little older he would definitely have tried something with her by now. But she wasn't older. She was just a little girl to him.

Whenever he looked at her he didn't feel that spark of attraction he felt with other girls. He didn't feel the twitch in his jeans or that fire deep down inside of his belly. He didn't see her as some itch that needed to be scratched. He saw her as something to protect, like a little sister in a sense.

Mary broke the silence by asking him, 'How was school?'

Jon shrugged, 'Same shit, different day.'

She nodded and smiled, 'Yeah, I hear ya. ' She looked wearily over at him, 'Ya working for Slim tonight?'

A small smile formed upon his face. It was her way of asking him if she was going to see him tonight. He kind of liked the idea of someone looking forward to see him. It was definitely a first.

He shook his head, 'Nah, I got my other job tonight.' He looked down at his watch and muttered a curse word, 'Shit, in about a half hour.'

'What do ya do?' Mary asked him.

Jon shoved his hands deeply into his jean pockets and idly kicked the leaves as they walked, shrugging nonchalantly, 'I clean up at this training school.'

'What kind of training school?' She prodded.

It was made obvious to him she wasn't going to back down. She was going to keep asking him questions until she got the truth out of him. She was a teenage girl after all. He thought it best to just tell her and get it over with. It was better to get the embarrassment out of the way now rather than later.

Jon ran a hand through his disheveled hair and sighed, 'It's a training school for pro- wrestlers. That's what I wanna do.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, 'Really?' She had to admit she wasn't expecting that, but it made sense why he was in such a good shape.

Now that she thought about it, she could see that. He definitely had the charisma and intensity for it that was for damn sure. And he most certainly had the aggression from what she heard about him. It seemed like the perfect avenue for him to harness all that negative energy he had.

He was surprised she was not laughing in his face when he told her. When most people learned of his aspirations they would heckle him and call him a fool and a dreamer. They didn't have faith in him, but they would see. He would show them. He was going to make them all eat their words. You can better believe that.

She nodded, 'That seems cool. Ya mean like on tv? Is it that kind of wrestling? The one with The Rock and Stone Cold and all that?''

Jon nodded, 'Ya, that kind of wrestling.'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Cool. Are you training to become one yet?'

He shook his head, letting out an irritated sigh, 'Nah, I gotta wait til I'm eighteen, which fuckin sucks, ya know? I'm ready now. The longer I wait the longer it takes for me to be the best.'

She was surprised to see this sort of passion within him. It was made obvious to her he loved it. In his mind there was no option of failing. It was either wrestling for him or nothing. This was everything to him. If he didn't succeed there was no telling what might happen to him. He most likely wouldn't survive this.

Mary nodded her head, 'How long have you wanted to do this?"

Jon shrugged, 'I don't know. Feels like forever, ya know?'

She smiled, fully understanding his words, 'I wanna be a social worker.' She shrugged, 'I just want to help the kids no one else wants, ya know?'

He nodded his head, choosing to remain silent upon hearing her words. They both knew far too well what she meant. The world had turned their backs upon them a long time ago. They both had dreams that many would say could not be achieved by two kids such as themselves. But what's a good dream without being a little unrealistic? It is what they're called dreams. If it was so easy to attain everything we wanted the world would be a hell of a different place. It wouldn't be easy for them, but rarely anything ever is. It is the haters which breed success. For if it wasn't for the naysayers we would have nothing to prove.

Mary stopped in front of a building and pointed up at it, 'Well, this is me. '

Jon looked up at the building and nodded his head, 'How long ya stay here for?'

She shrugged, 'I don't know. Until however long I feel like it.' She sighed, 'Which is usually all night.'

He knew why she didn't want to go home. There was really nothing worthwhile waiting for her back there. He knew all too well what it was like to just hide away from the rest of world, but they didn't have to do it alone...not anymore.

Jon looked down at his feet and rocked back and forth on his heels, 'I'll come pick ya up here after I'm done work in a few hours. I'll get ya dinner.'

Mary looked at him and a small smile formed upon her face. She knew he wasn't asking her. He was telling her. If she has learned anything in their newly formed friendship is that it was best not to argue with him and just do what he wants. Besides, she didn't mind seeing him later. Shit, she pretty much expected it at this point.

She nodded, 'All right, thanks...for walking with me.'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah.'

Mary smiled softly at him, 'See ya later.'

Jon tentatively returned her smile, which looked more as if he were grimacing in pain more than anything. Something told her he wasn't someone who smiled much. Maybe there wasn't much things in his life for him to smile about. Until now that is.

She waved, 'Bye.'

He curtly nodded his head, 'See ya.'

Jon stood there and watched her until she entered the building. As he was walking back to his car, he felt something he was not used to feeling...happy.

Life is full of shocks. Pleasant surprises that jolt our systems and cause our heart to skip a beat. And these shocks occur when you least expect them. This shock came in the form of a little girl named Mary.

When he pulled up in front of the training gym, he got out of the car and looked up at the building. He leaned back up against his car and smoke a quick cigarette before work. He just stared at the building smiling. He was looking at his dreams right in front of him. All he had to do was convince them that he was worth it, that he had what it takes to be a champion.

Even if he had to sweep floors a couple of hours a night to prove it. It was all in a day's work. You must make sacrifices for the things you want in life, or else you'll never be able to appreciate the glory that comes after. It's all he ever wanted really. It was to be noticed and appreciated for once in his godforsaken life. Being accepted is the universal need within us all.

Jon walked into the gym and it was already jumping. The students have been training hard these past two months. They had an amateur wrestling tournament coming up. This was the time for them to really exemplify what they were made of and impress Cody and Les. They would have to utilize all they were taught to show them they worthy of the art.

He could not wait for his opportunity to do the same...

A couple of students were in the ring going over basic maneuvers as a trainer yelled out to them calls and critique. Some men were on the mats going through submission holds and finishers. He averted his eyes back and forth in awe as he watching all the men work. He has always been enthralled by the art of wrestling. He was attracted to the danger and fierce competitiveness of it all. He has always lived his life on the edge. He was bored easily and rarely satisfied. He liked to drive really fast and he liked to take risks. This was perfect for him. He has been fighting through his entire life. This would be something where he could finally balance all that negative energy into something positive, like taking the soul and pride of another man's glory.

Jon was making his way through the gym towards the back area to get ready for work when he heard his name being called out.

He was surprised to see Cody standing outside of his office. He signaled for Jon to come over to him, 'Come on over here a minute, Good. I wanna talk to ya.'

Jon felt a sense of apprehension come over him at this moment. Whenever your boss wants to talk to you in his office it's never a good thing. He knew from getting fired at a couple of jobs he had previously. Lets just say he had a difficult time playing nicely with others. He was for sure he was going to get fired.

As he walked over to his office he racked his brain, trying to figure out what he could have done. For the past year since he has worked here he has never missed a day of work. He always shows up on time and does what he asks and never complains. If he loses this job he loses everything.

For the first since since his inception he finally found a place where he belongs. He finds something he loves and feels passionate about. It fills that void he has in his empty space he calls a life. It gives him a reason to wake up in the morning. The thought of one day becoming a wrestler has saved his life. It kept him going when all he wanted was to lay down and die. Losing this job was not an option to him. This was the end of the line for him. He had no other options left.

Cody opened the door wider, giving him enough space to enter the office. Fear crept in his heart as he closed the door behind him. He was surprised to see Les Thatcher sitting there.

Les Thatcher was a man every professional wrestler admired and respected. Not only had he been wrestling since the sixties, but he was also a former bodybuilder. He also promoted one of the most esteemed wrestling promotions out there right now called, 'Heartland Wrestling Association.' Mostly everyone who graduated from his camp went there. It was like a Rite of Passage. Some even made it farther to the big leagues, which is exactly where he dreamed to end up one day. All he needed was a shot.

Jon has always followed Les's career. He was someone he looked up to and admired. Not only was he one of the best promoters in the business, but he was also a damn good wrestler. He had the best high-flying dropkicks and sound ability in the ring he has ever seen. But like most heroes whom had once achieved glory, he was far beyond his prime. He was in his sixties now and mostly stuck to training the young up and comers. He hoped the old man stayed alive long enough for him to train him. He has always looked up to the old man as being like a father figure to him, someone whom he could look up to. He didn't like to think this would be the last time they would see one another again.

Cody patted him upon his back, 'How ya doing, Jon?'

He shrugged, 'Good.'

Cody smiled and nodded, 'Why don't ya sit down?'

Jon nodded wearily. He shook hands with Les and exchanged greetings before he sat down.

The room was silent you could almost hear a pin drop. He folded his hands and twiddled his thumbs nervously in his lap. He doesn't fear much. Not really anyway. Anything he fears he uses that to further fuel the hate he has inside of him. He had to admit. He has never felt pure unabashed fear more than he does in this moment. For there is nothing more frightening than having your dreams viciously taken from you before you even had a chance.

He looked over at Cody, astutely observing the man before him. Cody was considerably younger than Les. He was only in his late twenties, but was in no way a rookie. He was somewhat of a seasoned veteran. He was infamous in the independent wrestling circuit for his in ring abilities. The man was one of the most gifted wrestlers he has ever seen. He was truly a student of the game, a master of his own credit. As far as Jon is concerned he doesn't get far enough credit. He could only hope to be a fraction of the kind of wrestler he is.

Cody Hawk was a very unassuming man. He was tall standing about six foot two with an athletic build. He had long curly blonde hair which he usually wore with a bandana wrapped around his head. With the hoop ring in his ear he looked like your average everyday boy from Ohio, but he was anything but. As soon as he stepped inside the ring he became extraordinary.

Cody and Les both looked at one another and shared a knowing smile before they turned their attention back towards Jon.

Cody folded his hands upon the table and sighed, 'Les and I have been talking for a few weeks about what we wanna do with ya.'

Jon nodded his head, bracing himself for the blow, 'Yeah, what is that?"

'Your seventeenth birthday is on the seventh right?"Cody asked him.

He nodded his head, wondering where this line of question was headed, 'Yeah...'

Cody nodded his head, 'Well, Les and I saw ya in the ring a couple weeks back.'

Jon shook his head, 'I was only playing around. I didn't think anyone was here. I thought everyone left for the day. Clint and I were just goofing around.'' He sighed, 'I know ya don't want me in the ring yet-'

Les lifted up his hand, quickly shutting him up, 'We ain't worried about that boy.' He looked over at Cody, who urged him with his eyes to continue, 'After some serious talking between us, we decided that after your birthday...we wanna give ya a shot. Ya showed a lot of potential and raw talent in that ring. Not even some of our most experienced students out there show that much promise..'

His eyes widened as large as saucers. He was unable to believe what was hearing. Never has he heard words of encouragement from anyone like that before. It seemed so surreal. Nothing this good ever happens to him. He never gets anything he wants in life. There had to be some kind of catch.

Les chuckled and patted him on his back, 'Hell of a birthday present, huh?'

Jon just nodded his head dumbly. He was too stunned he was unable to speak. For the first time in his life he was rendered speechless.

Cody smiled when he saw the surprised look upon his face, 'You're gonna be starting training at Les's 'Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp' on the ninth. That's a Monday. You're gonna show up Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at five pm and train for three hours each day. Is that understood? No fuck ups. We do random drug tests. There's no second chance. If your piss comes back dirty you're gone. We don't play games here. You come to train ya better be serious about it. Ya got me.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yes, sir.'

Cody smiled, 'Good. Now go on out there and clean up the back. It looks like a fucking tornado hit it back there.'

He got up from his chair and extended his hand out to Cody, 'I wanna thank ya for this opportunity.' He shook his head and sighed, 'Ya have no idea what this means to me.'

Cody nodded and smiled, 'I think I do.' He scoffed,'Hell I fired ya and ya still came back. Ya even wrote a goddamn letter. Ya got determination. That's what I like about ya. Ya stick to your guns you'll go far in this business. Ya understand me?'

Jon gripped his hand tightly as he shook it and nodded his head, 'I do...thanks.'

He turned his attention toward Les and shook the older man's hand, 'Thanks so much for this, sir. I look forward to training with ya.'

Les chuckled and nodded, 'Me too, son. I liked what I saw out there. One word of advice though. Cut that damn hair.'

Jon chuckled, 'Ya got it.'

Cody laughed, 'Now get the hell outta here. Us adults got a business to run.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...sure.' He averted his eyes between the two, 'Thanks for this opportunity once again. I promise I won't let ya down. I'm going to be as good as I said I'll be...even better.'

With that being said, he made his way out the door leaving the two men alone.

The two men watched as he walked out the door and looked at one another. They shared a knowing look and laughed.

Les shook his head, 'He's cocky isn't he?'

Cody smiled and nodded, 'Yeah he is. '

The older man chuckled, shaking his head, 'Reminds me a lot like yourself when you were just starting out.'You really think he has what it takes?' Les asked him.

Cody heaved a laborious sigh, 'Lets hope so.'

As the two men sat there in the office, they both mulled over the thought if they had made the right decision or not. They just hoped this boy they took a shot in the dark with proves them right. For everyone involved.

Jon walked out of Cody's office with a wide grin upon his face. He walked through the gym with a new stride. He finally walked with a sense of purpose. He balled his hand into a fist and celebrated a silent victory in the back all by himself. He lightly punched a spare punching bag and howled aloud. He was given a shot. He was really doing this. He was going to do what he always dreamed. Maybe things are finally starting to come together in his life. Well, as good as they came be anyway.

It almost felt as if this was the beginning of his new life. The life where he called the shots and was in charge of his own destiny. Not everyone has their dreams offered to them and he wasn't about to waste one moment of it. He was going to be the best in the world.

No matter what it takes...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3**

**Author's notes: I forgot that I forgot to put a disclaimer on my work. I do not own anything belonging to WWE entertainment. The characters are solely owned by Vince Mcmahon. Although with the amount of money I spend on PPVs', merch and shows I should own partial stock in the company. Any recognizable characters I do not own. I am merely playing around with them for a bit. While some of my work is inspired by real life, I played around with facts to make it my own**

**On another note I'm picturing Jennifer Lawrence as Mary while I'm writing this. Anybody who doesn't know who she is google her so you can have an idea of what Mary should like or if you have someone else in mind go nuts. I would love to hear your ideas of who you pictured as you were reading this. I'm thinking of making a video or photomanips to go along with the story.**

**If anyone wants to make a video for this story I would be forever in your debt. I can't make fan videos for shit. They just come out looking like grainy security footage.**

Over three weeks has passed by since Jon and Mary had begun their alliance or friendship. In all honesty they really do not know what to call it. They didn't like to put a label on what they were to each other. They were just Jon and Mary. It was really as simple as that. People spend far too much time dwelling upon what they mean to people. They over analyze relationships and never really take the time to appreciate the people they have in their lives.

For two people whom don't have many people in their lives who they can count on, they didn't want to mess up the good thing they had going. For the past few weeks they have had somewhat of a routine. Jon would pick her up in the mornings for school and buy her breakfast.

After school was finished he would be waiting outside in the parking lot, sitting on top of his hood waiting to take her wherever she wanted to go. If he was training he would drop her off at the library and pick her up after he was finished. He would take her to a diner and buy her dinner and she would listen as he recounted his time training.

Whenever he spoke about his training he became really excited and his eyes would light up. She really could tell how passionate he was in what he was doing. He really seemed to love it. It was the only time she couldn't shut him up. He would spend hours just talking about all the new moves he learned and what he was going to learn next. She would sit there and listen and try to follow along as best she could. She had to admit, she didn't know much about wrestling. They didn't have a television at home. Slim was far too cheap and her mother couldn't care less about anything other than getting high. But with the amount of time Jon spent talking about it, she would be a walking talking encyclopedia of wrestling in no time. She was so happy he was finally given his chance to fulfill his dreams. Not everyone can be so lucky. It was rare chances such as this are given to kids like was glad she was around to witness it. It gave her hope she would one day be able to do the same.

She really wanted to see him in action, but he didn't want her to see him wrestle yet. He wanted to wait until he was ready. Basically he didn't want to make an ass out of himself in front of her.

She could not wait until she saw him in action.

With all the hard work and dedication he has been putting in these last few weeks, there was not a doubt in her mind he was going to be good. There are some things you can tell with someone just by looking at them. He was definitely one of those people. He was competitive, hungry and had the drive to succeed. He was all in and had nothing to lose. An ambitious kid with nothing to lose is a dangerous combination.

Mary liked their drives most of all. Most times they just spent not saying a word. They just enjoyed the silence. That's what they liked about their friendship the most. They didn't see the need to fill the void with mindless chatter. They were content enough to just simply enjoy one another's company. There was an unspoken understanding between them. They had each other's backs. It was them against the world.

It was a rare thing for two people such as themselves to find someone who could truly understand them. For so long they have been alone trying to make it in a world where they don't fit in. They finally found their equals. They would be damned if they gave this up. While they may have still kept their guards up with one another, they were through with fighting their connection. They were stuck with each other, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

They still kept their talking in school to a minimum. Sure they would say hello to one another in the halls, but other than that they hardly said a word to one another. It was not as if they were ashamed of one another. It was quite the opposite actually. Their friendship was something they didn't want to share with the world. At least not yet anyway. It was still fragile and they still had a lot to learn about one another. They didn't want some douchebag kids ruining whatever it is they had. This was something precious to them. They refused to give it up. Lord knows they have sacrificed enough in their short lives. They would be damned if they let someone ruin it.

Jon was sitting in his car and smoking a cigarette as he waited for Mary to meet him. He usually didn't pick her up in front of her house. She always met him a block down. He never understood why she requested for him to do this. He thought it maybe had something to do with Slim. She was afraid of him, but for what reason he was not entirely sure.

Whenever she mentioned his name she would freeze up. A look of disgust came over her face and tears filled her eyes. It was made plainly obvious to him he hurt her in some way, but how he had not a clue. Judging by what he witnessed in her kitchen a few weeks back he had a very good idea. He wanted to ask her, but didn't want to upset her. It was clear Slim was a sensitive topic for her. So he kept his mouth shut and didn't push her. He figured when she wanted to tell him, she would. Besides, it was not as if he was being an open book with her either.

If he has learned anything from their friendship it's that there has to be give and take. He hoped they would reach a point in their friendship when she would finally open up to him and vice versa. He just hoped that when she finally did decide to be honest with him it wasn't too late. He would never be able to forgive himself if something seriously happened to her.

These past few weeks she has become a constant in his life. While it was true he saw her everyday in school, this was entirely different. They knew one another on a personal level. Shit, they ate dinner together every night. In the past three weeks not one day has gone by where he hasn't spent time with her.

Somehow and in some way she has become someone he can rely upon. He actually looks forward to waking up each morning to pick her up. Never did he think he would say that about another person. She was like the little sister he never had. He didn't look at her as some sexual object as he saw other girls. He saw her as something to protect and not tarnish or ruin. In many ways it was as if he were rectifying every wrong that has been done to his little cousin. He would protect Mary as he should have done for his little cousin. The social workers said he wasn't good enough to take care of his cousin.

Well, he seemed to be doing an okay job of taking care of Mary.

Jon shook his head in disgust. Who the hell was he kidding? He wasn't taking care of anybody. How the hell could he take care of someone else when he could barely take care of himself? He was just looking out for her. She was just a little girl. Sure, she had thick skin and could take care of herself, but someone like her shouldn't be alone. She needed someone to watch out for her well being, someone who could protect her from the evils of man.

It killed him to take her back to that house every night. He could see the tears filling her eyes as she exited his car. Dread was clearly written upon her face. He knew she hated going back to that house. He just wished she would tell him the reasons why, but maybe he already knew. It was the same reason why he hated going back to his own home. He didn't want to see his crackheaded mother passed out on the couch after a long night of sucking dicks for a living.

It took everything within him not to just turn the car around and take her somewhere else, somewhere as far away from this place as they could get. But he knew he couldn't do that. He was only seventeen years old without a penny to his name. He hated himself for taking her back there, but they had no other options at this point in time. They had nothing. They only had each other, which they were slowly starting to realize.

Jon saw Mary walking down the street, he honked the horn and she waved at him.

He curtly nodded his head in greeting and opened the car door for her, 'Hey'

Mary sighed dejectedly, 'Hi.'

Jon looked over at her. She had the hood of her sweatshirt up and her hair was down hiding her face from him. He could tell just by looking at her something was up. Her mood was somber and he could tell by her sniffles that she had been crying. He sat there, silently debating if he should press the issue.

Deciding to just bite the bullet, he asked her, 'What's up?'

She shook her head, 'Nothing, I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night.'

Jon nodded his head, not believing her for one second, 'What happened?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders and sighed, 'Nothing happened, Jon. I'm fine.'

He knew that when a girl says she's fine she is anything but. She still kept her hood up even though they were inside the car. He had the heater on so he knew she couldn't be cold. She was hiding something from him. He was sure of it.

He shook his head, 'Nah, don't try that bullshit with me. Ya know that doesn't work. I asked ya a question. What's going on?'

Jon has discovered the only way to get her to open up was to demand the truth out of her. He didn't like to be forceful with her, but it was the only way she was used to. It was a harsh but true fact. It was the only way he could get through to her.

Mary scoffed, 'Fuck you. I don't have to explain myself to you.' She sighed and bowed her head, further shielding her face from him, 'Lets just go to school or we're going to be late.'

He shook his head and yanked the hoodie off her head.

She whipped her head around, 'Who the hell do you think you are?"

Jon's eyes widened when he saw her face. Now he knew why she didn't want him to look at her. She had a nasty bruise upon her left cheek. It was a deep purple and red indicating to him someone got her good. He knew from experience. He has been on the receiving and giving end of a fist many times. Her cheek was considerably swollen as well, which meant she was hit with brutal force.

His jaw clenched his anger and his hands balled into tight fists. He felt the rage boiling up inside of him as he looked at her face. He saw nothing but red and anger towards the person whom had hurt her. Whomever it may have been was a dead man that's for damn sure.

'Who hit you?' He asked her through clenched teeth.

Mary shook her head, 'It's nothing. I fell in the shower.'

Jon shook his head, 'Bullshit, don't ya fucking lie to me. Who did this?" He reached over to lightly touch her cheek, but she flinched and leaned back in her seat away from him.

She was afraid of him, but she didn't have a reason to be. He was many things, but he wasn't a woman beater. He had witnessed his mom being beat up enough times to know that's not the kind of man he wants to be. The only aggression he has been exercising lately is in his training sessions. It has become his outlet for all of his negative energy and frustration.

Mary sat there remaining silent. She was obviously not going to tell him, 'Just drop it, all right?'

He could not believe she was being so goddamn stubborn like this. He was starting to rub off on her all ready, but he would not be deterred. He can be a persistent motherfucker when he wants to be.

Jon leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, 'Well, we're not leaving here til ya tell me.'

She looked over at him incredulously, 'Fuck you. You don't own me. I don't have to sit here and take this. I'd rather walk.'

Mary got out of his car and he jumped out after her.

Before she even had a chance to make a run for it, he lightly grabbed the sleeve of her jacket, halting her movements, 'You're not getting off that easy. Now I'm gonna ask ya again; Who fucking hit ya? Was it Slim? Did that asshole do this to you?'

He knew just by looking at her sad expression and tears within her eyes that he was right on the money.

Jon scoffed and shook his head, 'I'm going to fucking kill him.'

Mary grabbed his arm and shook her head, saying in a frantic tone, 'No, please. I don't want any trouble. He'll hurt my mom.'

He could not believe she was hurt and all she was worried about was her mother, 'I think your mom is doing a pretty good job of hurting herself. She doesn't care about you. Cause if she did then she wouldn't let some fuckin lowlife beat on ya. Don't fucking defend her. She doesn't do anything to defend you.'

She nodded dejectedly, 'I know.' She looked down at the ground and nervously swayed back and forth, 'He'll kill you or me if you try anything.'

Jon shook his head, 'Not if I beat his fucking skull in with my bare hands.'

She watched as he paced back and forth. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides. His teeth were clenched in anger and his face was beet red. The way he was pacing back and forth reminded her of a caged animal just waiting to be unleashed to cause mayhem and destruction. Maybe in a lot of ways that's exactly what he was.

There was no telling just what he would do when he was angry. He was reckless and somewhat of a loose cannon. Many would call him unhinged and unpredictable, but she didn't see that. She saw someone who wanted to protect her honor. It was at this moment she finally realized that for the first time since she could remember she has found a true friend.

Mary walked over to him and cautiously put her hand upon his back, 'Please don't do anything. I'll be okay. I survived this long. I can deal with Slim.'

He chuckled aloud at her words. He could not believe she was defending him after what he has done to her. She was tougher than he thought. Maybe he had underestimated her after all. At this moment he had a newfound respect for her. Just seeing that bruise upon her pretty face made him realize how much she meant to him. He would do anything to protect her, even kill. He was surprised that he could feel this way about someone he barely knew, but they weren't strangers. Not anymore. Their unfortunate circumstances formed an impenetrable bond no one could break. It still didn't sit right with him that she refused his help. It gave him even more of a reason to want Slim dead.

Jon nodded in defeat, 'If I find another mark on ya, I'm going into that house for blood, ya understand me?"

She nodded her head, 'Yeah sure, I understand.'

Mary sighed in relief. She was glad they got over that hurdle. All he needed to do was calm down and everything would be alright...for now. She had thought about not even showing up this morning. She didn't want for him to see her bruise. Slim had gotten a little rough with her in the bedroom last night. She had tried refusing him and paid the price with a backslap to the face that almost knocked her out. He didn't even have the decency to let her clean her face before he jumped on top of her. She had to throw out her pillow cases because there was so much blood on them from her face.

If he had become this angry over a bruise, she could only wonder how he would react if he knew everything. She shuddered even thinking about what he would do, which is why she would never tell him. It was best to just keep some things to herself. It was better that way. For everyone involved.

Jon lit a cigarette and took a deep drag to calm his frayed nerves. He was so seething angry he was shaking. He needed to take a few moments of deliberation to catch his bearings. All he wanted to do in this moment was fuck someone up. He wanted to beat the living shit out of someone so badly they would be eating through a straw. That someone being Slim. Never has he felt such unabashed anger towards someone. Maybe it solely had to do with the fact that this was personal.

Mary thwarted him from his thoughts by saying, ''Ya ready to get going? We're gonna be late.'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah...lets go.'

The two of them walked back to his car without saying another word. For there was nothing else that needed to be said. They said all they could on the matter. The moment had passed, but it was not forgotten. The bad things that happen in life rarely ever are.

It's really hard to answer the question, 'what's wrong' when nothing is right.

No one else cares about them so they have to care about each other. The worst part is no one notices. It's not that people hate them. No, that would be easy because they could hate them right back. They just don't notice them. They're just not there to them.

It's a good thing they noticed one another then, right?

After eating dinner at their usual spot at a local diner nearby, the two of them were just driving aimlessly around the town. Jon was off tonight from both of his jobs, which meant the two of them could spend the evening together. They did this a lot. They liked to drive to the nicer parts of town and drive through the streets, observing how the other half lived. It was the holiday season and mostly all of the houses were decorated in Christmas lights. She liked to stick her head out the window and look out at all of the homes brightly alit.

It was an entirely different world to them. Everything was so clean. None of the houses were abandoned and boarded up. There wasn't crackheads on the corners looking for their next score or drug dealers scouring the streets for easy prey. The neighborhoods were silent and devoid of chaos. There wasn't the sounds of police and ambulance sirens wailing throughout the neighborhood. In fact, they didn't even see one patrol car. Maybe it was due to the fact they had nothing to worry about.

Mary always had this sick fascination with observing other people's lives. For one small moment she could pretend that she was one of those people. She could pretend she was your average everyday carefree teenager, but as soon as they came back to their neighborhood reality set in. She was harshly reminded of the fact that she was anything but ordinary.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed they were not driving down their usual route.

She looked over at him wearily and asked him, 'Where are we going?"

Jon grinned as he kept his eyes solely focused upon the road in front of him, 'I got a little surprise for ya.'

Mary's heart began palpitating at lightening speed. She didn't like surprises, especially if they came from men. It usually meant something bad was going to happen.

As if sensing her apprehension he sighed aloud, 'Calm the fuck down. Nothing bad is gonna happen. It's a good surprise I promise.'

She nodded and sat back in her seat deciding to just keep her mouth shut. She had no idea what was in store for her, but knowing Jon anything was possible. That was what she was afraid of the most.

Jon turned his car down a dirt road and parked in front of what appeared to be a warehouse of some kind.

Mary looked up at the building in fear. She gripped the car door handle, preparing to jump out and get the hell out of dodge if need be, but something stopped her. He said nothing bad was going to happen to her and she trusted his word. God help her but she did. She figured they have spent enough time together in close quarters these past few weeks. If he wanted to hurt her he would have done so by now. He never ceases to remind her that he's not going to hurt her. In fact he tells her this everyday. She has to wonder whom he is trying to convince, her or himself.

He smiled and opened his car door, 'Come on.'

Jon got out of the car and stood outside of it. She sat inside the car for a few minutes, taking a moment of deliberation. She was hesitant to get out, but he was standing there becoming impatient. She has learned these past few weeks he was not the kind of person who liked waiting around for anybody. Shit, if she was even five minutes late he would bitch at her. She found it ironic how punctual he was for everything.

She took a deep breath and got out of the car.

Mary looked up at the building and shook her head in bafflement, 'Where the hell are we?"

Jon extended his arms outward as if he were flying. He had a wide grin upon his face, 'This is where the magic happens. This is where the legend that is Jonathan Good will be made.'

She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head in amusement, 'I love how humble you are.'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'In order to be the best ya gotta think you're the best. Ya can't have people second guess ya less they have power over ya. Never forget that.'

Mary nodded her head, 'I'll keep that in mind. So why are we here anyway? Are ya finally gonna let me see you train?'

Jon shook his head, 'No...I got something better for ya.'

She raised her eyebrows questioningly, 'What? Come on, I don't like this.'

He rolled his eyes and sighed, 'Okay okay.' He shook his head, 'You girls are so fucking impatient. Come on follow me.'

Mary nodded and reluctantly followed him into the building. She was surprised to see he had his own set of keys to unlock the door. It made her feel good in knowing there was someone else out who trusted him. It made her feel less guilty about it in a way.

She followed behind him as he switched on the lights. Her eyes widened in shock as she observed the place. It was very spacious with enough room to accommodate two wrestling rings. There were over eight punching bags hanging from the ceiling along with different assortments of exercising equipment. Mats were completely covering the floors and posters of upcoming matches adorned the walls.

'So, this is where I train.' Jon said to her as he walked around.

Mary nodded her head, 'This is so fucking awesome. This is really legit, Jon. It's so cool.'

He bowed his head and shrugged sheepishly. He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was hesitant about her seeing where he trained. In all honesty he was worried about what she thought, which rarely ever happened to him. He had always prided himself on not giving a shit what people thought about him, but it was just a facade he carried on to deceive the masses. On the inside he was just as insecure as the next person. This was the first time he truly cared about someone's opinion of him. He wanted her to be proud of what he was doing, which she seemed to be.

That made him feel good in a way. It was a foreign feeling to him. It made him feel something he wasn't ready to put a name on yet. Maybe it was due to the fact he has never felt it before.

She walked around the building with him as he gave her a tour of the place.

Mary looked around observing her surroundings. She had to admit she was impressed. Being here made everything real to her. He was really doing it.

She pointed toward one of the wrestling rings and asked him 'So that's where ya practice your moves?'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah, sometimes. Right now I'm just in the beginning stages on training. I'm mostly working on maneuvers and submission holds right now.'

Mary nodded her head, pretending as if she understood what he was saying. When in actuality she had not a clue. As long as he knew what he was doing that's all that mattered, right?

He walked over to the ring and climbed inside. He stood in the middle of it and just stood there reveling in the rush it gave him. He felt as if he belonged here. For a boy whom didn't feel as if he belonged anywhere it was a heady feeling.

She walked over to the ring and stood outside of it. As she stood there looking up at him she could not help but notice how good he looked inside of the ring. He stood there as if he owned it. Maybe someday he would. She didn't doubt that for one moment.

Jon smiled at her, 'Come on. Get in.'

Mary waved her hand dismissively in the air, 'No, that's okay. I don't want to intrude.'

He nodded and chuckled, 'Yeah yeah.' He climbed through the ropes and jumped off the platform landing on his feet. She could not help but notice how agile he was for a boy of his height.

Jon nodded his head toward where the punching bags were located, 'Come on. I actually brought ya here for a reason.'

She hesitantly followed him, wondering what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve now. With Jon it could be anything. Even after three weeks of hanging out with him she still could not figure out his next move. He was so unpredictable. He always kept her guessing and kept her on her toes. It was one of the things she liked about him. It was never a dull moment with him.

Mary stood in front of the punching bags and shook her head in confusion, 'What's going on?'

Jon took his sweatshirt off and stripped down to a plain black t-shirt. He took a pair of leather knuckle gloves out of his jeans and put them on. He walked over to some type of closet and took out what appeared to be boxing gloves.

She stood there and watched him in idle fascination, wondering what in the hell he was doing.

He handed her the boxing gloves, 'Here put these on.'

Mary's eyes widened in shock and she laughed, 'Are ya fucking kidding me? I'm not putting them on.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yes, you are.' He sighed, 'Look, if ya not gonna let me fucking handle your shit ya gonna have to learn to defend yourself. Put these on and just start throwing. Don't think about it, don't feel. Just fucking hit it.'

She shook her head, 'But I don't know how.'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'Who gives a shit? Just go with your gut instinct. Now stop being a wuss and put them on.'

Mary yanked the gloves out of his hand and huffed, 'Fine.'

As she put the gloves on she could not help but notice how heavy they were. They almost weighed her down, but she refused to let him see she was weak. She would be damned if she let him see her falter.

Jon stood behind the punching bag and gripped the sides of it, 'Come on. What are ya waiting for? Hit the damn thing.'

Mary stood there looking dumbly at the punching bag. She never has done anything remotely like this before, but she didn't want to let him know that. The last thing she wanted to do was make an ass out of herself.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, 'Come on. What ya waiting for? Ya scared?'

Jon knew that would do it for her. She took a deep breath and raised her hand lightly punching the bag.

He chuckled, 'Come on. That's the best ya can do? The bag didn't even move.' He shook the bag vigorously, 'Think about the things that get ya so fucking angry ya just wanna kill somebody. Pretend the bag is whatever ya hate. That's what I do. Come on, ya can do it.'

Mary took a deep breath and nodded. She lifted both of her hands in the air and began punching the bag. The bag swung back and Jon took a few steps back.

Jon smiled, 'Yeah, just like that.' He gripped the punching bag once again, Now harder. Give me everything ya got.'

She nodded her head. All of the sudden she pictured the punching bag to be Slim and her mother. She began punching the bag wildly and ferociously with brutal force. All she could see was Slim's face as she hit the bag. She was hitting it so hard her hands were on fire. She knew her knuckles would be bruised in the morning, but she didn't care.

In this moment she felt nothing but anger towards all those that have caused her harm in the past. She felt nothing. She was running on pure adrenaline and hatred.

He gripped the punching bag holding it steady as she hit it. He yelled out, 'HARDER! COME ON! HARDER! GIVE ME ALL YA GOT!'

His words seemed to spur her on for she began pummeling into it with ferocious speed. Her swings were unpracticed and uncoordinated, but he let her do her thing. She needed this. She needed to let the anger out or it would eat her alive. He knew what anger can do to someone. He had been on the receiving end of it many times.

Jon watched in fascination as she pounded into the punching bag wildly. He had to admit he was impressed. She had some fight in her. She was stronger than she let out to be. She just needed something or someone to show it to her. He was glad he was that person.

All of the sudden she stopped hitting the punching bag and fell down onto her knees in sheer exhaustion. Sweat was pouring down her face and she was breathing heavily. Her breath came out sounding like choking gasps. Her heart was beating at lightening speed and she felt as if she were internally suffocating, but she paid no mind to that. She felt incredible, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

As she was hitting the punching bag she has never felt so alive...so free. She really needed this. Now she understood why he loved doing this. In that moment she let go of everything; the fear, the sadness and self-pity. It was all gone and in it's place was nothing but pure anger. This was the first time she ever let go. It was a hell of a stress reliever.

He looked down at her and couldn't help but notice she was crying, but he had no clue as to why and didn't want to ask. He was never comfortable around crying women. He didn't like the sound of their cries or see the tears in their eyes. It reminded him too much of his mother. He thought it best to just give her a moment to collect herself.

Jon sat down on the mat next to her, 'Feel better?'

Mary wiped the tears and sweat from her eyes and nodded, 'Yeah...I do.' She smiled at him, 'Thanks.'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah. Don't expect this to be a one time thing. We're gonna do this more in the future. Ya need to let go every once and it?'

She chuckled and nodded her head, 'Yes, sir.'

They both looked at one another and shared a smile. He was right, she did need to let go every now and then. She was glad he was the one whom she could do it with.

They hung around the gym for a bit and just talked. She tried to convince him to show her some moves, but he was dead set against it. He didn't feel comfortable showing her anything until he was sure he knew what he was doing and she respected that. It made her even that more excited to see what he was made of

Unfortunately it was getting late and she had to be back home. She needed to try and get some sleep before school the next day. The key word was 'try'. The evenings were usually chaotic in her home. No doubt she would be going to back to a house full of druggies and lowlifes.

Jon parked his car at the corner of her block. She sat there for a few moments, trying to prolong the inevitable as much as possible. She liked to mentally prepare herself before she went back home. As if it could even be called that. It was just a place to lay her head until she was old enough to get the hell out of there.

Mary sighed, 'Well, I guess I should get going.'

He nodded, 'Yeah...sure.'

She looked over at him, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, 'Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break.'

She didn't know why she said that. She just felt the need to say something. Anything to fill the awkward silence.

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...'

'Ya got any plans?" Mary asked him, regretting the words as soon as she said them.

What the hell was she thinking? Of course he didn't have plans. He was in the same boat she was. They were both going to do exactly what they do every Christmas...absolutely nothing. There was no presents on Christmas morning, no sitting in the living room watching mindless Christmas movies. They didn't have family. Sure they had their mothers, but it was just the same as being alone. They didn't even know what day it was half the time let alone knowing it was a holiday.

He shook his head, 'Nah.'

Mary nodded, 'They're showing A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life at the Roxy On Christmas Eve and Christmas...wanna go?'

Jon's eyes widened in surprise. He was not expecting her to ask him that. Nobody has ever asked him what he was doing for the holidays. Maybe it was due to the fact no one cared. Until now that is.

He shrugged nonchalantly, 'Yeah...why not?'

A wide smile formed upon her face. It was the first time he has ever seen her smile. It made her look so young and carefree. He made a promise to himself to make her smile like that more often. He felt fortunate enough to be the one to see it.

She was so damn happy he had agreed. Usually she just stole money from her mother's purse and went by herself. She looked for any reason to get out of the house, especially during holiday breaks. She would go crazy if she stayed in that house all day. Shit, just being there a few hours drove her crazy. She was glad she actually had someone to share it with.

For the first time since they could remember they actually had someone to spend the holidays with. Maybe 2003 wouldn't be so bad after all. Things were already starting to look up.

Mary smiled at him, 'Thanks again for tonight.'

Jon tentatively returned her smile, 'Don't mention it.'

She nodded, 'I'll see ya tomorrow.'

He curtly nodded his head, 'Yeah...tomorrow.'

With one last smile she exited his car. He sat there and watched her as she walked down the street. He liked to make sure she got back safe, which was strange considering she was potentially heading into danger. Are you following? He doesn't blame you if you're confused. He sometimes has a difficult time figuring out himself.

Jon gave up on trying to figure things out a long time ago. Their friendship just is. There is no other way to describe it. What thing is for certain though; it's more than they could ever ask for.

TBC...Also, just to clarify Mary will NOT become a female wrestler. Nothing against them, but it doesn't fit well with my story. Besides, almost every wrestling fan fic I've read has Jon tangled with some female wrestler. I wanted to change things up a bit.

On another note, if anyone wants to make that fanfic video it would be much appreciated. Truly, I would make it up to you in anyway I can.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 4**

Author's Notes: Things are going to start moving along in the story, just as a forewarning. In no way do I mean in terms of their relationship. I mean in terms of the plot. Think of it as being a scrapbook of someone's life. For the people who ask me if they're going to stay friends or a couple. Well, I wouldn't be a good storyteller if I told you that.

Over a year and a half has passed and much has changed. Well, as much as they could anyway. They have always considered their lives to be a work in progress.

Jon and Mary's friendship has only gotten stronger. They spend as much time together as they can, schedule permitting of course. Ever since he has turned eighteen and graduated high school his training sessions have become even more grueling. He was now training five days a week and on top of that he was working Heartland Wrestling Association events whenever he could. While he was not wrestling in any matches as of yet, he was slowly working his way up the ladder. He mostly stayed backstage and helped the wrestlers get ready. He would stand on the sidelines and watch every single match. He would study their every move and take mental notes. All the while wishing he would get that chance one day

He found wrestling matches to be so exciting. The way the wrestlers interacted with the audience. He loved how into it the audience were. They would heckle the bad guys and cheer the good guys. He has always loved the good vs. evil aspect of wrestling. The energy at a wrestling match was unlike anything else on this planet.

Cody was so impressed with his dedication and hard work that he promoted him to the assistant manager at his gym. With the new pay raise he was finally able to stop selling drugs and actually have a real respectable job for once. He was even saving up money to get his own was needless to say things were looking up for him.

He only wished he could say the same for Mary. She was now sixteen years old. He would like to tell you that her home life has changed for the better, but he would be lying to you. Nothing has changed. He still takes her home every night to her drug addicted prostitute mother and lowlife scum of a pimp/boyfriend.

One thing's for certain though, she has definitely grown up a lot in this past year. She had gotten taller standing at about five foot nine. Her body has filled out in some very particular areas that he refused to mention. He didn't like thinking about her that way. He refused to think about it. She had gained some weight on account of him making sure she ate a regular diet. She was far too skinny before, but she her hips had filled out a bit more making her look healthy. There was no doubt in his mind when she fully grew into herself she was going to be a very beautiful woman. He could see it in her everyday. She was slowly turning into a woman right before his eyes. He didn't know what to make of that. He could not comprehend it. So he just tucked it away into the dark recesses of his mind right along with everything else he doesn't have the balls to face.

Even boys were starting to notice her. He would see their eyes following her as she walked past them. He would hear their lecherous comments as they stared and looked at her. He hated the attention she got. He wanted to rip the balls off of every single one of them. Whenever she would see him getting angry, she would roll her eyes and tell him to save it for the ring. He was an overprotective bastard when it came to her. She was like the little sister he never had. He would be damned if he let some douchebag kid get his hands on her.

Besides, she didn't seem to care about all the attention. In fact it was as if she were oblivious to it. She refused to see what was right in front of everyone's eyes...her beauty. She lacked the self-confidence other girls her age had. She wore nothing but jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts that were a bit too big for her. It was as if she were trying to hide her body from the world, hide herself. Most girls her age were obsessed with nothing but boys and the latest fashions, but she could care less about all that shit. She was solely focused on school and wanting to get into a good college. He was proud of her. She had goals, dreams and aspirations for herself. There was not a doubt in his mind she would accomplish anything she set her mind to. She was a damn stubborn girl when she wants to be. She learned from the best after all.

Jon knew there would come a time when she would leave this place and leave him, which is what he wanted for her. She was better off as far away from this place as possible...and him. He was not naive enough to think that someone would want to be in his life forever. There would be a day when she would finally realize how destructive a person he is. Not only to himself, but to everyone around him. He was only in her life to teach her the things she would need to survive in the world without him.

There would come a time when he would have to let her go and live her own life, but that time was a little ways off. He still had a lot to teach her. Shit, who the hell was he kidding? He's probably learned more from her these past few months than anyone has ever taught him in his entire eighteen years on this Earth. She taught him what it means to actually care for someone. For the first time since he could remember he actually had a reason to live. Mary and wrestling are the only reasons why he gets up in the mornings. It makes him look forward to the day. It actually makes him want to live. Never did he think he would say that. Then again, he didn't think alot of things these past two years would ever happen to someone like him, but they had.

Sometimes things happen when you least expect it. You can try to overanalyze the reasons why or you can just live in the moment. He chooses to do the latter. He likes to live every moment as if it were his last. There's no time for second guessing or regrets. He loves the risks and lives for the danger, which is why he is so attracted to wrestling. He thrives upon the pain for it's the only thing that truly makes him feel alive. Well, it's not the only thing. There's only one other thing in his life whom makes him feel more alive than he has ever remembered feeling.

Or should he say person...

It was the first week of Summer break. Mary was sitting on the sidewalk waiting for Jon to pick her up. She thought about all he has accomplished over these past months. She was so proud of him. He has really been working hard. He trained almost everyday. He had begun weight training as well, which added over twenty pounds of muscle to his frame. She thought it looked really good on him. It made him look stronger and intimidating, as if he needed anymore help. He also had somewhat of a growth spurt these past two years. He was now over six foot four. She was beginning to think she had pulled some muscles in her neck. She had to practically strain her neck just to look up at him. She was so impressed by his hard work and dedication. He was really going for it. He was really doing what he dreamed about. Not many can say the same, especially people like them.

Jon has become a constant in her life. He was her touchstone, the one person she could rely upon. Finally she had something positive in her life and someone to count on. During their friendship he has never once let her down. He lives up to his promises and does what he says. He doesn't bullshit her. He tells her the truth regardless of the fact if she wants to hear it or not. She needed someone like that in her life. She never fully realized what she was missing until she met him.

Regardless of how good of a friend he is to her. She is not naive enough to think it will last forever. Everyone always leaves her. Nothing that is good in her life ever lasts. He was eighteen years old. Pretty soon his wrestling career would take off and he wouldn't have time for her any longer. It was already starting to happen.

Sure they would hang out everyday, but they didn't spend as much time together as they usually did. He was always tired from his long and grueling training sessions. Mostly they would just spend time parked at the airport or he would take her to the gym for one of his self-defense classes he 'thought' she needed.

Mary loved when they went to the airport. They would sit on the roof of his car and just watch the planes fly out, wishing like hell they were on one of them. She cherished those nights they spent together. Sometimes they didn't say a word. They would just sit there enjoying the silence. They had a friendship that didn't need to be defined with fancy words or heartfelt confessions. They were comfortable in what they were to each other. They wasn't any reason to put a label on it.

When you begin to start trying to rationalize everything that is when things fall apart. They knew this from experience.

Mary didn't like thinking about the future, especially without him in it. Somehow and in some way he has become the most important person in her life. She truly doesn't know what she would have done without him these past two years. She didn't even want to think about it.

If it wasn't for him she would have killed herself a long time ago. Her mother's wasteness and Slim's rapings would have been too much to bear. It would have catapulted her into madness, but he kept her grounded. He kept her sane. He refused to let her lay down and die. She found her strength through his own sheer will and determination. She looked up to him for he was living his dreams. It gave her hope that she may one day do the same.

She knew there would come a point in time he wouldn't want her around and she was okay with that. For the most part anyway. She was younger than him and still in high school. He had graduated. It was weird not seeing him in school everyday. He still found time to pick her up for school every morning, but it wasn't the same. High school was a big scary world. He was the only person in that place she relied on. It made her feel less alone and less like an outcast. Just knowing he was there gave her the strength to face her peers everyday. Now she just existed. She was just yet another faceless girl in the halls no one cared to take the time to get to know, which was fine by her. It gave her less distractions. She focused on her school work and maintained her good grades. She was just biding her time before she got the hell out of this place once and for all.

Mary doesn't like to think about them not being friends. She honestly doesn't remember what her life was like before him. Maybe it was because she didn't start living until she met him. He made her be accountable for her life. He forced her to suck it up and stop feeling sorry for herself. He gave her the confidence to stand up for herself regardless of the circumstances. She will never be able to let him know how much that meant to her.

He has done so much for her and has taught her so much. He even taught her how to drive. She will never be able to repay him back. She hates that she has to rely upon him so much, but no matter how much she tries to turn him away he never gives up on her.

So maybe they might not be in each other's lives forever, but they had each other now. That's more than she could ever ask for.

She smiled and waved when she saw his car pull up and honk at her.

Jon stuck his head out the window and yelled out to her, 'Care for a ride, sweetheart?'

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'Why not? I have nothing else better to do.'

She got in his car and sighed, 'It's hot as shit outside.'

He nodded, 'Yeah, I know. It's fuckin hot as balls out. It's gonna be a hot my air condition was working in this piece of shit.''

She snickered, 'I'm about to shave my head I can't stand it.'

Jon shook his head and said in a serious tone, 'Don't do that.'

She bowed her head bashfully as a small smile formed upon her face.

Mary looked over at him, observing what he was wearing. He had on a pair of baggy denim jeans and a plain white t-shirt. His wild hair was sticky to his sweaty forehead and sticking up in every which way direction. Whenever she looked at his hair she always had this itch to sweep it back away from his forehead. It was always in his eyes. He had really nice eyes. It was a shame he always covered them up. He had grown up so much these past two years. The t-shirt he was wearing exposed his biceps, which were highly defined with muscles on account of his weight training. The hot weather made his shirt cling to his body and she could clearly make out his sculpted abdominal muscles underneath. She had to admit he had a very nice body. He wasn't a massively muscled guy, but he was fit. You could definitely tell he took care of himself and worked out.

Girls were not oblivious to his transformation either. Everywhere they went girls were always checking him out. She couldn't blame them. She wasn't blind. He was a very good looking guy, but she didn't see him like that. He was like a brother to her. At least that's what she liked to tell herself anyway. She didn't have the time nor desire to be in a relationship with a boy. She was solely focused upon school. She would never be able to afford college on her own. The only way she would have a chance of at least getting in a good school was if she had the grades and strive. She could not afford any distractions during this point in time of her life.

Besides, they didn't think of each other that way. They were friends, like brother and sister and would remain as such. She knew he wasn't celibate. He had asked her to grab something out of his gloved compartment for him and found a couple of empty condom packets. She didn't say anything. It wasn't her business. He was entitled to his own life. He was old enough to do whatever he wanted and whomever he wanted. She just grabbed what he asked her to get and quickly closed the compartment.

Seeing those put things into perspective for her. It made her realize the fact that even though they came from similar circumstances they were very different people. He lived his life to the fullest without consequences. He didn't have fear of anything. She was afraid of everything. She couldn't even date like a regular girl because she was so fucked up, not only mentally and physically. Who the hell would want damaged goods? She always associated pain with sexual desire. She wonders if she will ever have a normal relationship. She has to work upon herself before she can even think about such things. She still has time to figure it out. She considers herself a work in progress.

'How ya doin?' Jon asked her.

Mary shrugged, 'I'm good.'

He nodded, 'Were ya all right last night?"

She sighed, wondering how in the hell she should answer such a loaded question. He asks her this same question everyday. It's almost as if he thinks her answer is going to change. She still hasn't told him what Slim does to her. She is far too afraid of what would happen. It's best to just keep some things to herself. It's safe that way...for everyone involved.

She just nodded her head, saying, 'Yeah. My mom was out most of the night...working and Slim went to the bar' She made sure to leave out the fact that he came to her room plastered and made her get onto her knees for him.

Jon scoffed, 'Mine too. Must be the weather.'

Mary smiled, 'Must be.'

He could tell just by looking at her something was bothering her, but she would never tell him. While it was true they have opened up to one another in many ways he still could not help but feel as if she were hiding something from him. That didn't sit right with him for some reason. He didn't like it when she kept things from him. She knew everything about his life. He told her everything; about his mom's drug use and prostitution, his father's incarceration and beatings at the hands of his mother's boyfriends. He even told her about his little cousin and how he took care of her for all those months before socials services took her away. She knew it all. He was an open book when it came to her. While it was true she was honest with him about many things, he knew there were some things she was keeping to herself. For the life of him he could not figure out what it is. He could only hope he didn't find out the hard way.

Jon sat there for a moment and quietly studied her. She was dressed in denim jeans and a grey v-neck t-shirt and her hair was put up in a messy wasn't wearing any makeup and her flawless skin was flushed from the heat. She looked beautiful. She was too beautiful to be wearing those dingy clothes. She should be wearing pretty frilly dresses and not second hand clothes from a thrift deserved to be able to dress like every other normal girl. He vowed right then and there he was going to see her in a dress whether she liked it or not. He could be oine hell of a persuader when he wanted to be.

Mary noticed him looking at her and shook her head, 'What?'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'Nothing, why?"

She rolled her eyes, 'Never mind. So where we going?'

Jon sighed, 'I was thinking we go to the gym.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, 'Really? Isn't it still opened?"

He nodded his head, 'Yup.'

'So am I going to finally see ya in action?" She asked him excitedly.

Jon grinned shaking his head, 'Nope.'

She huffed and rolled her eyes, 'Fuck, when am I ever going to see ya wrestle? I think you're just making it up at this point.'

He chuckled, 'Don't worry, you'll see me soon enough. I'm almost through my training and then after that hopefully I'll go onto Heartland Wrestling Association.' He shook his head, 'At least that's what I want anyway. Just fucking Les, ya know the guy who runs the place?'

Mary nodded her head.

Jon took a deep drag of his cigarette, 'He still doesn't think I have what it takes. I mean he gave me a shot only cause Cody made him. He doesn't think I'm good enough. He thinks I'm nothing but a screw up.' He sighed, 'Maybe he's fucking right.'

She shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'Fuck what he says. You've been working hard. I know I haven't seen you wrestle yet but I can see how dedicated you've been. You've changed so much for wrestling. Not just physically but mentally as well. You just keep doing what you're doing and fuck what he says. Prove him wrong. I know how ya love making people eat their words.'

He smiled gratefully at her words and didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He was always uncomfortable when she handed him compliments. Maybe it's due to the fact that he's not used to hearing positive feedback.

Never has anyone had as much unwavering faith in him as she has. She was encouraging of his wrestling aspirations. She would sit there and listen as he talked on and on about it. She seemed to be interested for she asked questions and seemed engaged. No one has ever put so much faith in him as she has. That meant more to be than she would ever know.

Jon could possibly love her for that one day. He laughed inwardly at his foolish thoughts. He didn't even think he was capable of the feeling, but she had a way of making him do things far out of the norm for him.

'So why we going to the gym?' Mary asked him.

He gave her another one of his infamous grins, 'Ya know how ya were talking about getting a job?'

She nodded her head, looking at him wearily, 'Yeah.'

Jon smiled, 'Well, I got ya a job.'

Mary's eyes widened in shock, 'Really, what? Please don't tell me ya want me to train to be a wrestler. I would get killed.'

He laughed aloud, 'I agree.'

She scoffed, 'Fuck you. In all seriousness though, what is it?"

Jon took a last drag of his cigarette and threw it out the car window, 'I talked to Cody and he was telling me that he needs someone to work the concession stands during events and someone to answer the phones during working hours. I mentioned ya and he wants to meet ya.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe what she was hearing. She could not believe he was doing this. He just never ceases to surprise her. This would be yet another thing she would have to owe him. Shit, at this rate she would be indebted to him for the rest of her life.

She shook her head, 'I don't know. That's your thing and I don't wanna get in the middle of that.'

Jon rolled his eyes, 'Stop with that shit. Ya said ya needed a summer job so I helped ya out. No big deal. I'm takin ya to meet him. You'll like Cody, he's a good guy. I owe him a lot.'

She knew how important of a person Cody is to him. The way he talked about him you would think he hung the moon. He looked up to him, almost like a father figure. If it wasn't for him Jon would have never been given the chance to be a wrestler. He owed a lot to that man. If Jon trusted and respected him that was good enough for her.

Mary nodded her head reluctantly, 'Okay...thanks. I really appreciate this, Jon.'

He shrugged sheepishly, 'Yeah...'

Nothing needed to be said after that. He turned the ignition back on and drove away.

When they got to the gym it was filled with students training and exercising. She watched in fascination. She rarely comes here during open hours. She and Jon usually come here after closing so he could train her. It was like a different world. It was more lively and energetic. There was an electric shock in the air which made her heart skip a beat. Everyone here was so passionate with what they were doing. Be it the smallest maneuver for finally achieving that one special move or mastering a finisher.

Over these past two years she has become somewhat knowledgeable of the wrestling world on account of Jon being obsessed with it. It was all he would talk about, but she didn't mind. She was glad he just found something that makes him happy. He had something to vent his frustrations of the world out on. She has come to learn that there is no one more studious, hard willing and dedicated than those who wrestle. It is a mastered art form which has been practiced for hundreds of years. Now that she understood it she finally appreciated it.

Mary has watched over countless wrestling matches with him on television. They would sit in the rec room area at the gym and watch whatever matches were showing on television. Sometimes he would bring old wrestling tapes from the eighties and nineties and they would watch them. He seemed to favor mostly some wrestling company called ECW. They seemed to be into explicit violence and edgy stuff that could not be seen on basic cable. It was raw, gritty and violent and he loved it. He seemed so enthralled and captivated as he watched the matches. His eyes were glued to the screen. It was the only time he would ever sit still and focus for long periods of time. She was convinced the poor guy had undiagnosed ADD or ADHD or something like that. He would rarely sit still. He constantly needed to be moving around and pacing He got bored very easily, which really explains his dating life now that she thinks about it.

She knew he was attracted to the violence. It was in his nature. It's all he knows and is used to. It's normal to him because it's what he was raised around from the inception. He had told her once this was the wrestling he wanted to do someday. She could not understand why someone would want to voluntarily severely hurt themselves all for the sake of shock value and entertainment, but to each their own. She had no room to judge.

Mary followed Jon and he knocked on an office door and opened it.

There was a man sitting behind a desk talking on the phone. He was wearing workout gear and had a bandana wrapped around his head. He looked like some biker guy Slim liked to hang around with.

He signaled for them to wait one minute and quickly finished his conversation before hanging up the phone.

He smiled at the two of them, 'Hey, buddy.'

Jon curtly nodded, 'Hey, Cody.'

Cody looked at Mary and asked her, 'I guess you're Mary, huh?'

She nodded and smiled, 'Yes, sir.'

Cody shook his head and chuckled, 'Nah, Sir's my pop. You call me Cody.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Okay, Cody.'

He smiled, 'That's more like it.' He sighed, 'So, Jon here told me you were looking for a job?'

She looked over at Jon and he nodded his head encouragingly.

Mary smiled and turned to Cody, 'Yes, I am.'

Cody nodded his head, 'Okay. Here it goes; I need someone to work the concession stands during events, which are Fridays and Saturdays. You start at three in the afternoon and you're done at eight pm. I also need someone to answer phones around here and keep track of the charts during the week. If it goes well I'll keep you through the Summer and take the time to find someone who can work a full shift when you go back to school. We'll work around your school schedule. You can start tomorrow.'

Her eyes widened and she averted her eyes between Jon and Cody, 'You mean I got the job just like that? I didn't have to interview or anything?'

Cody waved his hand dismissively in the air, 'Nah. I kinda like to do things informal round here, right Jon?'

Jon nodded, 'Ya bet.'

Cody leaned back in his seat and stretched, 'Jon told me how smart and reliable you are. He said you were looking for a job during the summer and that's what I need. My old lady got a job. She said she wanted a job that actually paid her. He rolled his eyes, 'Anyway, Jon told me you're a good person and would be perfect for this job. I trust his instincts.' He gave Jon a wide smile, 'He hasn't let me down yet.'

He nodded his head and smiled, 'Thanks.'

The two men shared a smile. All Mary could do was look at Jon. She found tears threatening to spill from her eyes. He will never begin to understand just how much this means to her. No one has ever done anything like this for her. Someone actually cared enough about her to want to make sure she was happy. He stuck his neck out for her and didn't have to. She could not believe he said those things to Cody. Nothing this good ever happens to her. It was not surprising Jon had something to do with it. It seems anything positive or good that happens in her life is related to him.

Cody asked her, 'Ya think ya can do that?'

Mary took a deep breath and nodded, 'Yes, si-' She winced, 'Yes, Cody.'

He smiled and nodded, 'Good.' He stood up and shook her hand, 'Welcome aboard. We're glad to have ya.'

She nodded enthusiastically with a smile on her face, 'Thank you. Thank you so much.'

Cody returned her smile, 'Don't mention. Before you two go, I wanna talk to ya Jon if that's all right?'

Jon looked at Mary and nodded, 'Yeah sure.'

'I'll just be waiting outside by the car.' Mary said to him.

She turned to Cody, 'Thank you so much once again.'

Cody shook his head, 'You're welcome, honey. I'll see ya tomorrow.'

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Yeah...tomorrow.'

She looked at Jon and gave him a small smile, which he returned in kind. It was funny he hardly ever smiled much. Well, not around other people anyway. She was the only one who ever saw him smile, but even with her it wasn't that much. So whenever she saw it she was glad that he felt comfortable enough with her to be himself without wearing the mask he showed to everyone else.

Mary walked out the door and closed the door behind her, leaving the two men alone.

'So, what ya wanna talk to me about?" Jon asked him.

Cody walked around his desk and sat on the edge of it with his arms crossed. He had a wide grin upon his face, 'How would you like to wrestle your first match next friday? One of the wrestlers failed a drug test and we have a spot to fill. Ya been called up, boy.'

He took a few steps back. His eyes were as wide as saucers and he was rendered speechless. It floored him what he had just asked him. Never did he think this would happen so soon.

When Jon finally regained his equilibrium, he asked him, 'Ya mean for HWA?'

Cody smiled and nodded, 'Yeah, I do. It's a mid-card match, but it will get ya noticed.'

Jon shook his head in confusion, 'I don't get it. How the fuck did ya convince Les to give me a shot? I've been begging him for months.'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'Told him how hard ya been workin. I told him for the past year you've never missed a practice. You were always here. Even through the toughest conditioning and drills you never slowed down. Even when you were pushed to the limit and threw up from exhaustion ya would suck it up and keep on. I'll admit high flying isn't your strong points, but that's not your style. Ya got a unique way of telling a story in the ring. Ya got that edge I look for. You're a fuckin brawler. Not even older guys can handle their shit, but you did. ' He walked over to him and patted him on his back, 'You're gonna be great, kid. Remember what I always say to ya. All it takes is a guy with wild hair up his ass and balls to take a shot.'

Jon chuckled and nodded his head, once again rendered speechless. For the first time since he could remember he felt tears in his eyes. Never has anything like this happened to him. Never does he ever gets what he wants out of life. Don't feel sorry for him. He's used to it. How can you want something you never had to begin with? That's the story of his life.

In more ways than one.

He has never met anyone with so much unflinching faith within him. No one cared enough about him to want to make him happy. People gave up on him a long time ago. Things like this never happen to kids like him. It just doesn't. It was all still so surreal to him he could hardly believe it.

Cody lightly pushed him towards the door, 'Now get outta here and enjoy the rest of the night off. Just don't have too much fun. Cause ya have a nine am training session tomorrow. We're gonna half to work extra hard in the ring between now and before the match. First impressions are the lasting expressions, especially in a business like this. Understood?'

Jon nodded, 'I do.'

Cody smiled, 'Okay, see ya tomorrow.'

As Jon shook his hand, he gripped it firmly and looked him directly in the eyes as he said, 'Thanks so much for this chance. I won't let ya down. '

Cody nodded his head, 'I know ya won't. Congrats, ya earned it.'

With that being said, Jon made his way out the door. As he walked through the gym he had a wide smile upon his face. He was so fucking excited he could barely think straight. He was afraid that this was all some sort of cruel dream and he would wake up to discover he fell asleep in his car. He didn't think this would come so soon. Shit, he didn't think this time would ever come, but it had and he would be damned if he did anything to screw this up. He would prove Les wrong. He would show them all what he was made of.

Ever since he was twelve years old this is all he wanted to do. He would duct tape this old beat up little television to a fire escape outside his mom's government housing building just to watch an ECW match. Never did he think he would one day end up becoming one of those men he idolized so much as a child. This was the happiest moment of his entire life. There was only one person in this whole entire world he wanted to tell first and share the great news with.

When he walked outside, he found Mary sitting on the hood of his car bowlegged style waiting for him. She jumped off the car and smiled when she saw him.

She met him halfway and could see he was anxious about something. She has never seen him like this before. He had a huge silly grin on his face. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were wide and bright. He looked, dare she say...giddy. Never did she think she would use giddy and Jonathan Good in a sentence.

'What's going on?' She asked him.

Jon took a few moments to gather his bearings, 'Guess what?'

Mary shook her head, 'What?'

He slapped his hands excitedly and he was excitedly jumping up and down on his feet, 'I got a fuckin match!'

Her eyes widened in surprise, 'You're fuckin kiddin me?'

Jon chuckled and shook his head, 'I shit ya not. It's next Friday for HWA. Ya know that wrestling association I told ya about?'

'Ya mean Heartland Wrestling Association?" Mary asked him.

He smiled, thankful in knowing she listened to him when he talked. Hardly anyone ever listened to him. Sometimes he just like to ramble off at the mouth about everything and nothing. His mind was always reeling going a mile a minute. He always had to catch up with himself. It was a never ending race and he was in it until the end.

Jon nodded his head, 'That's the one. If this works out I'll start wrestling for them full time. I'm actually gonna be a wrestler.'

He stood there in shell shocked silence. He was still unable to believe it. He just needed some time for it all to sink in.

She had huge smile on her face she was so happy for him, 'That's so fucking awesome.'

Mary got on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him to embrace him. He stood there as still as a statue. He felt so awkward. He didn't know what to do. In all the time they have known one another this is the first time they ever had this type of contact. He doesn't get hugged very often. He's not the type of guy who is all cuddly feely. He's not the kind of guy people look at and want to hug. They want to walk on the opposite side of the street and get as far away from him as possible. He could not remember the last time he got a hug. He could count how many times his mom had given him a hug on one hand. Fuck, he would still have a few fingers left. It didn't even make up one goddamn hand. How pathetic is that?

He slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist. He could not help but notice she filled out more. Not just in her hips, but in her chest area as well. Her body seemed to fit the curves of his own. Before he even had a chance to think about that it was over just as quickly.

Mary took a step back and shook her head, 'I'm so proud of you.'

Jon shoved his hands deeply into the jeans of his pocket and shrugged sheepishly, 'Yeah...well.'

She lightly punched him in the shoulder in a jovial manner, 'Stop being so fucking modest.'

He chuckled, 'So, ya comin?'

She nodded' Ya mean miss out on seeing the best wrestler in the world Jonathan Good make his wrestling debut? I wouldn't miss it for the world.'

Jon bowed his head and bit his lip to hide the wide grin he had upon his face. He liked sharing this with someone. It made it that much better. It gave it more meaning. It was more tangible to him. This wasn't some dream he was having. Someone else was here to witness it and share the same happiness he felt. With that person being Mary, it made it even that more special.

'Ya hungry?' He asked her.

Mary nodded, 'I could eat.'

Jon smiled, 'Come on, lets go get something to eat.'

She nodded and followed him to his car. Before she got in she asked him, 'Don't ya think ya should have like a cooler name?'

He shrugged, 'I don't know. I was thinking about that too. I need something more dangerous and menacing. How about Dark Raven?"

Jon winked letting her know he was kidding.

Mary rolled her eyes and chuckled, 'At least we have some time to think about it.'

She got into the car leaving him standing there with a grin on his face, which he could not seem to get rid of. Life was good. At least for now anyway. Tomorrow was a new day after all. But at least they didn't have to go through it alone.

After they ate they went to their usual spot at the airport and hung out for a bit. They stayed there for a few hours before they had to head back. They both needed their rest for tomorrow was to be the start of their new lives as actual formidable members of society.

As they were driving back they kept going back and forth trying to pick a better stage name for him. Most of them were funny and outlandish and silly while some weren't that bad, but he couldn't find anything he liked. Having a cool wrestling name was important to him. He wanted something someone would remember. He wanted something where people would stop and take notice. He needed one which would intrigue people before they even saw him in action. Most of all he just wanted a new identity.

This was his opportunity to reinvent himself and start with a clean slate. He could be anybody he wanted now. His past could stay there. This would be the beginning of the rest of his new life.

When Jon pulled up to the corner of the block, Mary turned to him and smiled, 'I'll see ya tomorrow.'

He nodded, 'Sure will.'

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Thanks again for getting me this job. I really appreciate this. I owe ya big.'

He shook his head, 'Nah, don't worry bout it. Just don't fuck up. My ass is on the line.'

She chuckled, knowing he was jesting, 'Don't worry your ass is safe.' She smiled at him once again, 'See ya tomorrow and congrats, Jon.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...thanks.'

Mary got out of the car and closed the door. All of the sudden she popped her head in the car window, 'I got a name for ya.'

'Yeah?, what's that?" He asked her.

She smiled, 'Jon Moxley.'

His eyes widened in surprise, 'That's not bad. Where'd ya get that last name?"

Mary shrugged sheepishly, 'A book I read.'

Jon rolled his eyes, 'Of course ya did.'

She smiled sweetly and stuck her middle finger up at him, which made him laugh.

Mary waved and walked away from the car.

As he watched her walk down the street he mulled over the name she gave him. He had to admit he liked it...alot.

Jon leaned back in his seat and whispered to himself, 'Ladies and gentleman from Cincinnati, Ohio. Weighing two hundred and twenty five pounds. Jon Moxley.'

He smiled and nodded his head. It had a nice ring to it. Jon Moxley. Yeah it was definitely a keeper. Look out world because Jon Moxley has arrived. God help anyone who steps in his path.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 5**

The following week was hectic for both Jon and Mary. He was busy training full time for his match while she was working. They still managed to spend time together. Mostly it was at night. He would pick her up after work and they would go someplace nearby and have a bite to eat. Most of the time it was some diner that was opened twenty-four hours.

They would have dinner and he would tell her how his preparation for his match was coming along while she would tell him all about her new job. They liked this time they spent together. They only had each other to share this newfound happiness with, which they were okay with. There wasn't anybody else whom they would want to share this with. They considered themselves to be family. It was the only real family and support system they had in their lives. They kept each other grounded and sane.

Jon was the only one who could make her feel as if she could do anything. Whenever she would cry he would tell her to man up and get over it. She needed someone like him in her life. He didn't allow her to be weak. He wouldn't stand for it. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't be half as strong as she is now. He gave her the strength when all she wanted to do was give up.

Mary was also the only one who could handle him. She was the only one who could calm him down whenever he had his moments of anger. All he would do was start throwing things and cursing up a storm. These moments don't happen often, but when when they do you don't want to be anywhere near him that's for damn sure. He seemed so unlike the person she knew. He would begin pacing back and forth mumbling to himself. He would even punch walls until his knuckles bled.

She would sit there silently and watch him. She thought it best to just let him vent and get it out of his system. She would try her best to reel him in by talking to him rationally, but he did not want to hear it. It was as if he wasn't even there with her. The only thing he focused upon was his anger. She had to admit his momentary bouts of insanity frightened her. Do not get her wrong she was in no way afraid of him. She was afraid for him and what he might do to himself. She knew his destructive behavior would one day be the death of him, which is what scared her most of all.

There were so many times when she just wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be all right. He was too hard on himself sometimes. He was his own worst enemy. She wanted to be the cornerstone he has been for her these past few years, but he wouldn't let her get close enough to even try. He always kept her at arm's length, never really letting her in.

Mary found it selfish of him to encroach upon her life without even asking her, but whenever she tried to do the same for him he would always push her away. She could not help wonder what she meant to him. She knew he cared for her, but he didn't trust her. That much was for certain. He didn't trust anyone. He was always on guard all of the time, keeping everything close to the vest. She knew he had a good reason to be this way. Shit, she wasn't exactly the most trusting person either. They have had far too many people in their lives betray them, but she trusted him. With everything in her.

She just wished she could say the same of him...

Mary has also become settled into her new position working for Heartland Wrestling Association. The first few days were tough getting used to everything, but she had pushed on. She did not want to let Jon down. He has done so much for her and she didn't want to disappoint him.

She was nervous as all hell the first day. It was her first real job. She liked the independence it gave her. It also got her out of the house for long periods of time, but that didn't stop Slim from coming into her room night after night.

Mary was finally making her own money. Gone were the days of stealing money from her mother's purse just so she wouldn't starve. She didn't have to rely upon anybody but herself. If she wanted something she could get it. Well, within reason of course. She could now buy brand new clothes that weren't worn by a stranger. Gone were the days of going into a thrift store with only five dollars and seeing what she could afford, which wasn't much. She would now be able to walk into a store with her head held high

She liked that feeling...a lot.

Mary had to admit she had no idea what she was doing, but Cody was patient and understanding. He stuck by her the first couple days showing her the ropes and making sure she was comfortable. He was such a nice guy. He had to be the most kind and patient man she has ever met. She could very much understand why Jon idolized him. She was beginning to feel a little hero worship herself.

Mary liked working wrestling events most of all. They were so damn exciting. Not only were the wrestlers amazing, but the people were so lively and energetic. The crowd is what made it so much fun. They got so into it. They heckled the bad guys and cheered the good guys. She especially loved how the wrestlers interacted with the audience. They really made them feel apart of the match in every single way.

As she worked the concessions stand, Jon would be standing ringside completely engrossed in the match. She would quietly watch him as he stared at the wrestlers perform. He seemed so mesmerized by what he saw. It was made obvious to her how much he loved it. He truly was a student of the game. There was not a doubt in her mind he would be great. She just wished he could see that. He was always so hard on himself all of the time.

Through years of being engrossed in the wrestling world she has come to a realization that there are no better audience than that of wrestling fans. They are the most dedicated and passionate people she has ever seen. She could very much understand why Jon was attracted to the sport.

The day has finally arrived. It is the day he has been waiting for his entire life. He was finally going to live out his dreams. He could not believe this was actually happening. Things such as this don't happen to guys like him. Everything that he has been working so hard for all those years was finally coming to fruition. No matter how hard he tried he could not seem to wrap his psyche around it. Chances likes this don't come around often, especially for guys like him. He refused to give it up for anything or anybody.

For the first time in his life he had something to be proud of. Never did he think he would say that. He had many people counting on him. Those people being Mary and Cody. He could not let them down. He would never be able to forgive himself.

It was needless to say he has been stressed out. Ever since he found out he had a match he couldn't sleep. His mind was running a mile a minute. Never has he been so nervous in his entire life. He doesn't scare easily and isn't frightened of much. He has seen and experienced it all. Hardly anything ever fazes him anymore, but this match had him fucking shaking like a kitten. He had a lot riding on this opportunity. His performance in the ring would determine the rest of his career. There wasn't any options to fail. He had to be the best. He just had to be. It was as simple as that. He could not fail. He was given a once in a lifetime opportunity. He wasn't about to fuck it up as he had with everything else in his life.

It's just the beginning. It won't be long. He's going to change everything. You can mark his words.

If Jon screwed this up it would be over for him. Wrestling is the only talents and gifts he was blessed with. If it weren't for wrestling he would most likely be dead or in jail like his good old dad. Most wrestlers think that wrestling owes _them _something, but if anything he owes pro-wrestling. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. He would show them all what this piece of gutter trash was made of. You can better believe that. He had to win.

Not just to prove everyone else wrong, but to show himself as well that he was more than a lowlife scumbag from the slums of Ohio. He likes the haters. They're what fuel his fire. He vowed to himself he would give them even more of a reason to hate him.

He couldn't wait...

Jon met Mary at the gym to get ready for his match. He found her sitting in the front behind a desk. She was talking on the phone to someone about setting up some kind of payment plan.

He stood there and watched her with a smile on his face. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with the gym's logo upon it. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail with tendrils falling into her face. She wasn't wearing a stitch of makeup, but she still managed to look pretty. In his opinion she didn't need all that makeup. Most women wore makeup to hide their imperfections, but she didn't seem to have any. She was naturally beautiful. Far too beautiful for a fucked up bastard such as himself, which is why he would never go there with her...ever. She was his best friend and it would remain as such. He would rather have her in his life as his friend then not have her in at all.

Besides, she didn't see him that way. She looked up to him as a big brother. He was so damn proud of her. She has come such a long way from being that scrawny, underfed and frightened fourteen year old kid. Sure she was still young, but there was a maturity about her that could not be denied. He saw it every time he looked at her.

Jon was happy Cody was impressed with her work. He had to admit, he had his reservations. She was introverted, shy and insecure. She was awkward interacting with people. In many ways she was just like himself, which is why he wonders how the hell they get along so well. They make it work though. They balance each other out in many ways. He honestly doesn't know how he had gotten along without her all those years.

She is the driving force behind everything he does. Mary and wrestling are the only positive things he has in his life. He wants to be a better person for her. He doesn't want to let her down as so many others had in her life. He wanted to show her that she deserved to be happy and shouldn't have to compromise herself for anybody, especially him.

Yeah he may be an incorrigible miserable bastard with her at times, but she put up with him. It's more than he could say about anybody else. She always tells him she owes him, but she could never be more wrong. If anything he owes her. If it wasn't for he doesn't know if he would had survived these past few years. He truly does not know what he would have become. She made him want to be a better man. She kept him sane when all he wanted to was create destruction. Not only unto others but himself as well.

These past couple years have been so chaotic. So much has happened that it's hard to keep track of it all. One thing's for certain though. He didn't have to go through it alone. Not anymore.

Jon leaned over the desk and began waving his hand in front of the computer screen to mess with her. She looked up at him and rolled her eyes as she lightly smacked away his hand, but he kept doing it. He liked to fuck with her sometimes. It was far too easy. She would get so bent out of shape.

Mary was still talking on the phone so all she could do was raise her fist and shake it at him, giving him an intimidating look. Well, what she considered to be menacing anyway. There wasn't anything about her that was frightening.

He chuckled and raised his hands up in defeat letting her finish her phone call. He watched as she calmly talked to whomever was on the line. He was really impressed with how well she was doing here. She seemed to be a little nervous and unsure at first, but she did not give up. Now after a week you would think she's been doing it all of her life. He was convinced she could do anything she put her mind to. All you had to do was push her. He was glad that he was the one to do it.

After she was done with the phone call she hung up the phone and stared up at him from behind her desk. She leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She had a glare in her eye. It turned her dark brown eyes to an almost murky inky black. He could never know if she was really mad at him or not. Fuck, he never knows what's going on in her mind ever. It was odd because usually he is very good at reading people. In the kind of neighborhood he grew up in you had to be less you be dead. But for some reason he could never seem to figure out what was running through her mind.

Then again he was never good at reading women's emotions, which is the sole reason why he avoids attachment. He usually scared them away after a couple weeks. He was quick to anger and moody all of the time. He wasn't the kind of guy who walked around with a big smile on his face. That just wasn't ever him and never will be, but they always seemed to want to try and change him. A woman loves a project after all, but even he was deemed hopeless and unfixable.

Sure he has had a few girls in the past. He is a hot blooded hormonal eighteen year old man, but for some reason he never let Mary know that. He knew she wasn't stupid. He remembered the time he asked her to get something in the glove compartment for him. He will never forget the look upon her face when she saw the empty condom packets.

He had met a girl at the gym and they hung out a few times or should he say fucked. It's all it was really. They didn't even talk anymore. They got each other out of their systems. Besides, she was five years older than him. She didn't actually want something real with him. No woman he met ever did. He wasn't the kind of guy a woman wanted to take home to their folks. He was every parent's worst nightmare. All of the women he was with used him. That's okay though because he used them right back.

Jon knew Mary wasn't oblivious to his escapades. She had seen the evidence, but she never called him out on it. That day in the car she didn't even become flustered. She remained as if it didn't even bother her what he was doing. Maybe she was far too embarrassed. Maybe she really didn't care. He honestly did not know which was worse.

'Ya mad I just did that?' He curtly nodded toward the computer screen.

Mary tried to keep her face neutral, but she could never seem to stay mad at him for long periods of time. Whenever he looked at her with those blue eyes of his she caved. He reminded her of a long lost puppy. It was adorable. Never did she think adorable would be synonymous with Jonathan Good.

She smirked and shook her head, 'No, you asshole. I'm used to your arrogance by now.'

Jon put his hand upon his heart and sighed dramatically, 'You wound me.'

Mary nodded and rolled her eyes, 'Yeah yeah. So ya coming to get ready for the match tonight?

He looked as if he were ready to work out. He was wearing a pair of black mesh shorts, sneakers and a plain white tee. A black baseball cap covered his head that was backwards. He also had a black gym bag hanging off his shoulders. His eyes were brightly alit with what could only discerned as being happiness. There was something different about him today. She could feel the static like energy surround her. It flowed off of him in waves. Never did she think she would feel this coming from him. He seemed so...excited. He had a wide grin upon his face that went all the way up to his eyes.

This past week she was seeing a side of him she has never seen before. He seemed so damned happy. He was practically giddy. Well, as giddy as someone like Jon can be. He was still an asshole, that would never change. She was one hundred percent certain being an asshole is ingrained in men's DNA. But underlying the happiness there seemed to be anxiety as well. He was nervous. She could tell just by looking into his eyes. He would stare off into the distance and have this faraway look on his face.

Whenever she asked him about it he would shrug her off and say everything was fine, but she knew it wasn't the case. She respected his wishes and let him be, but it still angered her. She wanted him to share his fears with her. They were best friends. They should be able to talk to one another about everything. They should know all there is to know about one another by now. Then again she wasn't exactly being fully honest with him either.

It was needless to say they were both screwed up bastards.

Jon rested his arms over the desk and nodded, 'Yeah, Cody wants me to get some last minute weight training in before the match tonight. He said he wants my debut to be 'fresh' Whatever the hell that means.'

Mary chuckled, 'Ya excited?'

He nodded, 'Yeah, I'm fucking primed and ready. I feel the itch ya know?" He balled his hand into his feet and gritted his teeth, 'I just wanna fuck shit up.'

Jon may have been acting cool, calm and complacent on the outside, but inside he was scared to death. His palms were sweaty and his heart was racing a mile a minute. He hasn't even had a full night's sleep in over three days. He was running on pure adrenaline at this point, which is good. He needed the edge tonight. Shit, he needed all the help he could get.

She shook her head, 'Ya know it's fake right?'

Jon eyes widened in mock surprise and he covered his mouth, 'Really, it is? Ya mean all this fucking time I've been doing it all wrong? '

Mary rolled her eyes, 'You're such a sardonic asshole.'

He laughed, 'What's that one of your fancy words ya read in one of your books?'

She rolled up a piece of paper and threw it at his chest, but he caught it in his hand before it had a chance to land, 'Go and fucking train before I break both your arms and you'll be useless tonight.'

Jon looked at her and whistled, 'Damn, that was fucking harsh.' He gave her the thumbs up, 'Good fuckin job.'

Mary chuckled in amusement and shook her head, 'Yeah well I learned from the best. Now get outta here or you'll get me in trouble.'

'Ya know I'm technically a manger here right?" He asked her.

She nodded and retorted, 'Is your name on my paycheck?"

Jon smiled. He always loved going back and forth with her. She didn't take his crap. She gave as good as she got. She can be a big ballbreaker when she wanted to be. He wished he could take credit for that, but it was all her.

He sighed, 'Well, I'm gonna get outta your way before ya fucking attack me with a stapler or something.'

Mary chuckled, 'Don't give me ideas.'

Jon laughed, 'I'll meet ya outside at two to head to the venue?'

She nodded, 'Of course. I just have to work the doors for Cody in the beginning, but I'll be done just in time for your match.''

He smiled and curtly nodded his head. He wiggled his fingers at her waving goodbye, 'See ya later, sweetie.'

Mary rolled her eyes and shook her head. She just laughed and continued on with her work. He really was a fucking dork sometimes. She was glad to be the only one who knows that.

True to his word Jon was outside waiting by his car at two in the afternoon on the dot. Even after all this time he was punctual. She liked that about him. She could count on him to be there. He was there when he said he was going to be and didn't make false promises he didn't have any intentions of living up to.

He was leaning back against his car smoking a cigarette. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He must have taken a shower because his hair was all wet. He had grown his hair out making it look wilder than it had been before. It now reached all the way down to his eyes. She wondered if he had ever taken a comb to his hair. As long as she has known him she has never seen it tame. It seemed to have a life of its own. She wondered if he wore it this way because he liked it or he just didn't care. She would bet her life upon the latter.

Jon watched her come out. She had changed into a black tank top. Now only because of the hot weather, but she knew from working events how hot and stuffy it can be in the venue and wanted to be comfortable. She had changed her hairstyle as well piling it atop of her head in a messy bun. The tanktop didn't show much, but he still didn't like her in it. He knew how scummy wrestling fans can be, especially drunk men. He didn't want to have to bash someone's skull in just for looking at her the wrong way. That wouldn't be a great first impression at all.

Then again, maybe it might be.

He smiled at her, 'Hey.'

Mary nodded her head in greeting, 'Hey, ya ready for tonight?'

Jon sighed, 'As ready as I'll ever be.'

'Ya nervous?' She asked him.

He shook his head, 'Nah.'

She smiled softly, 'It's okay to be, ya know? It's understandable. This is a really big fucking deal. Being scared doesn't make ya weak, Jon. It makes ya human.'

Jon scoffed, 'When the hell did you get to be so fucking smart?'

Mary shrugged, 'By living through the bullshit.'

He snorted aloud 'I fuckin hear that.'

She walked over and sat beside him on top of his car and lightly bumped his shoulder with her own, 'You're gonna fucking kill it tonight, I know it. Jon Moxley has arrived. World look out.'

Jon laughed and smiled gratefully, 'Thanks, Mary.'

Mary shook her head, 'Don't mention it. What are friends for?' She hopped off his car and walked over to the passenger side, 'Now come on or we're gonna be late.'

He shook his head chuckling to himself as he got into the car. She really was bossy sometimes. To think when they first met he could hardly get two words out of her. He liked the fact she was comfortable with him. He sometimes wonders if she should be.

When they got to the venue, some people were already lined up waiting to get in. They were shocked to see there was quite a few bit of people outside. It practically wrapped around the entire building.

They both got out of the car and looked at one another sharing an excited smile.

Mary looked over at him. His face was as white as a ghost. His eyes were unreadable and his face stoic. She didn't know exactly what he was feeling at the moment, but she had a pretty good idea. He was nervous, which he had every reason to be. This was his make it or break it moment. This moment would define the rest of his life. It was a lot to take in.

Suddenly it got all too real for him. His chest felt heavy and it felt as if a bowling ball was sitting in the pit of his stomach. This was real. This was actually happening. Just seeing everyone here put it all into a perspective for him.

She put her hand upon his back and asked him softly, 'Ya all right?'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah, I'm good.' He put on his best brave face and smiled, 'Come on lets go. I gotta get ready.'

She nodded and followed him into the venue.

Jon gave her a small smile, 'So, I'll see ya...in a bit.'

Mary returned his smile, 'Yeah...in a bit.'

He sighed, 'Well, I'll see ya later.'

Jon said not another word to her. He just turned around and walked away from her towards the back.

Mary watched helplessly and ran after him.

As he walking to the locker room, Mary caught up to him and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. He whipped around and gave her a questioning look.

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled sheepishly, 'I just wanna say...good luck tonight.'She surprised him by gently squeezing his hand in a comforting gesture, 'Don't worry you'll do great.'

Jon curtly nodded his head and whispered in that raspy voice of his, 'Thanks.'

She noticed he didn't hold her hand back. He sort of froze, much like when she had hugged him that first time. He stood there awkwardly not knowing what to do. It was made obvious to her he was not used to anyone touching him in such a manner. No one has touched him solely to comfort him. The only time anyone ever touched him was when they wanted to beat him up, fuck him or rob him. Never has anyone touched him without wanting to get anything in return. He wasn't used to such human interactions.

He heaved a laborious sigh, 'Well, I gotta get going. Gotta get ready for my match.'

Mary cleared her throat and nodded, 'Yeah, I have to start collecting at the door.' She smiled at him, 'I guess I'll see ya later then, huh?'

Jon chuckled' Ya bet.'

She nodded and gave him one last smile before she walked away from him.

He stood there in the hallway in front of the locker room door. He bowed his head and took a few deep breaths to steady his frayed nerves. He felt nausea swelling up within him.

Deciding to man up and bite the bullet, he walked into the door.

Jon looked around the room at all the wrestlers getting ready. Some were wearing just towels while others were dressed in their gear for the event. He just stood there dumbfounded. He was unable to fathom he was actually here.

He was startled from his thoughts by someone asking him, ''A bit scary, huh?'

He turned around and saw Cody standing there.

Jon shook his head, 'Nah, I'm good.'

Cody chuckled, 'Now who the hell are ya foolin boy? I remember throwing up before my first match. It's okay to be scared. The fear is what drives ya to do well. Just remember what I told ya and you'll be fine. You've been working fuckin hard. You're good. Now it's fuckin time to show people. Okay?'

He nodded his head and sighed, 'Okay.'

Cody smiled and patted him upon his back, 'Good. Now I gotta go and make sure everything is running smoothly. Ya go on in thirty.'

Jon nodded his head once again, but didn't say a word. He was too busy trying to keep the burger down he had for lunch. Cody walked out of the room leaving him to the wolves so to speak.

The turnout to the event was larger than expected. She must have taken the money of at least one hundred people at the door. It was a friday night and Ohio was a huge wrestling city. Most of the residents loved coming to these matches on a Friday night. They could have a few beers and let off some steam as they watched guys pretend to beat the hell out of each other.

After she was done working the door she walked into the entertainment area and took a seat right in the front of the ring. It was almost showtime. She sat there and lightly bounced up and down in her chair. She was so nervous. Her hands were shaking so badly she had to sit on them. There wasn't a doubt in her mind he would do well, but she was still nervous for him. She cared about him and wanted him to do well. This was everything he ever wanted. She wanted to make sure he lived out his dreams. She didn't like to think about what would happen to him if he didn't succeed. It would most likely be the death of him...or her.

Mary's heart began racing at a palpitating speed when she saw the female announcer walk onto the stage. It was time for her to finally see him in action. This was two years in the making and she couldn't wait. She gripped the edges of the chair and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The female announcer called some unknown wrestler onto the stage. She honestly could care less about the other guy. There was only one guy she was here to see tonight. One thing was for certain though; this guy Jon was facing was a big motherfucker. He had to be over one hundred pounds heavier than him. What scared her was that it was all muscle. She knew wrestling was fake, but someone could really get hurt if they weren't careful. She was also aware the match was predetermined, but he didn't reveal the outcome to her. Much to her chagrin. He wanted her to be surprised, but she was dying with suspense. She really wanted to know, but she would soon find out.

No less than two minutes later, the lights dimmed even darker and heavy metal music began playing.

Mary's eyes were glued to the entrance as she impatiently waited for him to come out. She watched in awe as he finally came out. He was wearing plain black wrestling trunks and black knee high wrestling boots to match. His hair was wet and he had it brushed down over his face further covering his eyes. It looked wild and disarrayed, more so than usual. He was also wearing a dark denim jean jacket that she always saw him wearing during the winter. It was a dark denim jacket that looked almost gray in color. She had to admit he looked good. He looked really good in fact.

The announcer introduced him, 'MAKING HIS HWA DEBUT WEIGHING OVER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE POUNDS. FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO JON MOXLEY!'

She was touched to see he actually used the name she suggested to him. It made her feel more connected to this moment. In some small way she had a part of his success. If she has learned anything from Jon is that a wrestler's name is very important. It was a cool name. It was also very edgy and dangerous...much like him.

Jon took his time making it up to the ring. He walked sluggishly almost as if he were bored. She had to wonder if he was doing that on purpose. The audience didn't know what to make of his odd behavior, but mostly everyone loved it. Drunken men were heckling and booing him, but she knew this was all par for the course. He was wrestling a face after all. It was only logical he would be deemed the villain or heel as they liked to call them.

He seemed to eat it up because he glared at each and every single one of them as he pounded his fist into his hand menacingly. She gazed around at the crowd and chuckled to herself. Well it was solidified. He was officially a heel. It made sense. He was practically suited for the role.

As he got to the ring his eyes quickly searched the crowd for Mary. When he spotted her he gave her a quick wink and a tiny smirk before climbing into the ring.

She smiled and nodded her head wishing him good luck once again without even saying a word.

Jon got into the middle of the ring and stared down his opponent never once breaking eye contact with him. His contender stood there and smirked at him as if antagonizing him even further. They were about the get into it before the referee stood between them telling them to wait for the bell.

He snatched the microphone out of the announcer's hand, 'Thanks, honey but ya can get outta MY ring now.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise and she sat back, curious as to where this was going.

The crowd was booing him so loudly you could barely hear anything that was going on. She had watched enough wrestling with Jon to know that's a good thing. If the heel didn't get heat when they came out to a crowd they were doing something wrong.

Jon grinned and stuck his tongue out. He was obviously enjoying every single moment of it.

He began pacing in the ring as he spoke into the microphone, 'Now I know all you don't know me. Ya think I'm some nobody lowlife youngbuck that doesn't deserve to even be in this ring.'

The crowd all yelled out to him. It was made obvious to her he was making an impact. It doesn't matter what kind of response you get from the crowd as long as you get one. There's nothing worse than wrestling to a dead crowd. His response was overwhelming and they hadn't even seen him wrestle. That had to count for something right?

Jon nodded and chuckled, 'Well, I'm gonna prove you all wrong. I'm gonna show y'all what this piece of gutter trash is made of. Before this year's over Jon Moxley is gonna dominate this company.' He looked over at his opponent and smiled menacingly,' Starting right now.'

He dropped the microphone on the ground and kicked it out of the ring. She watched in fascination unable to believe what she was seeing. She could not believe he had just done that. It didn't seem scripted. It seemed as if something he did spontaneously without any thought about it. He's always been an impulsive guy, which seemed to work well for the character he was going for.

The character he was playing seemed a bit unhinged and deranged. It was almost as if he were playing with his opponent's psyche. Maybe that's exactly what he was doing. The audience seemed to love it. They were really interested in him. That wasn't bad considering this was his first match and no one has ever heard of him before. He was going to dominate this company. Seeing him now in his element; she didn't have any doubts about that.

Jon took his denim jacket off and threw it off to the side of the ring. She could not help but notice his physique. This is the first time she has ever seen him without his shirt off. Hell, he was even in underwear. He had a sculpted stomach from tirelessly working in the gym. He had strong powerful thighs and broad shoulders. It looked as if he slathered oil upon his body for it was glistening under the soft fluorescent lights. It made his muscles look even more defined. His height just made him seem even more of a dominating presence.

Standing up there in that ring he looked beautiful. He stood in that ring as if he owned it. Maybe someday he will.

He began circling his opponent and yelled out antagonistic words to him. It looked as if he were doing it to fuck with him. He was doing a hell of a job because the other guy was standing there with his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. Jon kept circling him as if he were prey. Maybe in his mind that's exactly what he was.

As soon as the bell rang they began grabbing one another's neck in a grappling hold. They began pushing against one another to gain leverage. The referee pulled them apart and pushed them off to the opposite sides of the ring.

Mary bit her lip in anxious anticipation as she watched the match unfold.

Jon ran up to the other guy and began punching him in the stomach, but the man kicked him away knocking him back onto his butt.

Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud. She stood up and tightly gripped the steel barricade. She watched as Jon got back up and stuck out his tongue as he laughed maniacally.

He gave the other guy a come hither motion with his hands and yelled out, 'THAT'S ALL YA GOT, OLD MAN?"

Mary shook her head in amusement. He was making his character seem crazy, as if he liked to get hit and feel pain. It wasn't that far from the way he was in real life. The character Jon Moxley was being born right in front of her. She had truly created a monster.

She averted her eyes back and forth between the two men as they traded 'blows' back and forth. Jon seemed to be really good at selling bumps. He had such vocal facial expressions. You could really feel as if he were in excruciating pain.

Everyone in the audience was standing up. They were raising their hands and yelling out curses and excited cheers. She was happy to see they were really enjoying the match.

One thing was for certain though. He looked great in the ring. He wasn't like the other wrestlers who relied upon gimmicks and flash to accentuate their talent. He wasn't a high flyer. He had an old school style of wrestling. He was very brash and gritty in the ring. He was like a real brawler, which describes exactly the type of man he is in real life.

Mary gasped aloud as the other man suplexed Jon off the top rope. She winced in pain as he crawled around in the ring and held his back as if he were in agonizing pain. Before the man had a chance to elbow drop him, he rolled over to the side causing the man to fall right down upon his elbow; He used this opportunity to grab a hold of the man's neck.

Jon screamed aloud as he used all of his strength to lift the man up and choke slam him into the ground. He began screaming into the man's face and taunting him as he continued to pummel into him with his fists. The referee grabbed ahold of Jon forcing him to retreat.

She looked at him mesmerized. In the ring he was so unlike the man she knew. He exuded nothing but animal magnetism. He was ferocious and unrelentless. He really had an eccentric style and could really get into the other's guy's mind.

Jon then walked over the guy and gave him what she recognized to be a hook and ladder. She remembered him telling her this was his finisher he had been endlessly working on. She didn't dare to believe it could be true. But as she saw Jon pin his opponent for the three count, she knew it was. He had won his match.

He had actually won his fucking match. She could not believe it. Yeah, she could. She had no doubt in her mind he wasn't going to be anything less than fucking spectacular.

His opponent left the ring, giving the rookie his time to clapped and shouted out his name as the referee lifted up his arm to signify the win.

Jon lifted up his other hand with the number one signal. He shouted out, 'ONE DOWN. FIVE MORE TO GO AND THAT BELT'S MINE.'

That made the crowd even more angry at him defeating their face. They started booing him louder and were leaning over the barricades as they shouted out to him. He just laughed and stuck his tongue. His hair was soaked with sweat and he was heaving for breaths of air. He looked so worn out and tired. He gave his heart and soul in that ring tonight and everyone knew it.

Jon spotted her out in the crowd and made eye contact with her. He gave her another quick wink and a smirk as he watched her clapping for him. In fact she seemed to be the only one clapping for him. Everyone else hated him. It was okay though. It's what he wanted. He wasn't in this business to make friends.

He exited the ring and made his way into the back of the locker room.

Mary sat back down in her seat. She needed a few moments to catch her bearings. Her heart was racing at lightening speed. Her pulse was going a mile a minute. She felt adrenaline coursing through her in this moment. Seeing him wrestle was the most exhilarating thing she has ever seen. He wrestled with so much passion and dedication. He really told a story in the ring. She had tears in her eyes she was so fucking proud of him. For so long she had listened to him speak of nothing but his training and to finally see it come to life was unlike anything she has ever experienced before.

Cody walked over to her and said, 'He was good wasn't he?

Mary nodded, 'Yeah...he was.'

He smiled, 'Well now is the time to tell him.' He pointed toward the crowd and pointed as he walked away from her.

She looked up and saw Jon walking through the crowd. He had changed back into the clothes he had been wearing before and he had his baseball cap on. Some of the patrons shook his hand and congratulated him. He would nod his head and awkwardly shake their hands. He was very uncomfortable with all this attention, especially when it was positive. He's just not used to it.

Jon seemed to have his eyes solely focused upon her as he made his way through the crowd. She could not help but notice that a lot of girls were coming up to him. They were all scantily clad and were crowding around him like pigeons. They were your atypical wrestling groupies she would always see at these events. He couldn't seem to be bothered. He just politely nodded his head at them and hastily excused himself.

When he walked up to her she surprised him by jumping into his arms. He swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat and slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't deny how good she felt against him. She felt so soft and warm. It was unlike anything he has ever felt before.

She whispered into his ear, 'You were fucking great.'

Jon smiled gratefully, 'Thanks.'

He breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Cody and everyone else in the back congratulated and praised him for his performance there was only one person whose opinion truly mattered to him. He could care less what anyone else in the world thinks about him. He has always prided himself on not giving shit what people say, but for some reason he needed her acceptance. For her to say something like that to a guy like him shook him down to his very core. It made him feel seven feet tall, like he was invincible. With her he could be anybody and do anything.

Mary let go of him and cleared her throat taking a step back away from him. They bowed their heads refusing to look in one another's direction. They refused to speak of these moments between them. It was far too dangerous of a territory to dwell upon. It was best to just be oblivious. No one got hurt that way.

Jon let out a shaky sigh, 'So, ya hungry?'

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and gave him her usual response, 'I could eat.'

He chuckled, 'Good cause I'm fucking starving. Winning and being an all around badass is tiring work.'

Mary rolled her eyes and laughed, 'Please. Ya win one mid-card match and you think you're fuckingTommy Dreamer.'

Jon eyes widened in surprise, 'Very impressive ya remembered his name.'

She nodded, 'Yeah, ya only make me watch him every single day.' She grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him along with her, 'Come on big macho wrestler. I'm fucking starving.'

He shook his head in amusement and followed along after her. He may be convincingly creepy as Jon Moxley, but with her he was anything but. He could drop the act and just be himself. Everyone else may buy into the bullshit, but not her.

Everyone is a liar just being themselves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 5**

The next two years seemed to fly by for Jon and Mary. Alot has happened in their lives. Some good and some bad, but no matter what they always stuck together.

Jon has come a very long way since winning his first wrestling match. Not even a year into his wrestling career he teamed up with another well known wrestler in the HWA to form the tagteam Necessary Roughness. She had to admit, it was a fitting name for him.

Not only did his tag team succeed in winning the tag team championship, he also defeated another wrestler by the name of Pepper Parks for the HWA Heavyweight Championship, which he has been holding for over three months now.

Mary will never forget witnessing that match. It had to be one of the most exciting matches she has ever seen. She loved watching him wrestle. He was such a fierce competitor. No one has ever seen anything like him. In the ring he was wild, unpredictable and a manipulator. He really liked to get into the head of his opponent. His wrestling style was unique and unlike any other wrestler out there. He had a scrappy street fighting style. In the ring he was fueled by hatred, self-destruction and an all around lust for blood.

Everyone on the independent circuit was talking about him. They pegged him as being the next big thing. She couldn't agree more.

She was so fucking proud of all he had accomplished. He had finally succeeded and achieved exactly what he set out to do. It was needless to say everyone was shocked and surprised by his eclats. No one had faith in him in the beginning. They thought he was a screw up and an all around fucked up human being, but he proved them all wrong. Each and every damn single one of them. She felt so honored to be the one to share his success with him.

During these past two years Mary doesn't see him as often as she would like to. He is far too busy on account of his wrestling, but no matter what he always manages to make time for her. Even when he is on the road performing in out of town matches he would call her when she was working at the gym just to check up on her and make sure everything was okay.

The upside of him being on the road was she got to use his car. She had recently gotten her license. If it weren't for him teaching her how to drive she honestly doesn't think she would have passed the test. It was just yet another thing she had to thank him for. She liked the fact he trusted her enough to drive his car. He never let anyone else drive it. Hell, he hardly let anyone else even in it.

She had been shocked when he gave her the keys before he left and told her to keep it safe for him. She never had anyone put as much trust in her as he does. For a man that doesn't trust anybody it meant so much to her. It may have been a simple gesture, but for a girl who doesn't have much in life it meant the world to her.

Mary would use the car to drive back and forth to school and work making sure to fill it up with gas whenever she got paid. She sometimes would even park the car somewhere and sleep in it just so she wouldn't have to go home and face her mother and Slim.

Most nights she would spend driving around or parking the car at the airport. She would sit on top of the hood and look up at the night sky wondering where he is and what he was doing. She wondered if he thought about her as much as she did of him. She was not naive enough to think she was always on his mind. He had far too many other important things to worry about. He was twenty years old and was fast becoming one of the most revered independent wrestlers out there right now. There would come a time when he couldn't be bothered with her.

She could not help but feel as if that time was fast approaching.

Mary really looked forward to their talks when he was away. She would fill him in on what was going on in her life, which wasn't much. Besides school and work nothing really exciting was going in her life. She had turned eighteen years old and was now a Senior, which was a plus. In no less than two months she would be graduating and be as far away from this shithole as possible. She wouldn't have to deal with her mother's wasteness or be woken up in the middle of the night by Slim.

On account of her good grades she had been accepted into a few colleges, but without the funds it meant nothing. Unless she got that academic scholarship she had been waiting on her dreams of going to college were practically zilch.

Mary was working at the gym when she saw none other than Jon walking in. As soon as he saw her he had a huge smile upon his face. It was a smile reserved only for her.

He grinned and yelled out, 'Look who's back.'

She dropped what she was doing and ran out from behind her desk and over toward him. She stood upon her tiptoes and embraced him, which he readily returned. During these past years he has become accustomed to her hugs. It was something he looked forward to whenever he got back from the road.

Jon wasn't afraid to hug her, not anymore. He had gotten over that a long time ago. Besides, he liked it. For once in his godforsaken life it made him feel good. When he hugged her it felt like home to him. Nothing made him feel as good as when he was in her arms. Nothing compared to the rush it gives him, not even in the ring.

When he was on the road he hated being away from her. He didn't like leaving her alone, but he kept in touch with her. No matter what he was doing he also made sure to call her. He wouldn't be able to sleep or wrestle a match without talking to her. She was his touchstone. She was the only connection he had to humanity. He needed her voice to sustain him on those dark, lonely and cold nights.

Even when he was drunk out of his mind she was never far from his mind. He felt guilty leaving her, but he knew she would be all right. His girl was a fighter that's for damn sure. He didn't now when he started to think of her as his girl. It was something that just sort of happened over the years. He tried to deny it and tried to fight it, but it was useless. She was like a disease slowly coursing through his veins. This girl was going to be the death of him one day, but what a way to go.

Mary closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of being in his arms. She hated when he left her. Sure it had only been for one week, but when you see someone constantly on a daily basis it's strange not having them in your life. He was her best friend. She needed him like the air she breathed.

Over the years she has begun to see him in a different light. For so long he has been the one person she could count on to be there. He made her feel safe and cherished, like she could do anything and be anybody. If it weren't for him she would not be the girl she is now. She would most likely be dead or working for Slim. He saw something in her everyone else refused to see. He did not give her any room to be lazy. He forced her to strive on and stop whining and crying about every little thing. He will never know how much that meant to her.

She knew he would never see her as anything else but the little girl he saved all those years ago. While it was true she was now eighteen years old, but he was twenty years old. He was out on the road living his dreams. He could care less about some little girl waiting for him back home. He saw her as nothing more than a little sister. She had accepted that fact along time ago and was okay with that. Really she was. She was always so good at lying to herself.

Mary eased out of his embrace and took a step back to quietly observe him. He was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt and black Nike sneakers. He had let his hair grow out. It reached all the way down to his shoulders. He was wearing it back in a ponytail. She had to admit, she really didn't like the hair. She liked it better when it was shorter. This hairstyle made him look far older than he was, but maybe that's was he was going for. He told her it made him look more menacing in the ring. He was only twenty years old after all. He needed something to give him an edge. Then again his psychotic and deranged persona in the ring helped him along with that as well.

Regardless of his hair he was still a very handsome guy. He wasn't exactly handsome in the traditional sense of the word. He had sort of a quiet beauty. One would have to really take the time to look at him to fully appreciate it, which she did. Very much so.

Mary also could not help but notice he smelled like alcohol. She knew he wasn't drunk. She had been around enough drunken men to know. He most likely had a few beers with the wrestlers before coming here. He may have only been twenty years old, but they didn't care. She had heard stories about how rowdy wrestlers would be on the road and backstage before and after matches. It was common for them to share a few beers and have a good time. They needed something to do to occupy their time while out on the lonely dark just hoped for his sake he didn't overdo it. She would hate for him to ruin his promising career over something so stupid as drinking.

As he stood there looking at her he had to admit she was a sight for sore eyes. It seems as if every time he comes back there is something different about her, a maturity that was not there before. She was wearing the gym's t-shirt, which was standard work attire and a pair of denim jeans. Her hair was styled in a messy side braid with tendrils of curls framing her face. She had taken to wearing makeup now. She didn't wear that much, just a little mascara and eyeliner to accentuate her dark brown eyes and sheer lipgloss.

Her beauty knocked the wind right out of him every single time. She had grown into such a beautiful young woman. He knew one day she would, but never did he think it would happen so soon. He always thought when it would happen she would be somewhere far away from here by now, but she wasn't. She was standing right in front of him blowing him away without even really trying. He knew nothing would happen between them. She was still too young and he was far too wild.

Mary would be graduating soon and would be as far away from this place as possible. She would be as far away from him as she could get. He didn't like it, but it's the way it had to be. He was used to loss and heartbreak by now. In fact, he expected it.

'So, can ya take a break? Jon asked her.

She nodded, 'Yeah, I was just about to. Come on. Lets go outside. I wanna hear all about your matches.'

He chuckled and nodded his head as he followed her outside.

Jon lit a cigarette as they walked through the field behind the gym.

They walked for a few moments in silence. They wanted to revel in the feeling of being together again. They wanted to enjoy this moment between them as long as time would allow them.

Finally Mary broke the comfortable silence by asking him, 'So, how was it?'

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and shrugged his shoulders, 'It was okay.'

She playfully bumped his shoulder with her own and rolled her eyes, 'Stop the fucking modesty, HWA heavyweight champion.'

Jon chuckled and shook his head, 'It's not about that, ya know? The belts, the fucking fake love. All that don't mean shit, ya know? I didn't get into wrestling for that. It was this or nothing at all.'

Mary nodded her head in understanding, 'Ya can just forget about real life for a bit, hmm?'

He nodded, 'Exactly.'

She always understood him. No matter what it was she always got it. No one else did. Not even Cody. There was no one else in the world who understood him as much as she did. To everyone else he was Jon Moxley, the dangerous, unhinged and unpredictable psycho, but with her he could just be Jonathan Good. He could be the man rarely anyone got to see. He didn't let them. She was the only one who got to see this side of him.

Jon was always at constant war with his two personas. Sometimes the two blended together and it was difficult to discern whom was which at times. Being with her put it all into perspective. She never let him forget where he came from. She reminded him of what it means to be an actual human being.

'So how are things here?" He asked her.

Mary shrugged and heaved a laborious sigh, 'They're good. I've been studying a lot for my SAT'S.'

Jon nodded, 'How is the college hunt?'

She rolled her eyes, 'It's going okay. I was accepted to a few local colleges, but the colleges I actually want to go to are fucking expensive. If I don't get some kind of scholarship or student aid I don't know what I'm gonna do.'

He looked at her and smiled sadly. She had her head bowed and was staring directly down at her feet. He knew how important college was to her. She wanted to get into a good school and make something of her herself. She deserved to have everything she wanted and more. It was times such as this when he wished he could help her, but he wasn't exactly rich himself. The money he made wrestling barely helped him to support himself. Sure he scraped by and had enough money for clothes and food, but other than that he was useless. Not only to himself, but to her as well.

Shit, he was even sleeping on someone's couch until he saved up enough money to get his own place. He felt so helpless when it came to her. She needed someone who could give her everything she wanted out of life. He has come to the realization that wasn't him nor ever will be. No matter how much he wished it were so.

Jon gently patted her upon the back comfortingly, 'You'll think of something. I'm sure with that fuckin freakishly smart brain of yours you'll get a scholarship.'

Mary looked up at him and smiled gratefully, 'Thanks.'

He returned her smile, 'Yeah...so how is everything at home?'

She bowed her head once again, refusing to look at him directly in his eyes. That was such a loaded question if there ever was one. She hatred when he asked her this question. She never knew what to say. She didn't know how what to say to him without giving away the truth. He still doesn't know what was going on with Slim. She had always tried telling him, but just never knew how to say it. She was far too embarassed and ashamed. She didn't want him to think any less of her.

Mary was also very afraid of what would happen if he found out. With his unpredictable anger there was no telling what he would do. He would most likely kill him or get killed in the process. She refused to let anything like that ever happen. It was needless to say it was a dangerous situation for everyone involved.

So she said what she always did, 'Everything's good. ' She sighed and changed the subject very quickly, 'So, how did the matches go?"

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'They went good I guess. '

Mary smiled and nodded. He was always so modest. It was yet another thing she liked about him.

He continued, 'Ya know that tape I sent out to that wrestling association in Puerto Rico?'

She nodded her head, 'Ya mean where ya sent that tape to wrestle there after hearing about that dude Chet Jablonski?'

Jon nodded his head and smiled. He was happy to see someone actually listened to him when he talked, 'That's the one. Well, I just got a call from this wrestler by the name of Bushwhacker Luke. He asked me if I wanted to come down to Puerto Rico to be in a tag team with this dude called Hade Vansen.' He chuckled, 'We're gonna fuckin be called British MIlitia.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise and she clapped her hands excitedly, 'Jon, that's fuckin awesome. Puerto Rico?"

He nodded, 'Yeah, can ya fuckin believe it?"

She smiled, 'Yeah...I can.'

Jon rocked back and forth upon his heels, feeling uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. He always felt so strange getting positive recognition. Maybe it was due to the fact he wasn't used to it. She seemed to be more excited than he was. He liked knowing there was at least someone in this world who was happy for him.

Even if he wasn't happy for himself. He was never satisfied. He always got so bored easily, which is why he wrestles for so many different associations. He was always testing himself and pushing himself to the limit. He wanted to see how far he could bend himself before he broke. With all the crazy shit he has been doing to himself over the years it was just a matter of time.

Even though she was deliriously happy he was living out his dreams, there was small part of herself that felt sadness as well. It was finally happening. The time she has dreaded ever since they had met had finally come. He was leaving her. Albeit not very long, but this was just the prelude for things to come. There would come a time when he would no longer need her. He wouldn't have the time to cater to some little girl. She could not help but feel as if that time has come. She should be used to the heartbreak by now, which is sad. But there are just some things one never gets used to.

'So, when ya leave?" Mary asked him.

He sighed and answered, 'September. I fly out for two weeks.' He chuckled nervously, 'Never been on a fuckin plane before. Never had a reason to before now.'

She scoffed, 'Well, it it makes ya feel any better I've never been farther than Philadelphia.'

Jon gave her a sideways glance and smiled softly. As he looked over at her he made a silent vow to himself then and there he would change that one day. When he finally made it to the big time he was going to show her the world. He was going to give her everything she has ever dreamed, what they both dreamed. He just hoped she was still in his life by then. Judging by the way things were going that was highly unlikely.

Mary dug into her jean pocket and handed him the keys to his car, 'I filled it up with gas this morning.'

He nodded and smiled gratefully, 'Thanks.'

She smiled, 'Thank you for letting me use it.'

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'What's mine is yours, ya know that.'

Mary nodded and chose not to say a word. She didn't have everything she wanted from him. Not really anyway, but she wasn't ready for any of that yet. She wondered if there would come a time when she ever would be.

'Do ya need a ride to school tomorrow morning?" He asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders, 'Yeah, thanks. But I don't need a ride afterwards. I have an early day tomorrow.'

Jon nodded his head and asked her, 'Why's that?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, 'Tomorrow night is Senior Prom.'

He chuckled, 'Ah, the yearly rat race I see.'

She laughed and nodded her head, 'Yeah. It's just a reason for everyone to outdo each other.' She shook her head, 'It's fuckin ridiculous.'

As Jon looked over at her he could tell by the crestfallen look in her face she wanted to go. He could tell just by looking into her eyes. She might try to act tough and put on a front, but he knew better. There was nothing she could hide from him.

Jon shook his head and rolled his eyes. He took a few deep breaths and steady his frayed nerves.

He could not believe he was actually going to do this. He really needed to fucking stop drinking, 'What time does this shindig start anyway?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders and looked at him curiously, wondering why in the hell he cared, 'I don't know like seven.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Is it too late to get tickets?'

She shook her head, 'No. Why are you asking me this? Why the hell do ya care?'

He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and stared down at his feet, 'Cause I'm fuckin takin ya.'

Mary's eyes widened in shock, 'Why? Why do ya wanna take me?"

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'Cause it's your fuckin Senior Prom. I know how ya girls like getting dressed up and all that shit. Ya should fuckin be able to go.'

She shook her head, 'Ya know I don't care about that shit, Jon.'

He nodded his head, 'Well, I do. So we're going whether ya fuckin like it or not.'

Jon could not believe he was doing this. The fucking things he does for this girl. She even had him going to proms and shit. He could only wonder what else she would make him do in the future. One thing's for certain though. He could not wait to find out.

Mary chuckled, 'But you're twenty years old. Isn't there like a rule about that?"

He clenched his cigarette between his teeth and extended his arms outward, 'Have I ever followed any fuckin rules?'

She nodded her head, 'Ya have a point there.'

'So, ya wanna go to this shitstorm and laugh at everyone making asses out of themselves?' Jon asked her.

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow questioningly, 'Me miss the chance to see you in a suit? I am SO fuckin there.' She shook her head' Do you even own a suit?'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'I'm sure I could scrounge one up. What bout ya? Ya gonna be okay for a dress?'

She nodded, 'Yeah, I just got paid. I'll be fine.'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'What bout the tickets? How much are they?'

She shrugged, 'I don't know, like seventy-five each.' She outwardly cringed, 'Maybe it's a bad idea. That's a lot of money for one night.' She scoffed, 'Besides, I don't even fuckin like any of those people.'

He got out his wallet and counted out the money and handed it to her, 'Here, buy the tickets.'

Mary shoved his hand away and shook her head, 'No, Jon. I can't take your money. You earned that. It's yours. '

Jon shook his head, 'No, it's our money. Just take it.' He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Look, I'm rarely this fuckin nice. So just take the goddamn money and shut up about it.'

She smiled softly, 'Liar. You're always this nice.'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'Only to ya, Mary. Only to ya.'

Mary chuckled. He was right. He was an ornery bastard when he wanted to be, but with her he was anything but. She wouldn't have it any other way. He was her best kept secret.

She reluctantly took the money out of his hand and smiled, 'Thanks, Jon.'

Jon shrugged nonchalantly, 'Don't mention it.'

Nothing was said about it after that. There was nothing that needed to be said. Heartfelt words and declarations weren't for them. Their actions speak far louder than words ever could.

Mary looked down at her watch and sighed, 'Well, I have to get back. My break was only for a half hour.'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah, I gotta meet with Cody anyway to discuss an upcoming match. Did ya eat?'

She nodded, 'I brought a sandwich..'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'Good. Ya need to eat. '

Mary rolled her eyes and laughed, 'Thanks for the advice, dad.'

He chuckled and said not a word. For the thoughts that were running through his head were far from brotherly or fatherly. If she discovered his thoughts she would most likely run for the hills, which is why he would never tell her.

Before they entered the gym, Mary surprised him by grabbing his hand and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

She smiled softly at him, 'Thanks for this, Jon. You're a great friend.'

Jon nodded and forced a smile, 'Yeah...sure.' He took a deep breath, 'Just don't fuckin wear anything slutty. I don't wanna have to break someone's neck.'

Mary rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively in the air, 'Don't worry. I'll wear something to make ya proud.'

He chuckled, 'Ya gonna be okay with gettin a dress?'

She nodded her head, ' Like I said before, yes and don't fuckin try and throw me any money either. I work too and wanna buy it for myself.'

Jon curtly nodded his head. He liked how independent she was becoming. There would come a point in her life when she wouldn't need him any longer. He didn't like to think about that. He hardly ever felt fear, but losing her was the only thing in this world that frightened him to death. He honestly didn't know what he would do without her. He didn't even wanna think about it.

'So, I'll see ya after work?" He asked her.

Mary nodded, 'You betcha.'

A small smile formed upon his face as he watched her walk away from him and into the building. He could not believe what he had just done, but there was no taking it back. He was actually taking a girl to the fucking prom. What the hell was happening to his life? Cody was one hundred percent correct. When it came to her he was a fucking pansy.

Jon shook his head and muttered a curse word to himself. He entered the gym with a stoic and hardened look upon his face. Sure he may be a pansy when it came to her, but he wasn't about to let everyone else know that.

That following night Jon sat in his car and waited at the end of the block for Mary to show up. He could not believe he was actually doing this. All day he had kept debating with himself, wondering if this was a such a good idea or not. It was far too late to take it back now. She was expecting for him to be there and he didn't want to let her down. He refused to be like so many others in her past.

For one night he wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to know what it was like to be treated like a real girl. She deserved nothing less.

It was why he was sitting there in some stuffy monkey suit. When he had walked into the tuxedo rental place everyone was looking at him as if he were from another world. They wearily looked at him. It was almost as if they were wondering if he was going to rob the place, which he would have. In another place or time of course. He was through with selling dope, robbing and jacking cars just to survive. He made enough money wrestling to where he could take care of himself on the straight and narrow path. Well, as straight as a man such as himself can be anyway.

He had to admit though, he was nervous as all hell, which is a rare feeling for him to have. It was a feeling he only associated with her. He had no idea what would happen tonight. This was the first time he has ever done anything like this with a girl before. He wasn't the type of guy who was a girl's first thought to take to prom. He wasn't exactly the pretty boy GQ type that most girls her age went for. He was rough around the edges. He was mean and quick to anger. His face was hardened and weathered making him look far older.

Mary deserved someone whom was far better than him. Not just in looks, but in personality as well. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, but it was far too late to turn back now. He had got himself into this mess and he was the only one who could get him out of it.

Jon must have smoked five cigarettes as he waited for her, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. It was hot outside making the collar of his suit feel as if it were choking him. This was the first time he has ever worn a suit before. He never had a good enough reason to before now. Shit, he even bought a clip on bowtie because he didn't know how to make one. He never had anyone in his life to show him. His father wasn't exactly a suit and tie type of guy. He mostly wore nothing but jeans or t-shirts. Besides the cops got to him before he had a chance to teach him anything.

He hasn't remembered a time feeling this nervous before. Not even before a match was he this nervous. There was a lot riding on this night. This would be the beginning of whatever would transpire between them for the rest of their lives. If he was lucky anyway. He would do something to fuck it up though. He had a knack for ruining every good thing that came into his life.

There was only one thing he needed right now which would calm him down and level him.

Jon reached under his seat and took out a bottle of painkillers and flask of Jack Daniels. He popped two into his mouth and washed them down with a swig of the liquor. He winced as he felt the amber liquid go down his throat. It burned his esophagus, but he welcomed the pain. He thrived upon it.

He had starting taking them after he hurt his leg during a match. One of the wrestlers gave him one to take the edge off. He had another match that night and needed to be in peak condition. It was all downhill after that. He usually had a few beers before a match to calm his frayed nerves, but he loved the pills because they made him feel invincible.

When he took them he didn't think about anything in the ring. He could dish out the pain and recieve it just the same. Pills and alcohol was the norm for wrestlers, especially in the independent circuit. They were passed around backstage like candy. He knew it was wrong what he was doing, but he was never one to make the right decisions.

Jon looked over at his car clock and sighed. She was supposed to be here over twenty minutes ago. She was never more than five minutes late. He hoped everything was alright with her. He wished she had a cellphone so he could call her. He promised himself to get her one. She was most likely just getting ready. She was a girl after all.

He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes momentarily as he waited for the painkillers to kick in. As he was sitting there he could not help but feel as if something wasn't right. He had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could chalk it up to just being nervous about tonight, but he knew it was much more than that. He could feel it right down to his bones. He felt this odd sense of dread come upon him at this moment.

Against his better judgement he put his car into gear and drove down the street towards her house. As he was driving he hoped with everything within him he was wrong. For everyone involved.

As Mary stood in front of the mirror looking at herself, she wondered if this was all a good idea or not. She didn't have enough money or time to buy a spectacular dress, but she was pleased with what she could find on such short notice.

She was wearing a pale purple knee length spaghetti strap dress. It was her favorite color purple. As soon as she saw it she fell in love with it. It flared at the ends bit and had lace interwoven with sparkles. She kept her hair simply down, but curled it at the ends a bit. It had gotten so long that it took her forever to do it. She wore minimal makeup, just a bit of eyeshadow to match her dress and a light pink lipstick. A pair of nude pumps completed her outfit, which were already starting to kill her. She doesn't wear heels often. She doesn't have any reason to. Sometimes she would 'borrow' her mother's stiletto heels that she wore to 'work'. She would wear them around in her bedroom and pretend she was just like any other girl.

Mary felt so pretty. This was the first time she has ever worn a dress. She never really had a reason to before, but he had given her one. It was a funny thing. He always has something to do with anything good that happens in her life. He truly lived up to his last name.

All day she had been so nervous about tonight. She could hardly focus upon her work or at school. It was all she could think about. They had a lot riding on tonight. She knew it wasn't a date. He didn't think about her that way. He was just a friend helping a friend out.

Regardless of that fact it meant more to her than he could ever know. She will never be able to repay for him all that he has done for her. He was her best friend and she loved him. She honest to God truly did. Every time she looked at him the love she felt for him overwhelmed her. She has never felt anything like this for anyone. This was all new to her. She had stopped trying to fight it a long time ago. There are some things in life you just have to accept. You may not understand it, but you feel it all the same. Love isn't something anyone understands. If we did then none of us would be lonely and miserable.

She doesn't know what kind of love she has for him. She isn't used to feeling this way. She truly has never loved anyone in her entire life. Of course she loved her mom...in some way anyway. She had stopped caring about her a long time ago. Her mother was a lost cause. She thought it best to just close off feeling altogether when it pertained to her. That way when she finally did be put out of her misery it wouldn't hurt as much. It was a sad but true fact.

Mary's thoughts were thwarted by someone knocking upon her door. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting out a laborious sigh. She wondered who the hell could be knocking at her door at this moment. She thought everyone had gone out by now. It was a Friday night after all. It was the time her mother and Slim made the most money.

She walked over to the door and opened it. She sighed when she saw Slim standing there. Of course it was him. This was just her luck after all.

Mary opened the door a bit and poked her head out, 'What's up?'

She didn't want to let him see what she was wearing. She didn't want to give him any ideas. She wanted this night to be perfect. She would be damned if she let this bastard ruin the best thing that's ever happened to her.

Slim shrugged his shoulders, 'Your mama's out workin. I thought you and I could spend some quality time together.'

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Not tonight, Slim. I have something to do...tonight.'

He pushed opened the door farther causing her to stumble backwards.

When he looked at what she was wearing he shook his head and chuckled, 'Well well well don't ya look fuckin pretty.'

She bowed her head and whispered, 'Not now...please.'

Mary's eyes swelled up with tears. She balled her hands into tight fists at her sides. Her heart began palpitating at lightening speed. This could not be happening to her, especially not now. Jon was waiting for her. She couldn't be late. She couldn't let this bastard ruin everything. Not anymore.

Slim tilted his head back and took a long swig of his beer. He swaying back and forth a bit indicating to her he was drunk or at least getting there anyway.

He grabbed ahold of her neck and pushed her back up against the wall. She winced aloud in pain as her head hit the wall with such a brutal force it caused her neck to snap back. She was fairly certain she would have a bruise. Hell, she could even have a concussion, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything but himself.

Slim chuckled lightly and whispered in her ear, 'Ya think I don't fuckin know what's goin on, baby girl? I know bout ya and that little fucker.'

The smell of him made her nauseous. He smelled like nicotine, stale sweat and beer. She felt the bile rising up within her throat, but she roughly swallowed it down. Maybe she should have thrown up on him. It might have deterred him away, but she highly doubted it. When he was in one of his moods there was nothing that could stop him.

Mary's eyes widened in surprise and he grinned, 'Yeah, I know bout every fuckin thing that goes on round here. This is my town. Ya forgot one thing though...' He roughly grabbed her crotch and whispered menacingly, 'This pussy is mine. Ya fuckin got that?"

She closed her eyes tightly as tears began streaming down her face. She was numb right down to her very soul. The only thing she could whisper was, 'Please.'

That one word seemed to fuel his sick and twisted mind further. He began unbuckling his belt as he roughly lifted up her dress. As she stood there all she could think about was Jon waiting for her. She had to get out of this situation. She just had to. She could not let him down. Not after all he has done for her.

Without giving it another thought, she kneed him in the stomach and uppercut him with her elbow. It was a move she had witnessed Jon perform in the ring many times. It was yet another thing he had taught her.

Slim groaned aloud in pain and doubled over clutching his stomach. She used this opportunity to make her way out the door. Before she even reached the threshold, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back to his chest.

He laughed and whispered in her ear, 'Ya want it rough? Ya got it.'

Mary tried making a run for it once again, but he was far too overpowering. He backslapped her cheek causing her to fall on the ground. He hit her with such sheer force she saw stars. She could feel the pain in her cheek pulsating and throbbing. The distinct copper taste of blood filled her mouth and she was surprised to discover her bottom lip was bleeding and puffy as well.

She tried to scramble away from him, but he grabbed the bottom of her dress causing it to rip apart in the middle. He pinned her arms above her head as he used his other hand to unzip his jeans. She closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her face like cataracts. She tried to scream, but it only seemed to make him be rougher with her. He got off on her screams and cries.

Mary should have known this would happen. Whenever something good happens in her life something always happens to remind her that she's different than everybody else. She's not meant to be normal. This is her life and she mine as well just expect it. She didn't deserve anyone.

Jon most all...

Jon was standing outside of her house, wondering if this was such a good idea or not. The porch light was off and there was only one light on in the living room indicating to him someone was home. He debated on knocking,but decided against it. He didn't want to cause Mary any trouble.

He walked around the house and tried to look into some of the windows, but they all were covered up with black curtains. This was a crack house after all. He had this sense of apprehension come upon him at this moment. He knew something was the matter. There was an ominous cloud that hung heavily in the air.

Jon stood there a moment wondering what he should do. All of the sudden he heard the distinct sound of a female screaming and a loud crash coming from the bedroom window. That made up his mind right then and there. He knew exactly who it was screaming.

He made a beeline to the front of the house and ran through the door. He was thankful the door was opened or he would have had to kick the door in or break a window. It wouldn't be the first time and wouldn't be the last.

Jon could hear loud crashes coming from the back of the house. He ran toward the sounds and busted through the bedroom.

His eyes widened when he saw Slim on top of Mary.

He blacked out then and saw nothing but red. With a maniacal wail he grabbed Slim by the back of his shirt and hoisted him up, throwing him against the wall like a ragdoll. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and began punching him in the face. He grinned every single time his knuckles connected to flesh.

As he pummeled into him all he screamed out was, 'YA FUCKIN PIECE OF SHIT. YA LIKE THAT, HUH? HOW DOES THAT FUCKIN FEEL YA FUCKIN BASTARD!'

Jon couldn't stop hitting him. He used his fists to hit him anywhere he could. He could see his knuckles bleeding, but he didn't care. He could focus on nothing but the anger he felt towards him. He wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt her. He was running on nothing but hatred and adrenaline at this point.

Slim was slumped against the wall barely in and out of consciousness when Jon picked him up by his collar and lifted him up.

He grinned and stuck his tongue out as he grabbed him by the hair and studied his bloody face. He had to admit he was enjoying himself. He always had this sick and twisted fascination with causing pain to others, especially to those whom deserved it.

Jon violently shook him, 'Come on, big man. What's the matter? Ya can't fuckin handle takin someone on your own fuckin size? Remember all those fuckin times ya would get your boys to come at me? Well guess what? I'm not fuckin little anymore.'

To emphasize his point he punched him in the gut, causing him to slump over. Jon caught him before he had a chance to fall down. He bent down and grinned as he listened to him groan aloud in pain.

Mary was lying on the floor, unable to move. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire. She was pretty sure she had a concussion for she felt nauseous. Every single bone in her body hurt, but she couldn't think about that right now. She was entirely too focused upon what was going on right in front of her.

She watched in fascination as Jon brutally and savagely attacked Slim. She knew she should do something, but in all honesty she didn't care. He had it coming to him after all. She had never seen Jon behave like this before. It was as if he weren't even human. He had this sick and twisted grin upon his face. It was almost as if he were enjoying it. Maybe he was.

The only time she had even seen him in any form of physical contact was when he was in the ring, but that was fake. No one was getting hurt. This was wholly different. He looked animalistic and primal. Sweat was pouring down his face and his hair was wild falling into his face. His face was beet red and his breath was coming out in heaving gasps. What made it all the more shocking was he was doing this for her. No one has ever fought for her like this before. If she didn't love him before she certainly did now. She knew she had to do something. She had to get Jon off him or he would kill him. Yeah, he would have deserved nothing less, but she refused to let him spend the rest of his life in jail because of her.

Mary drudged up all of the strength she could in this moment to lift her head up, but every time she tried to do so she would become dizzy and nauseous. The entire room was spinning and she felt as if she were going to pass out, but she had to do something. She had to stop this. He was going to kill him.

She knew getting up and walking was futile. She crawled over to where Jon was standing and grabbed onto his pant leg.

She cleared her throat and yelled out, 'JON...PLEASE...STOP THAT'S ENOUGH!'

Jon stopped dead in his tracks at her words. He looked down at her and shook his head, 'No, it's not. He fuckin hurt you. I told ya what would happen.'

Mary shook her head, 'Please, it's not worth it. He's not worth it. I just wanna get outta here...please.'

As he stared down into her tear filled eyes he curtly nodded his head reluctantly. He bent down and whispered in his ear, 'You a fuckin lucky man. Ya hear me? If it wasn't for her I would fuckin kill ya right now.'

With that being said he released his hold on him and threw him down onto the ground. He kicked him one last time in his stomach for good measure and spit on him.

Jon turned his attention back toward Mary. He fell down upon his knees before her. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at her. Her once beautiful dress was now tattered and shredded barely covering her body. Her hair that was once curled and primped was messy and tangled. Her right cheek was swollen and red. Her bottom lip had a cut upon it as well and fresh blood was seeping from the wound. Tears fell from her eyes and she was shaking like a leaf.

Seeing her this way reminded him so much of his mother. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides and his jaw locked in anger. It took everything within him at this moment not to turn around and finish what he started, but he couldn't do that. Mary needed him now most of all.

He gently cupped her cheeks and shook his head sadly, 'Baby, you okay?'

Mary sighed and nodded her head, 'Yeah...just...get me outta here.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Ya fuckin got it.'

He took off his tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders to cover her up. It was big enough to where it would efficiently cover her up for the time being.

Jon gently grasped her by the waist and hoisted her up. He knew she wouldn't let him carry her. She had far too much dignity for that. She did let him wrap his arm around her though.

As they were making their way out of her bedroom, she looked down at Slim lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

Mary whispered, 'Wait...'

He nodded his head and watched as she fell down upon her knees before him. She looked at his battered and bloody face. A small smile formed upon her face. It was about damn time. She only wished she could have done some damage herself, but Jon had taken care of it. Just as he had taken care of everything else in her life.

Slim's eyes were blinking rapidly and he was falling in and out of consciousness. His nose was broken and both of his eyes were swollen shut. Even his body was covered in lacerations and bruises.

Mary leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'You fuckin go to the cops and I'll tell them everything. Do you understand me?'

He could barely nod his head yes. She nodded, 'Your days of hurting me are through. You don't own me...Not anymore.'

With that being said, she slowly got up from the ground. Jon wrapped his arm around her once again as they made their way out of the room. She was still dizzy so they had to take baby steps, but all she wanted to do was get as far away from this place as possible. She never wanted to see this place ever again.

As they got out onto the porch Mary's eyes widened as she saw her mother walking up to the house. She had some guy with her, which was no doubt one of her Johns. Her mother had her arm wrapped around his neck as she whispered and giggled into his ear.

Jon looked over at her and gently squeezed her shoulder in a comforting gesture, 'Ya wanna take the backway fore they see us?'

Mary shook her head, 'No, there's something I gotta say.'

Jon nodded his head.

Her mother's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock as soon as she saw her. She let go of her boyfriend for the evening and ran up to her.

Her mother shook her head, 'Baby, what happened?' She looked over at Jon and glared, 'Ya son of a bitch. What the hell did ya do to her?'

Mary looked at her mother incredulously and shook her head. Before Jon had a chance to say something to defend himself she did it for him, 'Jon didn't do anything. He's done more for me than you ever have. Why don't you go ask Slim? Then again, ya knew all along but ya didn't care. As long he gave ya drugs ya could fuckin care less what happened to me. I'm gone and you're never seeing me again. I hate you. Do you understand that? I hate you and never wanna look at you ever again. You made your choice. Now live with it.'

Jon stood there and said not a word. It wasn't his place. His chest swelled with pride upon hearing her words. It was about damn time she stood up for himself.

Mary said not another word. She said all that was needed to be said. She was done with this place and her mother once and for all. No one could ever hurt her again.

Before her mother had a chance to say a word, Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'Let's get outta here, Jon. I'm fuckin tired of the company.'

Jon chuckled and nodded.

As they were walking away he turned to her mother and said, 'I would call the ambulance for your boyfriend. He's gonna need one.'

Jon and Mary walked away from her house for good. She could not believe it was finally over. No one could hurt her any longer. This was to be the beginning of the rest of her new life.

When they got into the car, Jon turned to her sighed. She had her head leaning against the window as she sobbed softly. She was clutching his jacket tighter around herself as she trembled violently.

Jon put his hand upon her shoulder and whispered, 'Honey, we gotta get ya to a hospital.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, We can't let anyone know.'

He sighed, 'But we gotta. He fuckin hurt ya. He deserves to rot in jail for what he did.'

She turned to him and shook her head as she said within a pleading tone, 'Please. Please don't tell anyone. I just wanna get the hell away from here. Please just get me the hell outta here. I never wanna see this fuckin place again.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Okay. It's all right. We won't go to the hospital. I won't tell anybody I swear.'

Mary seemed to relax a bit at his words. He put the car into gear and took a moment to try and figure out where the hell they were going to go. Wherever it maybe they were together, which is all that matters.

Without any other options in mind, Jon decided on taking her to the local Motel 6. It was not the best place for them to go, but he had no other choice in the matter. He couldn't take her to where he was staying. If anyone saw her questions would start, which neither were prepared to answer right now. They just needed a night to clear their heads and figure out what their next course of action would be.

Mary waited in the car while he paid for the room. She was startled when he lightly knocked upon her window. She was so out of it she could hardly discern where she was. All she wanted to do was get out of these clothes, get cleaned up and hide away from the rest of the world for a while.

The two of them said not a word to one another as they walked into the room. She was thankful to see he was smart enough to get one with two beds. She didn't want to deal with any awkwardness tonight. Although it was pretty much unavoidable at this point considering all that has happened.

She jumped when he closed the door. Her nerves were such a wreck. She was so jumpy after her ordeal. She was just waiting for the moment when someone would snatch the rug right from under her.

Jon threw a gym bag on one of the beds, 'I brought some clothes in for ya to wear. Its mostly shit I wear to work out. Some of it's dirty, but it's all I have.'

Mary nodded her head and smiled gratefully, 'That's fine, thanks. I'm gonna go wash up.'

He nodded his head and took out a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt, handing them over to her.

She smiled in appreciation and took the clothes, saying not a word. She just slowly walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Jon ran a hand through his disheveled hair and heaved a laborious sigh. It has been one hell of a memorable night that's for damn sure. His only wished was that it could have been memorable for other reasons, but it was too late to think about that now. What's done is done and that's all there is to it. He should have known this would happen. It's his life after all. It's very rare things turn out for the better. This happening only further reminded him of that fact.

He looked down at his blood soaked clothes and muttered a curse word. Well, it looked as if he wouldn't be getting his security deposit back for his suit. He quickly changed into a pair of track pants and a plain black t-shirt. He threw the bloodied clothes in his gym bag. He would have to burn them later.

Jon popped a few painkillers to dull the ache in his bones and lit a cigarette to calm his nerves. He sat down on the bed and waited for Mary to be done in the bathroom. He wanted so much to go in there and help her, but he knew she would turn him away. He decided it best to just give her a few moments to herself. He took this time to catch his bearings. He was still so fucking angry he was shaking, but he needed to get himself under control. He needed to be strong...for her.

Moments later he heard the door opening. She had changed into the clothes he had given her and washed her face. The cuts and bruises upon her face did nothing to mar her beauty. She was still the most beautiful girl in the world to him.

A small smile formed upon her face, 'Hey.'

Jon returned her smile, 'Hey.'

Mary let out a shaky sigh, 'I'm sad I couldn't see ya in a suit.' She scoffed, 'Well, to really notice ya in one anyway.'

He chuckled softly, 'Don't worry, there'll be other times.'

She was carrying the tattered bundle of clothes in her hand along with her shoes. She shook her head and snorted, 'Guess these should go in the trash, huh?'

He jumped off the bed and took the clothes out of her hand, ' I'll take care of them for ya.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Thanks.'

Jon threw them into his gym bag along with his clothes. He sat back down upon the edge of the bed and waited for her to come to him.

She slowly walked over and sat down on the bed next to him. She looked down at his hands and noticed the cuts and bruises upon them. They were swollen and red from continually punching Slim.

Mary gently laid her hands upon his hands and whispered, 'You're hands, Jon. How ya gonna wrestle?'

A small smile formed upon his face. Here she was battered and bruised and she was worrying about him. She was truly one in a fucking million. It was one of the reasons why he cared about her so much.

Jon shook his head, 'Don't worry about me. ' He let out a tiny chuckle, 'Besides, it will just add to my badass persona. Are YOU okay?'

She nodded, 'Not yet, but I will be. Thanks to you.'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'I was just doin what I had to.' He sighed, 'Mary, baby. Why didn't ya tell me?'

Mary bowed her head, 'I didn't want anybody to know. I was too ashamed.'

Jon let out a labored sigh, 'We're best friends. Ya can tell me anything.'

She nodded, 'I know and I should have. I'm so sorry. I ruined everything, didn't I? You're never gonna trust me again.'

He shook his head, 'Stop fuckin talking like that. It's not your fault. Maybe I knew deep down, but didn't wanna believe it. How long has it been going on?'

Mary bowed her head and stared directly down into her lap as she whispered, 'Since I was thirteen.'

Jon's eyes widened in surprise. To think she has been repeatedly violated for over five years and did nothing about it. He felt so guilty. This has been going on right under his nose this entire time and he never knew it. Maybe he did, but just didn't wanna believe it.

He scoffed, 'Hell of a prom night, huh?'

She chuckled softly, 'Yeah.'

Jon looked over at her, 'I'm sure ya looked beautiful.'

Mary rolled her eyes, 'Ya didn't even see what I looked like before-'

He cut her off by shaking his head and saying, 'Ya looked beautiful. You are beautiful.'

Tears filled her eyes and fell down her face as he said those words to her. No one has ever said that to her before. The fact that Jon said them made it even more special. She laid her head upon his shoulder and he wrapped both of his arms around her. He brought her close to his side as he held her in a tight embrace.

Jon softly kissed the crown of her head as she sobbed softly into his shoulder. He just sat there and let her cry it out. She needed this. Hell, they both needed this. Tears filled his own eyes and silently fell down his cheeks. As he looked down at her he realized in that moment he loved this girl before him with every fiber of his being. It took him almost losing her tonight to finally realize what he had been denying all along. He loved her and he was never going to let anyone hurt her ever again.

He knew his love for her would be something he would have to hold onto until she was ready. He knew it would be a long time before she would be ready for anything like that, especially now that he knew what has been happening to her. He was content to just sit here and hold her. He would hold her forever if she let him. He would do anything to keep her safe. He would protect her no matter what or he would die trying.

Considering the way things are going, that wasn't entirely impossible.

TBC...I cried writing the ending. I don't know why.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: I just would like to thank all of the people who have been reading and reviewing this story. This story has been a labor of love for me for such a long time. I had always wanted to write it, but just never got around to it. But I am so glad I had. The response for this story has been overwhelming. I am so happy everyone is enjoying the story as much as I'm writing it.

So I dedicated this chapter to all my readers. Ya know who you are *virtual hugs* to all!

It was in the wee early hours of the morning and Jon couldn't sleep. In fact he hasn't slept the entire night. He couldn't. His adrenaline was pumping, his pulse was racing and he felt anxious. He was glad he had a match tonight. He could really use all this pent up negative energy he had in the ring. Then again he didn't think it was safe for him to be anywhere near a ring feeling this way. He was liable to kill someone with all this rage he had boiling up inside of him.

Jon thought about talking a walk outside, but he didn't want to leave Mary. After some considerable amount of crying on her part she just passed out on the bed in his arms. He had to practically pry himself away from her. She had basically cried herself to sleep.

He had laid in the bed with her in his arms and just let her cry. He said nothing. He just laid next to her and kept his arms tightly around her, letting her know he wasn't going anywhere. He hushed her with whispered words into her ear as he soothed her back with his hand and lightly kissed her temple. He has never laid in a bed with a woman without getting some sexual gratification. He had absolutely no idea what to do. He did not know how to be tender or affectionate. No one had ever taught him, but it seemed as if they was the only way he could treat her. She was so precious to him. She was the only good thing he had left in this world and he would be damned if he let anyone hurt her ever again. He would kill for her and almost had.

Jon was sitting on a chair next to her bed just staring at her. In fact, he has been doing nothing but sitting by her bedside all night. He didn't want to leave her sight. He thought about taking a walk around the hotel to clear his head and let off some steam, but he decided against it. He would hate to leave the room and for her to wake up and discover he's not there. He would never want her to think he abandon her. Sure he wouldn't have been gone very long, but she wouldn't know that. He didn't want her to think for even one second he left her. He would be damned if he was on the laundry list of people that had left her in the past.

The sun had just began to rise. The early morning rays shone brightly, sneaking through the cracks of the closed blinds. The amber glow cast upon her face surrounding her in an ethereal luminescence. She looked like an angel lying there sleeping. Her long brown hair was splayed out on the pillow, looking almost like a halo under the soft glow of the morning sun. At that moment she has never looked more beautiful to him. The bruises upon her face did nothing to mar her beauty. She was still the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He knew without a doubt he could travel to the far ends of the Earth and back and not find someone as half as beautiful as her. She is beautiful because he loves her and by loving her for the first time he felt beautiful. His love for her was the only good part about him. Everything else was a waste. She made him feel good about himself for once in his godforsaken life.

The thought suddenly occurred to him that he has never seen her this way. Never has he seen what she looked like sleeping next to him. He only wished that it could have been in a wholly different context, but he would take what he could get. Beggars could not be choosers.

Jon knew he loved her. The way he was feeling couldn't be anything else. He had this strong need to protect her and keep her safe, but there was another side as well. The primal and animalistic side of him wanted to possess her, control her and devour her. Sometimes the need would be so overwhelming he would have to drink himself in a stupor just to stop thinking about her, but it was useless. No matter what he did he could never get rid of her. She was in his blood and under his skin. There was not a damn thing he could do about it.

Sometimes a feeling takes hold of us that can neither be defined nor denied. No matter how hard we try to fight the feeling it just keeps coming back stronger than before. There comes a time when we must accept it rather than let it consume us. He has never known what is was like to love anyone before. Shit, even he was still trying to figure it all out. Then again, Mary didn't exactly know how to love either. Maybe they could learn together.

He shook his head and ran a tired hand over his face. Maybe he needs to stop taking those painkillers. They were really warping his mind. He sounded like a fucking lovesick puppy. It was funny, he would always make fun of those people. He laughed at those who let a silly emotion like love control their every whim. He could never seem to understand why someone would let themselves be controlled by anyone. The heartbreak, the sadness and misery. None of that was worth it in his opinion. He had once thought he was above all that. That was until he met a girl four years ago who challenged every single conviction he held dear to himself.

Jon knew she didn't love him. Well, not in the way that mattered anyway. There was no way she could possibly love after all she has been through. Love was probably the farthest thing from her mind. Who could blame her? Her mother's boyfriend continually raped her for over five years. That alone would make anyone steer clear of men for a very long time. She didn't see him as a formidable male companion. She saw him as Jon, the older brother she never had, which he was okay with. Really he was. He was always very good of convincing himself of something that wasn't true.

All of the sudden he saw her begin to stir. He sat straight up in his chair and carefully watched her as she stirred awake. Her eyelids began to flutter opened as she let out a soft groan.

When she opened her eyes she covered her mouth to let out a yawn. She slowly turned her head and her eyes widened slightly when she saw him sitting in the chair by her bedside.

Mary was touched to see Jon sitting her her bedside. She wondered how long he has been sitting there watching her. She lifted the blanket up to her neck, feeling self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze.

Jon's gaze was intense as he stared upon her. His arresting gaze seemed to pierce right down to her very soul. Every single time he looked at her he made her feel as if she were the most beautiful girl in the world. He looked at her as if no one else existed but her. He looked upon her with such adoration and respect it brought tears to her eyes at times. No one has ever looked upon her this way. She doubted if anyone else that comes in her life ever will.

Mary will never be able to repay him for everything he has done her. He has saved her life more times than she could count. At this rate she would be indebted to him for the rest of her life, which wouldn't be so bad. She really wouldn't mind being shackled to him for the rest of her days upon this Earth. She could think of no better person to spend the rest of her life with.

Her thoughts surprised her. Here she was a day after being brutally attacked and she's thinking about spending the rest of her life with someone. Maybe all those psychiatrists were right. She really was as crazy as they say. But isn't anyone who loves someone? And she did love Jon, with all of her heart. What he did for her last night only solidified that. He had shown her that not only was he willing to kill for her, but he would risk his own life to protect her. Never has she had someone show that much faith in her and willingness to protect her at all costs.

Mary didn't know what to do with this love for him. She had only recently discovered what she felt. Hell, she was having a difficult time in discerning if it was love or just hero worship, but she highly doubted it. It's not hero worship when all someone has to do is look at you and your heart skips a beat. She was far from an expert on love, but she knew whatever she was feeling isn't going away anytime soon. It seems to only get stronger as each days passes.

She wasn't ready to love him yet, but love rarely waits for anyone. It cames at inopportune times, regardless of the fact it you want it or not. There was far too much she had to do in her life. She could not get tangled up with anyone until she gets her own life in order. She has to love herself before she loves someone else. She only hopes that when she finally is ready to take the plunge he's there to catch her. The only thing she can hope for is when the time finally does come she isn't too late.

Mary slowly sat up in the bed and coyly looked over at him. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before, but he had thrown on a black hoodie sweatshirt and his hair was put into a ponytail. He remained silent as he sat there and looked at her.

They both sat there in silence. Neither wanted to say the wrong thing and break the fragile silence. They didn't have a chance to talk much last night. She was far too upset and he was far too angry. She must have cried the entire night before she finally succumbed to exhaustion. Never has she cried that hard in her life. Every single emotion she had bottled up inside of her all came to a head last night. He said nothing to her. He just laid next to her and held her tightly as she grasped his shirt in her hand and cried into his neck. It was the most intimate moment she's had with anyone and she was too preoccupied to notice. It was just her luck.

She had no idea what to say to him in this moment. Things look so different in the harsh light of day. Confessions and vulnerability are left in the darkness and we're left with nothing but fragmented memories of something we shall never experience again. It's the memories we have that make it real. Even then time passes as it often does and it's all too forgotten. It's left in the past where it should remain as such.

Memories get lost in the shuffle as do people and suddenly we're left with nothing but hollow empty shells of who we were, but they are not like most people. Precious moments don't come around often for people such as themselves. So they cherish them. They tuck them away in the backs of their minds to take them out every now and again to remind them they once had love. For however of a short time it may have been they experienced what it was like to have someone care about them.

Jon was sitting there with his hands in his lap nervously twiddling his thumbs. He was at a loss for words. To think the man who is infamously known for his words in his controversial promos is rendered speechless. He just didn't know what to say without sounding like a complete asshole. He had a knack for saying the wrong things at the most worst of times, especially when women were concerned. Maybe it was why his relationships never lasted longer than a week, but Mary was not like most women. She was in a category all by herself.

Last night she had seen him for what he really was...an had shown her the destruction he was capable of. She had witnessed him almost killing someone with his bare hands. She had seen him lavishing in the blood of another human being, but she didn't shy away. Most people would have wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but she didn't. In fact, last night seemed to bring them closer. She had seen him for the monster he truly is. He had seen her at her lowest point. Something shifted in the paradigm last night. Neither could explain how or when, but it had. They were powerless to stop it. It seemed to bond them far more than they ever were before. Their friendship was impenetrable and unbreakable. Nothing would stand in between them now.

Well, nobody except themselves of course...

Mary decided to break the awkward silence by saying softly, 'Hey.'

Jon cleared his throat saying softly, 'Hey. How ya feeling?'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'A little sore, but I'm good.'

He curtly nodded his head. He observed her face, looking at the bruises. The bruise upon her cheek was a reddish purple and was swollen a bit. The cut upon her bottom lip had a bit of dried blood and it too was a reddish purple and swollen, but it would heal nicely. It didn't look as if it would do any lasting damage. He had to admit she looked rough, but bruises always look worse the morning after. He knew from firsthand experience.

'How are you feeling?" Mary asked him.

Jon shrugged, 'As good as I can be I guess.'

He didn't want to lie to her. God knows she had far too many people in her life that lied to her. He didn't want to be yet another person who betrayed her. He would kill himself before he ever hurt her. There would be no secrets between them, not anymore. At least he hoped not anyway. They were still young yet and had a lot of time left. Well, she did anyway. He couldn't be so sure of himself.

Jon heaved a laborious sigh, 'I'm sorry if I scared ya last night.' He shook his head, 'It's just when I get angry I don't think about anything. Violence has always turned me into something I hate, ya know? I never wanted ya to see that side of myself.'

Tears filled her eyes as she looked upon him. He was always so hard on himself. He always put her before himself. She was going to have to change that. He had to stop living his life caring about what she thought. She couldn't burden him any longer with her life. There was going to be a time when she would get him in a lot of trouble. Last night only exemplified that fact. He had his career to think about. She would be damned if she ruined everything he has worked so hard for. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to his wrestling career because of her.

Mary slowly rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed. She cautiously took his hand within her own. His head snapped up as he looked up at her with wide wild eyes as averted his eyes down at their hands intertwined.

Jon shook his head in disbelief. He was unable to fathom why she was touching him. The way she gently ran her thumb over his bruised knuckles in a comforting gesture. No one has ever touched him in such a way before. The only time people touched him was to cause him harm or to get him off and vice versa. Never has he had anyone touch without getting something out of it. There was no ulterior motives behind her actions. She touched him for the sheer purpose of wanting to give him comfort. This simple gesture meant more to him than she will ever know.

Most people take a kind word, a comforting gesture and even a simple hug for granted. But for the people who don't get anything like that everyday, it means the world to them. Just feeling her soft and tiny hand upon his own large and rough one damn near brought tears to his eyes. For a man that doesn't shed a tear for anyone he seemed to be doing it an awful lot, but only with her. She was the only person who got to see the vulnerable side of him. To the outside world he was, 'Mox'. The man with a black heart. He never let anyone else knew he had a heart. They would just use it against him. He would be damned if he let anyone have that kind of power over him. With her it was different. He didn't have to hide anything from her. She saw him at his worst and still stuck around. That's more than she could say for some people.

Jon had his head bowed refusing to look anywhere in her direction. She reached over and put her hand under his chin to gently lift his head up to look at her. His eyes were averting back and forth as if he were trying to avoid eye contact with her, which is exactly what he was doing.

Mary forced him to look directly into her eyes as she whispered softly, 'Don't ever apologize for anything. Do you understand me?'

She made sure her voice did not waver as she spoke those words to him. She wanted to make sure she was adamant in every word she said. She had to make him see that what he did wasn't wrong. Regardless of what he may think.

He turned his head out of her grasp. He snatched his hand out of hers and shook his head, 'I just never fuckin wanted to give ya a reason to be afraid of me. I never wanted ya to see me like that.'

Mary shook her head in bafflement, 'Like what, a good person?'

Jon scoffed, obviously not believing what she said.

She nodded her head, 'It's true. If it wasn't for you God only knows what would have happened. I could be dead right now.'

His eyes widened when she said that. She was right, but he didn't like to think about that. It scared him way too goddamn much. There wasn't many things he feared in life, but losing her was one of them. If he had lost her last night there's no telling what he would have done. He doesn't even want to think about it. He would just start to get angry again and he couldn't do that. That wouldn't help anybody. He needed to be strong and level-headed right now. Not just for himself, but for her as well. She was counting on him and he couldn't let her down.

Mary sighed, 'What ya did for me last night, Jon. Not just with...Slim but bringing me here and staying with me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there.'

Jon nodded, 'Well I was. And I'm not going anywhere. Ya understand me? You're stuck with me whether ya like it or not.'

A small smile formed upon her face, 'I think I could live with that. The same goes both ways though.'

He shrugged, 'Eh, ya been here this long and I haven't gotten tired of ya yet. Maybe I'll let ya stick around for a while longer.'

Jon winked letting her know he was jesting, which made her chuckle softly. She winced and touched her bottom lip. It was still too raw and sore to be smiling, but she couldn't help herself. No matter how rotten and miserable she may be feeling he always made her smile. It was one of the reasons why she loved him so much. She wasn't afraid to use that word any longer. Not when it pertained to him. She was through with lying to herself. Lying to him? Well that was another story altogether.

It was good to see her smiling again. Okay so she wasn't exactly jumping up and down and giggling, but it was a start. Besides, she wasn't the giggling type. She was just happy she lived to see another day.

Jon pointed to her face, asking her, 'How are your bruises?'

Mary shrugged, 'They're okay. Nothing a little time won't cure, ya know?"

He snorted, 'I hear that.'

She was such a fighter. He's never met anyone as strong willed as she. Here she was a day after being savagely attacked and she was acting like it was nothing. She was so strong willed. Hell, she was far stronger than him. It was her strength which gave him the will to strive and keep on. Without her he doesn't know if he would have become half the man he is now. She gave him not only the faith and determination, but the confidence to do whatever he set his mind to. For that he will love her until his dying day, which judging by the way he was living his life. It would not be too far off.

'What happens next?" She asked me.

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'I don't know.' He scoffed, 'I've been trying to figure that out myself.'

Mary stared down into her lap as she said softly, 'I could go to a woman's shelter.'

He shook his head, saying in an adamant tone, 'The hell ya are. My mom and I used to fuckin stay in places like that when I was little. Those places are fuckin glorified crack houses, especially the ones around here. I'm not fuckin takin ya to one of those.'

She let out a tired sigh and rested her back against the headboard, 'Well, where do ya suggest I go? I don't have any family. I sure as shit don't have any other friends but you. Staying at your place is out of the question.' She shook her head, 'Maybe I should have fuckin stayed there.' She scoffed, 'I would've been better off. At least I'd have a place to say.'

Jon's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what she was saying, 'Ya gotta be fuckin kiddin me? Ya would rather stay someplace where some lowlife bum raped ya every goddamn day instead of staying with me?"

He sprung up from the chair and began pacing back in forth in the small room. She knew this was something he did whenever he was agitated or anxious. She wondered which one he was feeling. She truly did not have the time nor energy to try and figure him out.

Jon shook his head and chuckled, 'Damn, sweetheart. Ya sure know how to make a man feel good bout himself.'

Mary heaved a laborious sigh and shook her head, 'Will ya shut up?' She rolled her eyes, 'Ya always jump to conclusions. For a guy who always acts like he doesn't give a shit ya sure are sensitive.'

He stopped pacing and turned around to look at her. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle. She was a spitfire, that's for damn sure. She was the only one he let get away with talking to him like that. There were a lot of guys he beat the living shit out of for saying far less. She called him out on his bullshit and didn't let him get away with anything. She made him accountable for his words and actions. He needed someone like that in his life.

Shit, he just needed her.

Jon shrugged his shoulders, asking her , 'So, whatcha wanna do? Do ya have any other ideas?"

She sighed and shook her head, 'No, that was as good as I could come up with.'

He nodded, 'Okay. How bout we go get some breakfast? We'll get something to eat and try to figure out something. How's that sound?'

Mary nodded, 'Okay, that sounds good.'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'Good. I'm gonna go get a shower. I won't be long.'

She nodded her head once again and silently watched as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh. Her entire body felt as if she were run over by a tractor trailer. Every single bone in her body was achy and tense. Her face felt as if it were on fire on account of her bruises. She was pretty sure she had lost partial vision in her right eye from how brutally she was punched. She hoped to God it was temporary. She would hate for Jon to discover Slim had really hurt her. Well, more so than before anyway. He would most likely go over to that house and finish the job. She hated hiding the fact she was really hurt, but she didn't want him feeling sorry for her.

Mary wanted to show him she was strong and that she could and would get through this with dignity. No matter what. He has done far too much for her all ready. She did not want him to see her as weak...not anymore. She wanted to show him she could survive without him, which is why she knew she must leave him. She knew what she had to do. If she stayed here she would only cause trouble for him. He had too much riding on his career for some pitiful little girl to come along and fuck up everything he's worked so hard for. The best thing would be for her to get as far away from him as possible. She loved him far too much to see his dreams go to waste because of her.

She knew he would never tell her this, which is why she was making up his mind for him. He would thank her in the long run. She has already caused enough strife in his life. She did not want to stick around and burden him with anymore of her drama. He had his own life to worry about.

With her mind made up, she slowly got herself out of bed. She felt dizzy and nauseated on account of the bump upon her head, but she tried to forget about the feeling. She could not think about the excruciating pulsating pain in her head. She just had to focus on getting out of here and as far away from him as she could get.

Mary carefully got out of the bed, bracing herself against the nightstand. She took a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves and quickly stood up before she got any second thoughts. She looked down at herself, wishing she had something more suitable to wear. The sweatpants and tee shirt he had given her were far too big. She had to practically wrap the drawstring around her waist a few times just to tighten them and the tee shirt went all the way past her knees. She looked as if she were swimming it, but this was the best she had. She found a pair of sneakers under the bed and put them on. They were too big for her small feet. Jon wasn't exactly a small guy. They looked like clown shoes on her, but she would have to make do. She still had a few dollars left of her paycheck. She could use that to buy some clothes that actually fit her. She was used to slumming it. She has been all of her life. She would make it. It was in her blood to survive. She would survive without him. She had been doing it for years before he came along. She didn't need him. She didn't need anyone.

She solely focused upon the closed bathroom door. Tears filled her eyes as she stood there just looking at it. She knew he wouldn't understand why she did this. He may even hate her for it, but one day he would understand. At least she hoped so anyway. She was doing this more for him than her.

With her mind made up, she dredged up all of the strength she could at that moment and turned around making her way to the door.

Before she even had a chance to turn the doorknob she was stopped dead in her tracks by Jon asking her, 'Where the hell do ya think you're going?'

Mary closed her eyes and sighed. She should have known. No matter how hard she tried she would never be able to escape him. Maybe she didn't want to. Maybe this was some divine intervention telling her that being with him was a good thing.

God help her.

She turned around and smiled, shrugging her shoulders, 'I just wanted to get some air. It's kinda stuffy in here.'

If he didn't believe her he didn't call her out on it. He just curtly nodded his head, 'Well, all right. If ya wanna warm up the car for me that'd be great.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah...sure.'

Jon handed her the keys, 'Just let me get my shit together and I'll be right out.'

She forced a smile and nodded, 'Okay.'

As she sat in the car waiting for him, she debated on whether she should leave or not. She could make a break for it. It would be so easy for her to just take his car and get as far away from here as possible. She could go somewhere no one would ever be able to find her. It would be just that easy. Who was she kidding? She wasn't going anywhere. Well, you can't say she didn't make an effort, right?

Jon got into the car and looked over at her, 'Ya cool?'

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah...I'm good.'

He nodded, 'Okay.'

She looked in the rearview mirror at her face and cringed. He really did a number on her face. She looked as if she just stepped out of the ring with Mike Tyson.

'Do ya think it's a good idea for me to go into public like this?" Mary asked him.

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'Yeah, why? They're just a coupla bruises.'

She nodded, 'Yeah, but people might think ya beat me up or something. Ya know how nosy people are. They might call the cops or something.'

He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Who cares what the fuck people think? I haven't given a shit what people think my entire life. Why start now? As long as we know what happened that's all that matters. If the cops come then we'll deal with it. Just stop worrying all the damn time.'

Mary leaned back in the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. She huffed, but didn't say a word. Sometimes it was best to not say anything at all when it came to him. He was a stubborn son of a bitch when he wanted to be, which was all of the time. Then again, so was she. It was a wonder how they survived as friends all of these years.

She was startled when she felt something being thrown into her lap. She looked down and her eyes widened by what she saw. It was a corsage made of lilies. It was her favorite flower. She wondered how the hell he knew that, but the thought suddenly occurred to her she told him. They were walking through a park one Summer day and she told him of how her grandmother would plant lilies in the Spring. Helping her grandmother in the garden was one of her fondest memories. Shit, it was only a handful of good memories she had of her childhood. Sadly,

her grandmother passed away when she was only seven years old.

It brought tears to her eyes that he remembered what she told him. It was so long ago she had told him. She could not believe he had remembered it after all these years. Suddenly she felt like such a piece of shit. How could she ever think of leaving this man? She would be a fool to walk away from something this good.

Mary picked up the corsage and smelled it, savoring the sweet scent. The smell of the flowers transported her back to when she was a child. Warmth spread throughout her and she smiled. The smell reminded her so much of her grandmother.

She gazed over at him and smiled through her tears, 'Ya remembered?'

As he sat there looking at the wide smile upon her face, he knew he did the right thing. He had thought about throwing the damn thing out. He didn't want her to see it and get upset. But he had read somewhere girls liked flowers, especially when they were sad. If her smile was any indication, it was surely doing the trick. He vowed to make her smile like that more often, but only for him. If he had something to do with it no one else would ever see that smile. It would only be reserved for him. At least he hoped so anyway.

Jon shrugged sheepishly, obviously feeling awkward and uncomfortable as he did with any of these heartwarming situations, 'Cody told me that for a prom every girl needs one.' He bowed his head staring directly down into his lap, 'I was gonna give it to ya last night but...didn't have the chance. Better late than never, right?'

Mary nodded her head, 'Right.' She leaned over and cupped his cheek while giving him a quick peck on the other one, 'No one's ever treated me as good as you do, ya know that?'

He shrugged his shoulders,'Yeah, well. Ya deserve it.'

She chuckled softly, 'When ya say it, I believe it.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Well, ya should. Cause it's the damn truth. Anybody else that doesn't see it. That's on them.'

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Damn right.'

He chuckled and shook his head. He turned the ignition and drove out of the parking lot. They had not a clue where they were going, but wherever it was they would be together. It's all that matters.

Jon found a diner a couple of miles down the road. They both had ordered bacon, eggs and toast. Their uneaten breakfast was sitting in front of them. They picked at their food, making disgusted faces. Suddenly food was the last thing on their minds. They had no appetite whatsoever. Their minds were far too preoccupied with more important things other than food.

The patrons and employees at the diner gave Mary funny looks. Mostly they were sympathetic, wondering why someone would beat up a little defenseless girl. Glares were given in Jon's direction. They probably thought he had beat the piss out of her, but he could care less. Their looks didn't even faze him. He was used to being looked at like that everywhere he went. It was nothing new. He has developed thick skin over the years. It would take a lot more than a look to get to him...a lot more. Besides, they didn't know shit. Little did they know what really happened. They wouldn't even be able to handle the truth if they knew. It just goes to show you how ignorant and oblivious people are. They make rash judgments before they even know all the facts. It's nothing new. Speculation makes the world go round.

The only valuable advice his mother ever gave him was, 'If people have time to talk about you their lives must not be that interesting.' Those words have stuck with him throughout life. It was the only positive thing his mother ever gave him. It's the truest words anyone has ever spoken to him. It was also one of the rare times his mother was lucid enough to form a coherent sentence. That alone made it a memorable moment.

Jon could care less what they think. They know what truly happened. That was enough for them.

He looked over at her and noticed she was picking at her food with a look of distaste upon her face, 'Not hungry, honey?'

Mary shook her head, 'Nah, not really. Don't have much of an appetite, ya know?'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah, me neither.'

He looked out the window, gazing out onto his podunk town. There was nothing but a gas station, a bar and a Sheetz Convenience Store. He was pretty sure if he squinted he would be able to see some tumbleweeds. It was really a depressing sight. He could not wait to get the hell out of this town. He was taking her with him, whether she liked it or not.

She rested her elbows upon the table and sighed, 'So, what happens now?"

Jon took a swig of his coffee and shrugged his shoulders, 'I think I have a place for ya to go.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, 'Really, where?"

He took a deep breath to brace himself for what he was about say, 'I was thinking I would take ya to...Cody's.'

She leaned back in her seat and gave him an incredulous look, 'Ya gotta be kidding me, Jon?' She shook her head, 'No fuckin way. He can't know what happened. He'll tell the cops for sure.'

Jon shook his head, 'Nah, he's not like that. If I ask him not to, he won't. We've been good friends for years. He trusts my judgment.' He sighed, 'Look, ya know how he stuck his neck out for me, right?'

Mary nodded her, urging him with her eyes to continue, 'He'll do the same for ya. I know it. He's a good dude. He and Kasey think the world of ya. I'm sure they would love to have ya.'

She heaved a pregnant sigh, 'I just don't want anybody to know, ya know?"

He nodded his head, 'I know.' He leaned closer to her and whispered, 'Mary, baby. Ya gotta trust me on this. I'm gonna be out on the road alot competing in matches. I need to know you're safe and someone's looking out for ya when I'm gone. Cody will do that for ya. Do ya understand me?"

Mary nodded her head, 'I do.' She crossed her arms over her chest, 'Ya know ya don't have to keep asking me if I understand everything. I'm not a child, ya know?'

Jon chuckled softly and nodded, 'Oh, I know...believe me.'

She squinted her eyes in confusion, wondering what his cryptic words meant. He didn't elaborate and she didn't ask. Neither were ready to take that next step. They wondered if there would ever be a time when they would be.

Jon pulled up in front of Cody's house and parked his car in front of it. Mary looked up at it and sighed.

She turned to Jon, asking him, 'Ya sure this is a good idea?'

He turned the ignition off and nodded his head, 'Yes, it's a damn good idea.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Okay, I trust you.'

Jon remained silent as she spoke those words to him. Other than Cody she was the only person who has ever said that to him. He wasn't the type of guy people trusted. He did give them good reasons not to. She shouldn't trust a guy like him. For more reasons than one.

He opened his car door, saying to her, 'Come on, lets go.'

She rolled her eyes and reluctantly got out of the car. She stood there for a moment to observe her surroundings. It was a bungalow home with a nice yard that was neatly trimmed. Rose bushes were situated upon both sides of the walkway and a huge oak tree stood high above the home shrouding it in a canopy of sorts. For a very successful businessman he sure had a very unassuming home, but that's just the kind of man he was. He wasn't a flashy guy. He was very humble. He could have went into the big time, but chose to stay in his hometown to teach the younger men all he has learned. He wasn't in it for the fame and recognition. He was in it for the sheer love of the sport. It's one of the main reasons why Cody put so much faith in Jon. He saw a lot of the young man in himself.

Jon put his hand upon her back, thwarting her from her thoughts, 'Ya all right?'

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Yeah, I'm good.'

He nodded, 'Okay.' He curtly nodded towards the home, 'Lets go.'

Jon surprised her by grabbing her hand tightly as they walked up to his house. He gently squeezed it reassuringly. She held tightly onto his hand using it as an anchor. She counted upon his strength to get her through this moment, just as he had all those other times before.

He rang the doorbell twice and no more than a few moments later the door opened revealing Cody standing there.

His eyes widened in shock when he saw Mary's face.

Cody shook his head, 'Jesus Christ. What the hell happened?'

Jon looked over at Mary and gave her a small smile of reassurance, which she readily returned, 'Can we come in?"

Cody nodded his head, 'Yeah sure.'

Cody opened the door wider giving them access to enter. As Mary walked into the home, she carefully observed her surroundings. The living room had a laidback style. It was very low key with minimal decorum other than Cody's plaques of wrestling achievements. There were some action shots of him in the ring, but mostly they were of family and friends. It warmed her heart to see Jon was in some of them. It just further cemented her trust in the situation. Maybe she would be okay here after all.

Cody averted his eyes between the two, 'Ya want a drink or something to eat?'

They both shook their heads no.

Cody nodded, 'Okay, so what happened?' He turned to Mary, 'Who did this to ya, sweetheart?"

Mary looked at Jon. She counted upon him to get her through this moment. She stood there motionless and silent not knowing what to say. She was never a really good liar. She always stammered and clammed up. Now was no exception.

Thankfully Jon spoke up, 'Mary's mother's boyfriend got a little out of hand last night. He likes to drink, ya know?'

Cody crossed his arms over his chest, 'Son of a bitch. That bastard. Did ya call the cops?'

Jon shook his head, 'Nah, I took care of it.'

Cody looked down at his bruised knuckles and chuckled, 'I can see that. Good for you, boy. So what can I do for ya?"

Jon looked at Mary and silently asked for her permission. She nodded with her eyes to continue, 'We were wondering if Mary could stay here for a while. Just until I get my living situation sorted out.'

He never let go of her hand the entire time. He grasped it tightly within his own. He wanted to let her know he was by her side and that he wasn't going anywhere.

Cody took a moment of deliberation and sighed. He nodded his head, 'Sure. Why the hell not? Any friend of Jon's is a friend of mine. Besides, Kasey and I love ya. We would love to have ya.'

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief, 'Really?'

Cody nodded his head and smiled, 'Of course. It would be our pleasure.'

Jon smiled and curtly nodded his head, 'Thanks so much, man.'

Cody nodded, 'Ya got it.' He yelled out, 'KASEY. COULD YA COME HERE A MINUTE!'

The house wasn't that big so Kasey showed up a few moments later. She was a petite woman standing at about five foot five. She was athletically built. It was obvious she took care of herself. To her perfectly coiffed long blonde hair right down to her French manicured hands, but she was anything but snobby. She was a very sweet and down to Earth woman, much like her husband. Mary has only met her a few times over the years, but she was always nice to her. That meant alot in her book.

When Kasey walked into the room and saw her face her eyes widened in horror.

She ran over to Mary and put her hands upon her shoulders, 'Honey, what happened?'

Cody cleared his throat, 'Her mother's boyfriend got rough with her.'

Kasey shook her head in disbelief, 'Ya gotta be fuckin kiddin me. He in jail?"

Jon shook his head, 'Nah, but I took care of it.'

'Ya beat the shit outta of him?" Kasey asked him with her hands upon her hips.

Jon lifted up his free hand to show her the bruises and cuts upon his knuckles.

Kasey smiled, 'Good for you.'

Cody averted his eyes between Jon and Mary and smiled reassuringly, 'I invited Mary to stay here until she gets on her feet. Is that all right?'

Kasey waved her hand dismissively in the air, 'Yeah, of course. ' She gently nudged Mary, 'Come on, honey. Lets get ya cleaned up and out of these clothes.'

Mary looked at Jon with a wide-eyed expression upon her face. She was obviously very apprehensive. She was always so uncomfortable around new people, but these were Jon's friends. They could not be too bad. If they loved him as much as she did then that was good enough for her.

Jon gave her a smile and curtly nodded his head, 'Go on. Kasey will take good care of ya. I have a match tonight, but I'll stop by later, okay?'

Mary nodded her head and said not a word. She reluctantly let go of his hand as she was whisked away by Kasey.

Cody and Jon stood in the living room and watched as the two women walked away.

Cody turned to Jon asking, 'Ya think she's gonna be okay?"

Jon nodded, 'Yeah. Maybe not now but she will be.'

Cody smiled, 'Ya always did have a soft spot for that girl.'

Jon shook his head and snorted, 'My man. Ya don't even know the half of it.'


	10. Chapter 10

The time has finally come. The day she has been waiting for ever since she started high school was now here. She could hardly believe she was graduating high school today. It all seemed so surreal. It felt like forever getting to this point. Everything she had worked so hard for has finally paid off. It was needless to say it was very gratifying.

Mary had to admit these last couple months had been tough. Not only did she have to get used to living in a new home, but she also had to buckle down and study for her finals. She had a lot riding on these tests. If she failed any of her finals her hopes of getting that scholarship were practically nilch. It was a good thing she got a thirteen hundred on her SAT'S or else she would be screwed.

When she told Jon about her SAT scores he was elated. Shit, he seemed to be more excited than she was. He was out of town when he found out, but as soon as he got home he went to Cody's house and picked her up. He took her out that night to celebrate. It was nothing too exciting. They went to some restaurant that was unlike any that have been to before. Dining in luxury weren't for people like them. They didn't fit in within those kinds of places anyway. She couldn't exactly picture Jon wining and dining anybody. If he had taken her to some fancy schmancy place she would have thought he was one of those pod people.

Jon had taken her to an Italian restaurant. They shared a large pie and just sat there and talked about everything and nothing. He talked about his matches in detail while she spoke of what she was planning for her future. All the while he just sat there listening to her with a stoic expression upon his face.

In all of the years she has known him she still could not seem to figure him out. And people say women are bad. Just when she thinks she knows what he's thinking he goes and does something completely unpredictable, which eschews her perception of him. He always kept her guessing. She never knew what he was going to do next, which is why she loved him so goddamn much.

These last couple of months have been very eye opening for her. She learned a lot about herself and the others around her. Living with Cody and Kasey had to be the best decision she has ever made. Well, the best decision she had ever agreed to anyway. She could not take credit for it. It was Jon. How surprising huh?

It felt odd waking up in the morning to find hot breakfast waiting for her and coming home in the evenings to have a hot home cooked meal on the table. She wasn't used to having clean clothes everyday and a warm bed to sleep in at night. She could fall sleep soundly without waking up in the middle of the night by Slim or her mother's shenanigans. Hell, it just felt good to not be afraid to go home. She felt a peace unlike any she has ever felt before. She never knew what it was like to live in a place where your priorities matter. She felt so special just knowing Jon cared about her, but to have two other people whom looked out for her well being was more than a girl like herself could ask for.

For so long she had prayed begging and pleading for something good to happen in her life. She wished for anything to happen. She couldn't care less what it was. As long as it made her happy it's all that matters. Never did she think this would ever happen to her. It's safe to say she considers herself a pretty lucky girl. If it wasn't for Jon, Cody and Kasey she would most likely be dead by now. In another time and place she would have wanted to die. There were so many nights she wished she never would wake up in the morning. She doesn't think like that any longer. There really isn't a reason to. Not when she has so much to live for and look forward to. Her new life was just beginning. The sky was the limit and no one could touch her. She refused to back down from anyone. Those days are long gone.

Mary has learned so much about herself these past four years. She had been to Hell and back and lived to tell about it. For all intents and purposes she should be dead right now, but she isn't. Jon made sure of that. For that she will forever be thankful.

She hasn't seen Jon as much as she would like to these last couple months. Not only has he been training rigorously for his upcoming matches in Puerto Rico, he also was competing throughout the Midwest. There would even be times when he would travel as far as New York to compete in other larger and more prominent wrestling associations. He has been moving up in the ranks in the independent circuit. He has come such a long way since his first wrestling match. He was still so young. He was just getting started. If he kept up with the momentum there was no telling what he would accomplish if he set his mind to it. His potential was limitless, which is what made him such an easy target.

Mary could not count how many times he had come to visit her and have cuts and bruises upon his face and torso. She will never forget when he recounted how he received them. She would never understand why he would put himself through so much physical pain and anguish just for the sake of entertainment. She would sit there with her eyes wide and gasp aloud in shock when he recounted his matches that included barbed wire, baseball bats, fluorescent lights and even thumbtacks. The list went on. She stopped listening after that. She didn't want get herself more upset than she already had been.

Some of the matches he had been involved in were so brutal, gory and violent. It was as if they merely did it for the shock value. She had tears in her eyes when she saw pictures of blood rushing down his face from the forks and knives being embedded into his skin. It made her sick to her stomach to see him this way. He was better than that. He was such a good technical wrestler. He didn't have to do these kinds of things, but he wouldn't relent. Every other week when he wasn't wrestling for HWA he would involve himself in these kind of 'extreme' matches. She refused to hear him talk about them. She would much rather not know some things. The less she knew of these matches the better. He was going to give her a heart attack one day.

The kicker was he didn't even seem to be in pain afterwards. Sure he was a little sore and worse for wear, but other than that he was fine. You would never even know he was just thrown into barbed wire the night before.

When she would ask him if he was all right he would just shrug his shoulders, let out a soft chuckle and say, 'Ya should see the other guy.' He always had a grin on his face and mischievous twinkle in his eyes when he said those words. It was almost as if he got off on inflicting pain and receiving it in return. She could never seem to understand why he would do this to himself. She had to admit, this was the side of him she didn't like. His persona in the ring and whom he was around her were two completely different people. They were like night and day. You would never know they were the same person, but they are. She would never admit this aloud, but she didn't like his persona in the ring. It reminded her too much of Slim and his boys. Maybe they were his inspiration for his character. She wouldn't put it passed him.

Jon Moxley was abrasive, brash, arrogant and an all around bastard. He had no respect for anyone, not even himself. HIs behavior was unruly, unpredictable and unapologetic. He thrived upon causing destruction everywhere he went. He had no regard for anyone, especially women. He treated them like objects. They were just someone to rough around a little bit. The things he said in his promos made her cringe at times. She knew he was just playing a part, but he was so damn realistic. His words hit so close to home. She never knew if he was talking about himself or her. He emoted so much bitterness, anguish and sadness in his promos. You could really feel what he saying. She knew he drew from real life experiences. She just never thought he would take it as far as he did. There were many times she had to cut his promos short. It hurt too much to listen to them. Words have this incredible power to hurt someone, especially when they're true.

Mary had to wonder when the two personas would collide. There would come a point when the line of reality and fiction would become blurred and it would be difficult to distinguish whom was real. It was slowly but surely happening now right before her eyes. She only hoped he realized that before it was too late.

Mary was sitting outside on the step of Cody's house waiting for Jon to pick her up. He had promised to pick her up after his training and take her to graduation. Cody and Kasey were coming as well, but they had some last minute errands to run beforehand. She had tears in her eyes when they told her they were coming. Never in a million years did she think she would have people coming to her graduation. Well, people that she liked anyway. It was difficult to fathom that people cared enough about her to want to see her move forward in life. For so long she had been all alone, but she wasn't. Not anymore. It was such a wonderful feeling. Having people in your life who care about you give you a sense of purpose. It makes whatever you accomplish that much better because you have people to share it with. There was no better people in the world she could have shared this day with. This had to be the best day of her life, bar none. Well, the second best day. The day she befriended Jon would always be number one. For that was the day in which her life truly began.

She stood up from the step and smiled when she saw Jon's car pulling up. He honked the horn in greeting and she waved. She began making her way over to him as he parked the car.

Mary's eyes widened in shock when he got out of the car. She stopped dead in her tracks. She was so stunned she could barely move. It was as if she were frozen to her spot. She could not believe what she was seeing. Jon was wearing a suit and a nice one at that. He was wearing an off gray suit with a black dress shirt. The patent leather shoes looked brand new and shone brilliantly under the sun. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and he was clean shaven. He looked so young without all that hair in front of his face. He was far too handsome to be hiding his face in her opinion, but maybe he liked it that way. The less someone sees of you the better, especially in the ring.

He had foregone wearing a tie, which gave him more of a laidback look. She was graduating from high school afterall. It was not as if they were going to a ball or some shit like that. The suit jacket made his broad shoulders look even more so. It made him look more masculine than he was all ready. She had to admit he looked good. He looked really good. Never did she think she would ever see him in a suit again. Not after what had transpired two months ago. She had pretty much put that last proverbial nail in the coffin. He never had a reason to dress up in a suit. At least not before. She was so touched he had dressed up for her. She could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. He never ceases to amaze her. It was one of the things she liked most about their relationship...or lack thereof.

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and let out a soft whistle, 'Woo hoo. Look at you.'

Jon shuffled back and forth nervously upon his feet. He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and shrugged sheepishly, 'Eh, it's nothing. I figured I mine as well wear something nice. It is a special day for ya.'

She smiled softly. He was making it increasingly difficult for her not to cry. But these were good tears. She was so damn happy right now her heart was about to burst out of her chest. He had the ability to make her feel like the happiest girl on the planet without even really trying. If that's not love she doesn't know what is.

Jon roved his eyes appreciatively up and down her form. As he was pulling up in front of Cody's house and saw her walking up to him he damn near crashed the car. She looked so fucking gorgeous he could barely think straight. That's never happened to him before. Of course he always appreciated a beautiful woman. He was a hot blooded male after all, but never had a woman taken away his capacity to think. At least not before her anyway.

Mary was wearing a simple black knee length dress. It was form fitting and hugged her curves. She had gained some weight over the years. She wasn't fat by any means. She was far too skinny when he first met her. She could afford to gain a few pounds. She looked healthy now. He never liked rail thin girls. They weren't women to him. He liked a little something to hold onto. He never like going to bed with really skinny girls. He always felt as if he was going to break them in half. He had a tendency to get a little rough and wild in the bedroom, especially after a match. He was always raring to go. He had so much anxious energy and adrenaline pumping through his veins. Sex was always the perfect way for him to let off some steam. Her hips were filled out a bit more as was her chest area. She spent a lot more time out in the sun, which gave her skin a sun kissed glow.

He was also surprised to see she had cut her hair. It was nothing drastic. She took a couple inches off the ends and had it layered in the front. She also had bangs, which opened up her face more. Her hair framed her face making her sultry brown eyes stand out. Those eyes were going to be the death of him one day, but what a way to go. Those eyes had stolen his freedom a long time ago. There wasn't a damn thing to be done about it. He was glad to see she wasn't hiding away from the rest of the world anymore. It seemed as if she had gained a self-confidence that wasn't there before. To him there was nothing sexier than a woman who has confidence. It showed him she was comfortable in her own skin and wasn't afraid to shine. His girl shined. At least in his world anyway.

Seeing her dressed like this took his breath away. Hell, even when she was wearing jeans and a tee shirt and her hair was wild and messy she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Looking at her this way made him feel like he was being punched in the gut. It took the breath right out of him. He came to the stark realization that she was too good for him. He would never deserve something this beautiful. No matter what he may accomplish or whatever success he may have in the future he will never be deserving of her love. Don't feel sorry for him. He understands and has accepted that fact a long time ago. She was far too perfect and precious for a guy such as himself, regardless of her circumstances. Her past was in the past. It could hurt her no longer. That didn't mean he wasn't going to. Hurting people was all he was ever good for. It was just a matter of time before he would do the same to her. He was doing it right now, whether she realized it or not.

Jon cleared his throat and swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat, 'Ya look...nice. I like the hair'

He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He sounded so pathetic. He was a fucking twenty year old man for Christ's sakes. It was an odd thing. Usually he is always so witty and charming when it came to women, but when he was around her he turned into a bumbling pubescent teenager. Maybe it was due to the fact this girl actually meant something to him.

Mary bowed her head bashfully, 'Thanks. Ya don't look too bad yourself.'

He curtly nodded his head appreciatively, 'Thanks. So graduation day, huh? '

She nodded and chuckled softly, 'Yeah.' She scoffed, 'Never fuckin thought I'd see the day.'

Jon shrugged, saying in a matter of fact tone, 'I did.'

That brought a smile to her face. The special smile that was only reserved for him. It went all the way up to her eyes making her cheeks tinged with a slight blush.

Mary reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing it quickly before dropping it back down, 'Thanks, Jon.'

He nodded his head,' Yeah...'

Once again he was feeling uncomfortable. He still hasn't gotten used to this touchy feeling crap. It wasn't the kind of man he was. She was the only one he let his guard down around and vice versa.

Jon didn't feel comfortable standing here any longer. He didn't trust himself around her. He was always afraid he was going to say the wrong he was around he always had this urge to take her into his arms and kiss the living daylights out of her. It would happen during this most inopportune times. She would do something as simple as bite her bottom lip and he was ready to go. There were so many times he would have to walk away from her just to get himself under control. He was never very good at restraining himself, especially when women were concerned. She was no exception. He also had feelings for her. That alone made the urge far more overwhelming. He has never wanted something so badly in his life. Be it a woman or possession. He never liked having personal possessions. He's had to deal with so many loss. It was better to have nothing so no one could take anything away from you. It was the sole reason why he would never claim her. She meant so much to him. He would be damned if he let anyone take her from him.

God help them if they tried.

He heaved a laborious sigh, 'So, ready to get this show on the road?'

Mary tightly grasped the bag of her cap and gown and nodded her head, 'As ready as I'll ever be.'

Jon curtly nodded and ran over to his car to open the car door for her, 'After you, my lady.'

Her eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief, 'Look at you being all gentlemanlike. Have you been reading my Cosmos I left in your car?'

He rolled his eyes and chuckled, 'This may surprise ya but I am capable of being civilized. Now get in the goddamn car smart ass or you'll miss your graduation cause you'll be walking there.'

Mary patted his cheek and smiled, 'Now that's the Jon I know.'

She got into the car and he closed the door behind her, all the while chuckling to himself.

When Jon got into the car he reached under his seat and handed her a bouquet of flowers.

Mary's eyes widened as she took the bouquet. It looked as if he was pulling out all the stops. It seemed as if he was full of surprises today.

She shook her head in confusion, 'What are these for?"

Jon shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, 'I saw chicks getting them when I graduated. ' He shook his head and sighed, 'I don't know. It just seemed like the thing to do. If ya don't like them that's fine.'

Mary shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No, I love them, Jon. They're so beautiful...thank you.'

He curtly nodded his head, '...Yeah.'

They really were beautiful. They were a mixture of wildflowers and lilies They were held together by a pale pink lace ribbon. She was never a roses kind of girl. She always thought they were so cliched and he knew that. He knew everything about her. There wasn't anything she hid from him. Those days were long gone. They knew one another better than they knew themselves.

Mary stuck her nose in the bouquet. She closed her eyes and savored the sweet floral scent. She looked over at him and noticed him staring at her. The intensity in his eyes made her feel as if molten lava was coursing through her veins. His arresting and piercing gaze fleshed out Goosebumps upon her skin.

She shook her head in bafflement, 'What?"

Jon loudly cleared his throat and shook his head, 'Nothing. We should probably get going.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah, we should.'

Just like that the moment had passed, but it wasn't forgotten. It was moments such as this in which they treasured most of all. For it was just the two of them. No one could touch them. At least for a short time anyway.

Her graduation was uneventful. She walked onto the stage and accepted her diploma. She was mortified getting up in front of all those people considering that most of them gave her shit all those years. The only thing that calmed her was seeing Jon, Kasey and Cody standing up clapping for her. She focused upon Jon's face. He had a wide grin upon his face the whole time, never once breaking eye contact with her. She always looked at him for strength during her most weakened moments. She doesn't know how she was going to make it without him by her side. She was glad she never had to see these people again, which was somewhat of an upside.

In just two short months she would be far away from these people and out of this town for good. She had recently been granted an academic scholarship to Boston State University. When she received the letter of acceptance she had been so excited. It had been on her top five list of schools she desperately wanted to go to. Not only did it have an exceptional curriculum it was also a very nice campus. Of course she didn't visit it firsthand, but from what she had seen it looked like a pretty cool place to be. She has always wanted to live in Boston, but never thought she would be able to afford it. She had also been given a grant on top of her scholarship, which should be more than enough to cover her tuition. Her grandkids would probably be paying off her debt, but it was well worth it. The only thing she would need to do was get a job to take care of her basic needs and she was good to go.

Mary had it all planned out. She would stay in the dorms until she had enough money to get her own place. She assumed it wouldn't be so difficult to find a job. It was Boston after all. She was sure she could find something. Fuck, she would clean dishes just so she wouldn't have to live here any longer.

She should have been happy at this moment. She had graduated and got into the school of her dreams. She had friends and people who cared about her. She had a job and was paying her own way. She should be over the moon, but she's not. She just can't be. It pained her knowing she would have to leave him. He has been such a constant in her life for so many years. She cannot picture him by her side. It just wasn't an option, but it had to be. Life sometimes throws you curveballs and you just have to swing. Most of the time we strike out, but when we finally hit that homerun it makes it so much sweeter.

Mary didn't know how she was going to break the news to him. It was not as if she was hiding anything from him. She was just trying to find the perfect moment to tell him, but she could never find the right time to do so. He was always busy competing or training for his matches while she split her time between school and work. They could hardly make time for themselves let alone one another. She doesn't know what she's going to do without him, but she's sure going to find out.

Cody and Kasey had surprised her by taking her to dinner to celebrate. It was a really fancy Italian restaurant that had nice tablecloths and water that was poured into wine glasses. You know, the fancy shit. She felt so uncomfortable in this place. It was the nicest place she has ever been to. All the patrons were dressed up in their finest evening attire. Even the waiters were dressed to the nines. The place was dimly lit with only the candles upon the table being their only source of light. It added to the romantic atmosphere of the place and created an intimate ambience. Soft jazz music wafted throughout the walls creating an even more of a romantic setting. The entire restaurant was something out of a Lifetime movie. Never did she think she would be in a place such as this. She never had a reason to before now. She felt so out of place here. Judging by how uncomfortable Jon looked, was he was feeling the same exact way. It was good to know she wasn't alone in this, but she would be. It wasn't that far off.

Mary shook her head, willing herself to stop thinking such emasculating thoughts. This was one of the happiest moments of her life and she wanted to enjoy it. For one night she didn't want to think or over analyze anything. She wanted to live in the moment and not think of what tomorrow was going to bring. She would worry about the rest later. For now this was her night and by God she was going to enjoy the shit out of it...with Jon.

After dinner Cody and Kasey went back home letting the kids have their fun. Jon drove them to what appeared to be a park of some kind. He parked the car in the grass and turned off the ignition.

Mary shook her head in bafflement, 'Where are we, Jon?'

He grinned, 'You'll see.' He winked at her and got out of the car.

She rolled her eyes and exited the vehicle, wondering what in the hell he was getting them into now.

Jon was sitting on the hood of his car when she walked over and took a seat down next to him.

Mary's eyes widened when she saw what was before her. It was a lake that was so large it took up almost the entire land. The luminescence of the moon and stars shone brilliantly upon the lake making it look as if it were almost sparkling. It was so eerily quiet you could hear a pin drop. It felt so magical being here. It was like a little piece of Heaven on Earth. Everything was untouched and untainted by the ignorance of man. Never has she seen anything like it. Having Jon here to share it with her made it all the more special.

She looked out onto the lake mesmerized, 'How did ya find this place?'

He shrugged, 'I used to drive around a lot to clear my head. I found this place one night just driving by. I come here a lot and just sit here. It puts a lot of shit in perspective.'

Mary smiled upon hearing his words. One would think a man such as himself would not be so sentimental, but he had such a big heart. She felt so fortunate to know the depth of his soul. Shit, she was just glad to know him period. She felt so honored he would share his special place with her. Now it wasn't just his own. It belonged to them.

She shook her head, 'It's so beautiful here.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...it is.'

Little did she know he wasn't even looking at the lake when he said those words. His gaze was solely focused upon her. She looked so beautiful under the moonlight. Fuck, she looked beautiful all the time, but there was something different about her tonight. He couldn't quite put his finger upon it. When he looked at her in this moment everything came into place for him. Hardly anything in his life makes sense, but when he is with her none of that matters. Everything else is secondary. He thinks of nothing else but being in this moment with her and enjoying her presence. She gives him a sense of calm no one ever has before. She is his peace, in every sense of the word. He feels whole when he is with her. Never did he think he would ever say that. Then again he's been thinking a lot of damn things he shouldn't when it pertains to her.

He hopped off the car hood and said, 'Wait here a moment.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Sure.'

She watched him as he opened the trunk of his car and got out a paper bag. Holding the bag against his chest he made his way back over toward her. She looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to now.

Jon noticed she had taken her heels off. She was sitting with her feet crossed idly swinging them back and forth. He liked the fact she was comfortable enough to do this. It may seem small and insignificant, but to him it was the little things that matter. By her doing this it meant she trusted him, which is more than he could ever ask for.

'Whatcha got there?" Mary asked him as she tried looking into the bag.

He grinned, 'You'll see.'

She sighed, rolling her eyes, 'Come on, don't be a dick. What's in there?'

Jon sighed, 'Okay okay. Ya women are so fuckin impatient I tell ya.' He reached behind his back and she was amused to see he was holding her cap from graduation.

He put it atop of her head and she chuckled aloud, 'For the high school graduate. I think this is yours.'

Mary held the cap in place upon her head and laughed, 'What the fuck's going on?'

Jon's grin got even wider as he reached into the bag and got out what appeared to be a bottle of champagne, 'I think a little celebratory drink is in order, don't ya think?"

Her eyes widened, 'Holy shit. How did ya get that? You're only twenty.' She gasped aloud in horror, 'Ya didn't steal it, did ya?'

He sighed dramatically and put his free hand over his heart, 'Well, my feelings are just hurt now. Would I ever do so such a thing as stealing?'

Mary raised her eyebrow questioningly. He nodded and chuckled, 'Okay, I would but I didn't actually fuckin steal this. This wrestler guy Sami I know bought it for me. He just turned twenty one.'

She nodded her head, 'So, that was your plan? Take me to some secluded place, get me drunk and have your way with me. Is that right?"

Jon's eyes widened in horror. He cringed inwardly, feeling like such a bastard. He had only wanted to surprise her with a good time. He wanted her to let loose and have a little bit of fun for once. He knew what it looked like. Maybe if she was any other girl he would have had that in mind. Shit, if she was any other wrestling groupie he would have had her in the backseat bent on all fours by now, but she wasn't just any other girl. She was Mary. He would never treat her that way. He had to be honest though, the thought had crossed his mind. She was gorgeous and he was a man. It was only natural to feel those things. He never said he wasn't an asshole. If you haven't figured that out by now you haven't been paying attention.

Mary saw the look of horror upon his face and chuckled shaking her head.

She gently punched him in his shoulder, 'I was only kidding, ya butthead. I know ya would never do that.'

_Don't be so sure of that, baby. _He thought to himself.

Jon let out a huge sigh of relief and curtly nodded his head, 'Anyway. What'd ya say? Wanna have a little drink in celebration?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Why the hell not? When in Rome, right? Pour me a glass.'

He smiled, 'Now you're talking my kind of language. '

Jon reached into the bag again and got out two Solo cups. He shrugged sheepishly, 'This was all I could find.'

She chuckled, 'Classy. Who the hell cares? It all goes down the same.'

He nodded his head, 'That it does.'

Jon poured her a glass of champagne and handed it to her, 'Ya ever drink before?'

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'No. I never had a reason to. My mom and...Slim would always try to get me to drink whiskey, but I never wanted to. I don't like what alcohol turns people into.'

He bowed his head, feeling like a bastard for even giving it to her. In a sense he was just like them. There were some nights he would be so wasted off of painkillers and alcohol that he could barely walk. He would even be passed out backstage after matches sometimes. He was no different from those that hurt her. He just had a better way of hiding it than others.

She smiled saying to him in a reassuring tone, 'But I trust ya. I know ya would never let anything bad happen to me.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Ya fuckin know it. I would kill anybody who ever fuckin tried. Ya know that, don't you?"

Mary smiled and nodded her head, 'I do.'

He once again sighed in relief. He wanted to make sure she knew that she was safe, that he would protect her at all cost. He reminded her everyday that he would always keep her safe no matter what. He didn't know if he was trying to convince her of this fact or himself. He would bet his life upon the latter.

Jon poured himself a cup of champagne and took a seat next to her, placing the bottle of champagne in between his legs. He watched her as she took a tiny sip and cringed. She began coughing and sputtering everywhere.

He laughed aloud and shook his head as he patted her upon the back, 'Ya cool?'

Mary shook her head in disgust, 'Yeah, I'm good. No offense, but that shit is nasty.'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah, it's not the best. But if ya keep taking enough sips you'll get used to the strong taste.'

She nodded her head and took his word for it as she took another sip. At least she could get the liquid down this time and not spit it all over the place. She looked over at Jon and noticed that his cup was almost empty. She could not believe he had drank it so quickly when she was only on her second sip. That boy could hold his liquor like no one else. She had heard some rumours going around in the gym of his drunken escapades. He was becoming just as infamous for his antics outside of the ring as he was in it. She didn't want to believe the rumours, especially when it came to Jon. She was always so good with living in denial. Being oblivious was one of her well honed gifts. She knew he was young and just enjoying the freedom and success wrestling gave him. He was entitled to enjoy himself considering all he has accomplished in such a short period of time. She just hoped he didn't overdo it. Not only for his sake, but for her own as well.

They both sat in silence as they drank their champagne and looked out onto the lake. She was fairly sure she was buzzed off of one cup. This was the first time she has ever drank before. Her head felt fuzzy and her entire body felt as warm as a furnace. If the glazed look in Jon's eyes was any indication he was a bit buzzed himself. Although he did only have a couple glasses.

It took far more than two cups to get him drunk that's for damn sure. He could outdrink anyone on any given day. It was not something he was proud of. His high tolerance for liquor was the only thing his father ever gave him.

Jon took a deep drag of his cigarette and asked her, 'Ya good?'

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I feel...wonderful.'

He shook his head in amusement, 'You're such a lightweight.'

She playfully smacked his arm, 'Oh shut up. I told ya I never drank before.'

Jon had to admit, he liked her a little tipsy. She was always so uptight all of the time. It was good to see her unwind and have a little bit of fun. She deserved it and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.

He took a long swig of his champagne and asked her, 'Ya drunk?'

Mary shook her head, 'No. I mean, I feel a little buzzed but I'm not outta sorts, ya know?"

Jon nodded his head, 'How does it feel to finally graduate?'

She sighed and leaned back, resting her elbows against the hood of the car, 'It feels fucking...fantastic.'

Jon had to admit. He wasn't listening to a word she was saying. He was far too preoccupied on more important matters at hand. He could not help but stare at her long legs. He followed with his eyes the length of them. The way she was sitting made the skirt ride up a bit revealing her creamy thighs. He could just picture those strong legs wrapped around him as he furiously pounded himself into her.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts. Alcohol always brought the worst out in him. It made him such a horny bastard. He could not count how many times he has awoken in some strange girl's bed without knowing how he got there. The women he usually went home with wouldn't exactly be winning any beauty pageants' that's for damn sure. He never cared for the really beautiful woman. They had such a sense of entitlement. They expected far more from him than he was willing to give, which is why he would never take that step with Mary. He was far too immature to settle down for anyone. Not even Mary, regardless of how much he loved her. It wouldn't be fair to tie her down with his bullshit. She had her whole life ahead of her. He didn't want to ruin it before it even had a chance to begin.

Mary looked over at Jon and quietly observed him. He had taken off his suit jacket and was now down to his slacks and dress shirt. The shirt was untucked from his pants and he had taken his hair out of the ponytail. His hair fell down his shoulders and her fingers itched to run her hands through it. She just sat there studying him. She wanted to embed every single detail of him into her memory. For there would come a time she wouldn't see him. Well, not as often as she would like to. She didn't want to forget one single thing. As if she could forget. She doubted Jon was someone whom she would forget any time soon.

Jon leaned back and laid down next to her. He propped his head upon his hand and just looked at her. He could sit here and stare at her forever if she let him.

She noticed him staring and shook her head, 'What?"

He just shook his head and smiled, 'Nothing. You're just so...beautiful.'

Mary rolled her eyes and chuckled, 'And you're drunk.'

Jon laughed, 'That may be so. But tomorrow when I wake up I'll be sober and you'll still be beautiful.'

Tears filled her eyes upon hearing his words. No one has ever said anything remotely like that to her before. Yeah, he was drunk, but she could tell there was sincerity in his words. She could tell just by looking into his eyes. In her experience people are most honest when they're drunk. The drunk tongue says what the sober heart feels after all. It only made it that much harder to know she was going to leave him.

He surprised her by cupping her cheek. His hand was so big it practically covered her entire face. He gently caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb and idly rubbed it in circles. She said nothing as he did this. She was far too stunned to speak. She wasn't used to anyone being so gentle with her. When Slim came to her at night he wasn't exactly interested in the foreplay. All he cared about was getting in and getting off. This was an entirely different experience. He touched her as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him. The look he was giving her was filled with awe and adoration. The intensity of his gaze caused her to tremble slightly. She sat there motionless, not wanting to make a fool out of herself. This was all new to her. He was all new to her.

As Jon sat there looking at her, he silently debated if he should act upon what he was thinking. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now. It's been the only thing on his mind since he got here, but he didn't want her to think he was taking advantage of her in anyway. Lord knows she's had enough of that in the past. He just couldn't help himself. He needed to know what her lips felt like against his. It was detrimental to his survival at this point. If she hit him then so be it. It would be worth it just to have that moment with her he so desperately craved.

Mary wasn't shying away from him, which was a good sign. But she wasn't exactly giving him any sign for him to move forward either. In fact she was doing nothing but sitting there looking like a deer in headlights. If he was a good man he would just take her home. He was drunk and wasn't thinking too clearly. Even if he was sober he would want this. He wanted it all the time. It was all he could think about at times. He never said he was an honorable man.

He lightly ran his thumb over her bottom lip and whispered, 'Mary baby...'

Jon watched as she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. He bit his lip to stifle the groan that he involuntarily omitted from her action. That solidified it for him. It was a cruel and unusual torture that frankly he didn't want to put himself through anymore. He had to know what she tasted like. He just had to know. If he died right now then so be it. At least he got the chance to kiss the woman he loved.

He shook his head and muttered under his breath, 'Fuck it.'

Her eyes widened as she saw him inching towards her. He cupped both of her cheeks never once breaking eye contact with her. She took a deep breath and braced herself for her first kiss. She could not think of a better person to share it with.

They were so close their foreheads were touching. Their lips were only centimeters apart. They were sharing the same breath. It would only take one slight movement on their parts and their relationship would be changed forever.

Jon decided to take the plunge and moved his head. Their lips barely grazed each other before Mary moved her head away.

She closed her eyes and heaved a laborious sigh, 'I'm sorry, Jon.'

He dropped his hands from her face and sat up on the hood with his back toward her. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and ran a hand over his haggard face. He needed to get himself under control. He wasn't thinking with the right frame of mind. His lust addled filled brain wanting nothing more than to fuck her senseless right on top of this hood. If he had kissed her tonight he knew he wouldn't be able to just stop after that. He wasn't built that way. It was good to know someone was at least thinking logically.

Jon couldn't lie though. Her rejection hurt him. It cut him deep. He should be used to the stinging pain of rejection by now. People have been kicking him down in the dirt all his life. That's nothing new. He didn't deserve anything good. He was a fool in thinking he deserved her. No matter how much he wanted her. She didn't want him, that much was clear. It only affirmed what he's already known. She was too good for him and she knew it.

Mary leaned up and scooted closer to him. She surprised him by taking his hand and clasping it within her lap.

He looked up at her wide-eyed. He decided not to say a word. He was drunk and didn't want to screw up and say the wrong thing, which he has a habit of doing at times.

Jon shook his head and sighed, 'I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell I was thinking.'

She smiled, shaking her head, 'Don't apologize.' She bowed her head, staring directly down at their clasped hands, 'I wanted ya to kiss me.'

His eyes widened in shock, 'Ya wanted that?"

Mary nodded, 'I did.'

Jon was floored by her admission. Maybe he wasn't alone in this after all. Suddenly he didn't feel so shitty about the situation, but something told him it wasn't that easy. Nothing rarely is, especially in their lives.

She looked out at the water, letting the serene scene calm her down, 'It just wouldn't be fair to you if I let ya kiss me.'

He shook his head in bafflement, 'What the fuck do ya mean by that?"

Mary sighed, 'Ya know that scholarship and student aide I was working for?'

Jon nodded, urging her with his eyes to continue, 'Well, I got it.'

His eyes widened in surprise, 'Mary, that's fuckin great news. Honey, that's fucking amazing.'

Mary nodded her head solemnly. The grave look upon her face told him she wasn't telling him the whole story.

Jon took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst, 'What is it? Tell me.'

She bowed her head and let out a deep sigh, 'With the amount of money they're giving me I can afford to go to one of the colleges I always wanted.'

He shook his head confusingly, 'Mary, I still don't follow. Ya should fuckin be happy bout this. What's goin on? Come on, ya can tell me anything.'

Mary smiled sadly and nodded, 'The college I got accepted to is in...Boston.'

Jon's eyes widened and he bowed his head. He felt the unfamiliar sting of tears threatening to spill from his eyes. It was happening. The day he has been dreading ever since he realized what he felt for her was finally upon them. He had always thought when the time came he would have been much more prepared. How does one really prepare for heartache?

He decided the best thing to do was to put on a brave face and be strong. Not only for himself, but for her as well. He could not get angry and make her feel guilty for living out her dreams. He refused to hold her emotionally hostage. If she wanted to go out into the world and live her life that was okay. He just wished she had included him in her plans. Maybe he really was destined to be alone for the rest of his life. He loved her far too much to tie her down. She was moving on with her life...without him.

She looked at him and sighed, 'Say something, Jon. I want ya to be happy for me.'

Jon swallowed his pride and once again put on his mask of indignation as he looked up at her. He forced a smile upon his face and nodded his head, 'I am happy for ya. I really am. Ya fuckin deserve this, baby.'

Mary let out a huge sigh of relief. She was really scared about what he was going to say, especially with what almost transpired between them. Yet again he had surprised her. She was going to miss his unpredictability. There was never a dull moment when Jon was around. She was going to miss that. Most of all she was going to miss him.

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, 'I'm so glad you're happy about this.'

He chuckled slightly,'Why wouldn't I be? This is everything ya fuckin wanted. Ya supported me with wrestling. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't happy for ya?'

Mary closed her eyes and smiled, 'You're a great friend, ya know that? You're the best friend I ever had.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah... friend.'

The word 'friend' felt bitter on his tongue. She was more than his friend. She was everything to him. But she didn't know that. At this rate he doubted she ever will.

The rest of the Summer had been chaotic. Jon's wrestling career was taking off. He was competing in a match almost every single night, sometimes doing two shows a day. He was constantly on the road traveling back and forth to different wrestling associations. That was the beauty of wrestling. He could compete in a highly technical wrestling match one night and another night compete in an ultra-violent wrestling match containing chainsaws and dinner utensils. He got bored easily, which was he never stayed with one association for very long.

Jon also liked to be out on the road as much as possible to avoid Mary. He knew she would be leaving soon and he didn't want to make it harder upon himself than it already was. Whenever they spoke they never brought up the almost kiss. They pretended as if it didn't even happen. It was best to just leave some things in the past. No one would get hurt that way. He was through with expecting anything from anyone, especially her. She like everyone else that had come into his life was going to leave him. She had made her life plans without even asking him what he thought. He thought she cared more about him than that, but he was very wrong. She was just like everybody else. The only difference was he had let her in. He opened up to her in ways he never had with anyone else before. He loved her more than he has loved anyone else. Maybe that was the problem. He never should have involved himself within her life. Maybe he would not be hurting as much as he is now. He would still be living his life carefree and oblivious and alone.

In his experience it's better to be alone. No one could hurt you that way. He should have known better, but he didn't. He was always a sucker for a pretty face. Like father like son. He gave her his heart, never to be returned again. She had his heart forever. He would never love another girl again. He would never allow himself to. He learned that lesson the hard way.

A wise man once said it was better to have loved and lost than to never have known love at all. He had to disagree. If he had it his way he would never have loved her at all, but it was out of his hands. The minute she looked up at with those big brown eyes of hers he was a goner. Without her there was nothing else worthwhile in his life other than wrestling. It was the sole reason why he loved competing every night. He thrived upon the rush and feel of pain. The pain reminded him that he was alive. It was mostly the reason why he loved ultra-violent matches so much.

The time he spent in the ring he felt like a god. He thought of nothing but destroying his opponent. He wanted them to feel the pain he felt inside. There was no better euphoric feeling in the world than feeling and seeing your own blood pouring from your body. Nothing else could compare. It was the only time he felt truly and utterly in control of his own destiny.

Without her wrestling was the only thing he had left. It was the only good part about him. He was good at it and people loved him for it. That was enough for him. It had to be.

Jon was just about to head into the shower after his weight training when he heard the distinct sound of the door being opened. He looked up and his eyes widened by whom was standing there. He had thought she would have been long gone by now.

As Mary stood there looking at him she wondered if this was such a good idea coming here. With the glare that was directed at her she was beginning to have second thoughts. She just knew she had to come. She was leaving today. He has been the most important person in her life. She would never be able to forgive herself without saying goodbye to him. But it wasn't a goodbye, not really anyway. She was only going away for a little while. She'll say anything to herself just so she can sleep at night.

She stood there and just looked at him, wanting to etch every single detail of him in her memory. He was wearing gray mesh gym shorts and a form fitting black tee shirt, which accentuated his muscles. The sleeves of the shirt were cut off revealing his broad shoulders and sculpted arms. His hands were wrapped in duct tape indicating to her he had just gotten done lifting weights. He was in such incredible shape. He really took care of himself and it showed. He exudes masculinity and animal magnetism. He was the most handsome man she ever laid eyes upon. Sure he wasn't considered attractive by society's standards, but to her he was damn near perfect. She loved everything about him. There was nothing about him she would change. Maybe except his drinking, but that was a different beast altogether.

Jon stood there with his hands upon his hips, impatiently waiting for her to say something. He took the opportunity to soak her in. She looked so damn beautiful standing there. It took all of the insurmountable strength in had inside of him not to take caution to the wind and throw her up against the wall. It was partly why he had been avoiding her. He was dangerous to be around. If he stayed around her long enough he could not be held accountable for his actions. He truly had nothing to lose at this point. Yet he had nothing to gain either for he still didn't have what he wanted most of all, which was her.

She was wearing a pale pink knee length summer dress. It looked to be a very fragile material. His hands itched to touch it and see if it was as soft as it looked. She wore a white top with a denim jacket over top of it. Her hair was down falling in waves down her shoulders. He quietly observed her, committing every single detail of her to memory. He needed something to keep him company during those dark and lonely nights on the road. It was just a shame he couldn't have the real thing, but so is life. You can either cry about it or get over it. Easier said than done, right?

He decided someone needed to speak up. He never did like uncomfortable silences, 'What are ya doing here, Mary? I thought ya woulda been gone by now.'

Mary shook her head, 'No. My bus leaves in an hour.'

Jon nodded, 'Cody's takin ya to the bus depot?'

She nodded her head, 'Yeah, but I thought maybe ya wanted to come and say goodbye.'

He shook his head, 'Nah, I'm not one for long goodbyes. Ya know that.'

Mary smiled, 'I tried calling ya a few times but ya never returned my calls.'

Jon shrugged, making sure to keep his face indifferent, 'I've been busy. I'm training for Puerto Rico and I've had back to back matches.'

She nodded and scoffed, 'So that's how we're going about it, Jon? Did those four years of friendship mean nothing to you? Did I mean nothing?"

He had to shake his head and laugh at that. There she was throwing around that friend card again. It was official. He really was in the friend zone and she would never see him any differently. This is why he doesn't get tangled up with women. They're far too much trouble than they're worth, but he was in too deep. He was desperately in love with her. It was far too late to turn back now.

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, 'What do ya want me to say, hmm? Ya want some fucking parade and balloons and shit? Ya want me to cry? Is that it?' He shook his head and scoffed,' Honey that's not fuckin me.'

Mary sighed, 'I know that. I wouldn't expect that from you, but I at least expected a goodbye, especially after all we've been through together.' Tears filled her eyes as she smiled sadly, 'You're the best friend I ever had.' She scoffed, 'Shit, you're my only friend. You're the most important person in my life, Jon. I can't stand to leave here knowing you hate me.'

Jon shook his head, saying in an adamant tone, 'I don't hate ya. I'm happy for ya, Mary. I've just been busy. Ya know how fuckin crazy wrestling schedules can be at times.'

She nodded and smiled through her tears, 'I know that.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'This is harder than I thought it was gonna be. I even had a speech planned out.'

He raised his eyebrow questioningly and crossed his arms over his chest, 'Yeah, what's that?"

Mary shook her head and chuckled softly, 'Damned If I remember.'

Jon shook his head and laughed. He was going to miss her quirky sense of humor. She was the only one who ever understood his dry wit. She would laugh at his jokes when no one else did. Maybe it was because she was the only one who understood them. He was going to miss their little inside jokes and knowing glances. He was going to miss her.

Jon reached over and took her hand. He interlocked their fingers together. He wanted to savor the feeling of her silky skin against his rough and calloused fingers.

He smiled softly, 'It's been a hell of a ride, huh?"

She nodded her head, 'It has. What would I have done without ya for all these years?"

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'Ya would have survived cause you're fuckin tough as nails. Just like me.'

Mary chuckled softly, 'I don't know about that.'

He nodded, 'I do.'

She smiled, 'Ya always had so much faith in me. Nobody else ever did, but you always have. I will never be able to repay you for all that you've done for me.'

Jon shook his head, 'Don't thank me. Just go out there and kick ass. Don't give a shit what anybody else thinks. Ya just do you.'

Mary nodded, 'I'll keep that in mind. I'll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's not so far away.'

He nodded and said not a word. It did nothing to comfort him. It mine as well be an eternity. It certainly felt like it. He had been without her for one week and he almost lost his damn mind.

'Can I call you?" She asked him.

Jon nodded, 'Everyday.'

Mary smiled, 'I'm really going to miss you, ya know that?"

He nodded and returned her smile, 'Me too.'

She sighed, 'Well, I guess I should get going. Cody and Kasey are waiting outside for me.'

Jon curtly nodded his head and remained silent once again. He could feel the tears coming, but he kept them at bay. The last thing he wanted to do was break down and cry like a bitch in front of her. He would save his crying for when he is alone, like he always does. Looks can be deceiving. The strongest people in the world may be the ones who cry themselves to sleep at night. He is one of those people.

Mary took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves for what she was about to say, 'Can ya do me one favor?'

He nodded, 'Sure, what's that?"

She swallowed nervously and bowed her head as she shuffled back and forth nervously upon the balls of her feet, 'Could ya...kiss me?"

Jon's eyes widened in shock. He was sure he had heard wrong. She could not be asking him what he thought she had. He really had to stop taking those painkillers. They were making him hallucinate.

He shook his head in disbelief, 'Ya wanna run that by me again?'

Mary sighed, 'I asked if ya could kiss me?' She shook her head, 'Forget it. It was a stupid thing to ask. I just never kissed anyone before and I always wanted it to be you. I'm leaving and if something happens I just wanna know what it's like...with you.' She knew she was blabbering, but she always did this when she was nervous.

The way he was looking at her made her feel so self-conscious. His face remained stoic and his eyes were unreadable. It made it difficult for her to discern exactly what he was thinking.

She shook her head, 'I should go. I'll call ya when I get there.' She smiled softly, 'Bye, Jon. Take care.'

Jon said nothing to her. He just stood there with that unreadable expression upon his face. Maybe he wasn't thinking anything at all. He probably thought she was nothing more than a lovesick little girl, which is exactly what she was.

Just as she was about to walk away she felt him grab her hand and pull her to him. He said not a word as he cupped her cheeks as he slowly and cautiously placed his lips upon hers. Her lips remained pliant for a moment. This was her first kiss and she really didn't know what she was doing. Thankfully, Slim didn't take this away from her. She had at least some semblance of innocence left within her. She could not think of any other person to give this to than him.

Jon gently ran his tongue over her closed lips silently asking for entrance, which she readily obliged. She carefully moved her lips as he slowly entered his tongue in her mouth. Tentatively she touched her tongue with his. He let her set the pace, knowing it was her first kiss. He may have been a bastard taking this from her, but she seemed to want it. He couldn't deny her of anything, especially when looked up at him with those pleading eyes. She started to become bold and quickly circled her tongue around his. He took a step back and looked at her face. It was flushed and her breathing was erratic. She still had her eyes closed, almost as if she were waiting for him to kiss her again. He couldn't disappoint the lady. He slowly placed his lips upon hers once again and was shocked when she lightly bit his bottom lip. Something seemed to snap within him then. He whispered her name brokenly against her lips and began devouring her with his mouth.

The kiss took on a desperate edge as she tightly clutched onto his waist. He was much taller than her so he had to lift her up by the waist to get better leverage. He used one hand to prop her up against him and his other to tangle within her hair. He gently grabbed a fistful of it in his hands as he nipped and sucked at her lips. She seemed to be a very fast learner for she was matching him move for move. The smell of her engulfed his senses. She smelled like strawberries and sunshine. It wafted through his nostrils igniting a flame inside of him he had thought burned out a long time ago. The taste of her was intoxicating. It was nothing he has ever experienced before. She tasted of mint toothpaste and the butterscotch candy she loved so much. It was a heady combination. He has kissed many girls in his life, but nothing came close to this. It paled in comparison. Maybe it was because there was feelings behind this kiss. He knew it just as much as she did, but now was not the right time for them. They were the right people for each other at the wrong time.

It's the story of their lives.

Jon had to let go of her or he was going to take her right here and now. He needed to pull himself away from before he would do something they would both regret. He had thought kissing her would get her out of his system, but he could never be more wrong. Now that he had a taste of her, he wanted more. She was addicting. He couldn't get enough of her. He doubted if he ever would.

He set her back down and took a few steps back away from her. He took a few deep breaths to get himself under control. He made the mistake of looking up at her. Her lips were swollen and her hair was slightly tousled. A telltale crimson blush started in her cheeks and went all the way to her chest. He couldn't remove his eyes from her chest. It was heaving up and down as she took labored breaths. He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. She looked so fucking sexy standing there looking thoroughly kissed. He could only imagine what she would look like in his bed, but it was too early to think about those things. She was leaving here today. This wasn't a kiss between lovers. This was a kiss goodbye.

When she finally regained her bearings, she let out a sigh, 'Well, I guess I should get going. Thanks for the...kiss.'

Jon shook his head, 'Don't thank me for that. It was my pleasure.'

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I'm not gonna say goodbye cause we're gonna see each other again.'

He nodded, 'Yeah.'

She sighed and walked over to him. She cupped his cheek and kissed his other one as she whispered in his ear, 'You take care of yourself for me.'

Jon closed his eyes and nodded his head. He smiled sadly, 'Ya too. Anybody who fuckin causes ya trouble, you call me and I'll drive right to Boston and take care of their shit.'

Mary chuckled softly, 'I don't doubt that. Don't be a stranger. Keep in touch.'

He curtly nodded his head, 'Ya do the same.'

She gave him one last smile, 'I'll be seeing ya soon.'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah...soon.'

He didn't really believe her, but he would play along. Only for her sake.

Jon watched as she walked out of the weight room and closed the door behind her. He finally let the tears flow that he had been keeping in the entire time. There wasn't any promises or heartfelt confessions made here today. Now wasn't the right time. They needed to see if they could be whole people without one another. He had not a doubt in his mind she would succeed. She was pretty, upbeat and could actually carry an intelligent conversation. He was a good for nothing wrestler with only a high school diploma and a beat up old car to his name. He started with nothing and had most of it left.

It hurts letting go of something that you didn't know you were hoping for. He was sad but it was a hopeful kind of sad. It was a kind of sad that just takes time. The hardest recovery there is in life is letting go of heartache. The sooner you realize things will never be the same the sooner you can move on. It's what he had to do. Being alone was the epitome of his existence. He was used to it by now.

Sometimes you meet certain people that can touch your soul in certain ways most people can't. But you have to let them go because you realize that it just isn't the best time in your life for them to come. It seems like you meet the perfect people just when you can't handle them.

Letting go is easy, it's holding on which is the difficult part.

TBC...don't hate me. Everything has a purpose.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes: I took some liberties and mixed fact with fiction. It is called fan fiction after all. Anyway, enjoy!**

The past couple months have been chaotic for Mary. She really didn't get a chance to settle into her new residence. No more than two days after she arrived in Boston her classes had started. She didn't even have time to breathe, but she would not have it any other way. Being busy meant she didn't have time to think about anything other than school. But no matter how busy she was, Jon was always on her mind.

She will never forget the dejected look upon his face as she walked away from him that day. Leaving him was the hardest thing she's ever had to do. She must have cried the entire bus ride. The look in his eyes haunted her. The image gnawed at her psyche and incessantly taunted her, reminding her of her wrongdoing. She will never be able to forgive herself for leaving him. She had left him all alone and disregarded his feelings. She was selfish in thinking about nothing but herself. She understood his anger towards her. If the roles were reversed she would be livid at him for not including her in his plans, but this was something she had to do. She needed to know if she could survive without him.

For so long he had been the one taking care of her. She needed to see if she could take care of herself. She had to be strong and stand on her own two feet. She needed to go out into the world and see what is out there. She couldn't let him shield her away from the rest of the world. He was always so overprotective of her. She appreciated it, but it wasn't necessary. She had witnessed the horrors of the world. She has been to Hell and back and live to tell about it. If she stayed with him she couldn't grow and discover her true self. She needed to have her own identity. She was far too old to be relying upon anybody. He should understand that more than anyone. So maybe she was being selfish, but she was entitled to it.

In all the years she has been on this Earth she has belonged to everybody else. She was taking her freedom back. She was through with feeling guilty and apologizing for wanting to be happy. It killed her in knowing he couldn't understand that. If he didn't want to understand that was okay. She was through with getting down upon her knees and begging him for forgiveness. She refused to let anyone have control over her ever again. Those days were over.

Mary would like to tell you that they have kept in touch since she left, but she would be lying to you. Of course they talked every now and again, but not as frequently as she would like to. She was busy with school and he was busy trapezing over the world with his wrestling.

Everyday she would look on the internet just to see what he was up told herself she wasn't going to look, but it was a sick curiosity that needed to be what she read he seemed to be doing well. She had read about the wild times he had in Puerto Rico. She had read an especially funny story about him from one of the wrestlers by the name of Luke Williams who had lived and worked with him there. Jon had been staying in a condo with two other wrestlers. The condo they were staying in had horrible plumbing. The wrestler talked about how Jon, or 'Mox' as they liked to call him was very 'borderline compulsive' about his nutrition and workouts. She knew Jon well enough to know the wrestler was telling the truth. He really did eat well and took care of himself, which is somewhat of a contradiction considering he loved booze so much. The toilets did not exactly flush as well as they should. On account of his healthy eating habits he constantly took shits, which would make the toilet clog up and back up into Luke's shower.

It was needless to say Luke was livid and wasn't exactly happy about waking up to shit in his shower every morning. The funny thing about it was Jon thought it was hilarious. It sounded like him all right. He had what she liked to call 'passive aggressive dry humor'.

Mary laughed aloud when she read about Jon constantly having to deal with the language barrier due to Luke's New Zealand accent. He could never seem to understand him and would fuck up a lot of the moves and finishers. This made Luke even angrier. It was safe to say they had a very poor opinion of him. Luke was also pissed about Jon's excessive cardio workouts and constant diet of nothing but egg whites. Apparently he had lost an excessive amount of weight, which is not what they wanted.

Jon was also not very good about cleaning up after himself. She didn't need anyone else to tell her that. She knew from experience. She could not count how many times she would have to clean out his car that was filled with half eaten containers of Chinese food and empty water bottles. Luke would constantly complain about the rotten garbage and trash cans that were filled with his rotten eggs. From what she learned they sent him home for Thanksgiving and never asked him to come back, which wasn't exactly surprising.

These are the stories she wished he would share with her, but he never said a word. It was as if he didn't want her to know about anything in his life. There once was a time when he would tell her everything. It's amazing how quickly things can change in a span of two months.

His career was taking off day by day. Not only was he fastly becoming one of the top guys in the independent circuit, he was also the most revered and feared. He went to the top of every single wrestling association he was apart of. He was well respected for his dedication to his craft and work ethic. Anybody who was anybody in the indies wanted to wrestle him. Everyone wanted to beat him, but few ever could. He was unstoppable. He was infamous for his 'death matches', which were some of the most brutal fights she has ever seen. Judging by the videos she had seen she was fairly certain they were really hurting one another. They were bashing fluorescent lightbulbs over each other's heads and getting slashed with knives and forks. She even saw a video of him being thrown into barbed wire. She cried as she looked at the photos of his face and body completely covered in blood. She hated that he did this to himself all for the sake of entertainment, but he was a big boy. He knew what he was doing. At least she hoped he did anyway. She would always read some story about him on a wrestling site where they praised him for his work. She was so damn proud of his success. She only wished she could be there to share it with him, but she had no one else to blame but herself. She had chosen to leave him and now she must deal with the consequences.

Her only solace was in watching his promos and wrestling matches. The promos he had cut were so intense and sincere. He really turned into a different person. It was difficult for her to believe this was the same man she had fallen in love with. She hardly recognized him. In his promos he had turned into a man she feared and despised. 'Mox' was arrogant, misogynistic, egotistical and a womanizer. He cared about nobody but himself. He spoke with such conviction and emotion it brought tears to her eyes. He had a way of saying something that just pierced your heart and soul. He was enigmatic and charismatic. He rarely gave interviews. His promos were the only way he communicated with his foes. Shit, he was more honest and passionate in his promos than he ever was with her. You could really feel the dejection, sadness and anguish he was trying to convey. They were so realistic. Maybe it was due to the fact they were so close to reality. Sure he had embellished some parts, but not much. Everything he said was of truth. It was safe to say it hit close to him. She liked watching his promos. For just a few moments she could pretend that he was right there in the room with her talking. The way he looked directly into the camera and spoke with so much sadness broke her heart. It almost made her want to hop on the next bus and wrap her arms around him never letting him go.

Mary was also pretty sure that in some of his promos he was trashed or pretended to be anyway. She hoped to God it was the latter. She would hate for him to succumb to his demons all for the sake of wrestling. His health and body was too important. His gifts were far too important. Maybe he didn't think that, but she did.

Mary knows these are foolish thoughts. They're nothing more than silly romantic idyllic ideas, but she loved him with all of her heart. She may have been young, but she knew without a doubt this was the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. No other man that may come into her life will ever compare, they'll never measure up. She will always be comparing them to him. Whenever she looked into his eyes she saw forever. If only he could see that. She was head over heels in love with him. She refused to apologize for that.

There is not a day that goes by where she doesn't think of him. During the day she's okay. She can concentrate on her schoolwork and be preoccupied with extracurricular activities. During the night when the chaos ceases and she is lying in bed alone in the dark alone with her thoughts of him.

They connected on a level that was so deep and spiritual. It went beyond anything they have experienced before nor ever will again.

Even now being apart she still felt it.

It's like you think you're safe or something, cause you can just walk away, anytime because you don't need him. You don't need anyone. But the thing you don't realize is, you're then one day she looked around her and everything up until then was showing, and she wondered, 'how did I get here without even knowing where I was going?' And now there's no getting out of this and there's no going back, and it all seems so odd sometimes and the odds all seemed stacked.

She had been a fool - a fool to believe she could talk herself out of being in love with him. A fool to think that reason had anything to do with her heart.

But she also sensed it wasn't enough. She wanted something else; something different; something more. Passion and romance, perhaps, or maybe quiet conversations in candlelit rooms or perhaps something as simple as not being second to his wrestling.

He was a heartache waiting to happen.

She has bite marks on her tongue from all the things she never said.

Her heart longs to tell him about her love for him. She wishes she could. She wishes she could tell him just how much he has touched her. Just how much he has taught her about love and life…about herself. Just how much he's made her happy.. Just how when he holds her, her body tingles. Just how when he smiles at her, it touches her heart in such a way that no one else can ever come close to. Just how the way he loves her and makes her want to be a better person. Just the way with every breath she loves him more and more. Just the way she wanted nothing more than to be able to hold him everyday of her life, and how that alone would be enough. But, she can't tell him all these things, the way she truly feels about him, because he isn't here. The most fucked up part about it is she has no one to blame but herself.

Someday someone's going to come along and put the pieces of her heart back together. She's just worried about the one little piece that they're not going to be able to find, the one that makes the puzzle complete, the one that he took the day she walked away.

You know how it is when you don't want to miss them, but you want them to miss you.

Mary's tried to block his memory to protect her from the pain. Pretend she never knew him, and never heard his name. But the walls aren't strong enough and she fights her tears in vain. The feeling came creeping through and the hurt is still the same. She wished she could forget him, or make him see her now. She thought he really cared, but it seemed he doesn't know how, not really. The pain will ease in time, and though she knows it's over and what they had is gone, the memories will live forever in a corner of her mind.

There's nights she spends an hour just looking at the photo on her dresser of them, standing there, together. It's one of those nights she's ready to run cross country just to be by his side. On those nights where anything reminds her of him, of them. On those nights she doesn't know if her tears are happy because she had him at all, or sad because she misses him more than anything in this world.

She lays there upon her blankets, and in the still of the darkness she pictures him and wonders where he is and what he is doing right now...wishing whatever it is, she could be a part of it. In a matter of seconds, just as quickly as the thought came, the silence breaks as she begins to cry.

In the time they spent together, they had what most people can only dream about, and she's counting the days until she can see him again.

He's gone now, so far away. Will she ever hold him again? Will he ever be hers once more? It doesn't matter. She loves him still. That will never change.

What they had was true love, she is one hundred percent positive of that fact.

True love means: I will stand by you, support you, and love you no matter what distance lies between us.

She doesn't know what's right. She doesn't know what's wrong. She only knows the pain that comes from waiting for him so long. And she doesn't count the teardrops that she's cried while he's away, because she knows deep in her heart, he'll be back. At least that's what she tells herself anyway. She'll say anything to herself just to ease her heart.

The kiss they shared was still fresh in her mind. Her lips still tingle. Every time she closes her eyes she could still feel his lips upon hers, his fingers branding her skin and making her body feel as if it were on fire. The kiss they shared was something she would cherish forever. He made her feel unlike any other has before. He made her feel wanted, adored and beautiful. It had to be the most special and intimate moment she has shared with anyone. It was not only her first kiss, but there was feeling behind it. For a short amount of time she finally knew what it felt like to be loved and cherished. She knew that whomever may come after him will never make her feel this way. She will never love anyone as much as she loves him. You never forget your first love. Fuck, he was the first person she loved period. Nothing can compare to that.

If his kisses made her feel this way she could only imagine what it would be like to make love with him, but she was getting ahead of herself. Sex was the farthest thing from her mind. Slim had pretty much ruined her chances of ever being intimate with anyone, but when she was with him it felt different. When he kissed her she thought of nothing but him and what they were feeling in that moment. Nothing else mattered except the two of was the realest and purest thing she has ever known. He didn't use and abuse her as everyone else had in her life. He saw her as something to be protected. You cannot compare anything to that.

Now here she is almost two months later alone and she is okay with that. She is finally at the point in her life when she is okay to be alone. Well, for the most part anyway. She can say with the utmost confidence she is one hundred percent okay. It's not like she's forgotten about it. She is just dealing with the pain in the only way she knows how, by shoving it down to the dark deep recesses of her soul with all the rest of her life's mistakes and regrets.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and an entire lifetime to forget them. Moving on is simple. It's what you leave behind that's hard. Leaving Jon all alone back in Ohio will be the biggest regret she's ever had in her life hands just hopes that one day he may forgive her. Not just for her own peace of mind, but for his own as well.

Mary's life in Boston was going considerably well. She was taking Math courses along with Human Interaction courses in order to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a social worker. Ever since she was a little girl all she wanted to do was help people. She wanted to help those who were unfortunate and given a shitty lot in life, much like herself. She wanted to be the voice for the voiceless and unforgotten. She wanted to help those who society deemed hopeless and unfit. She wanted to be that person for those children that nobody wanted nor cared about. In many ways she would be rectifying every wrong begotten unto her as a child. She knew she would not be able to save them all, but if she reached a few then that would be enough for her. All she ever wanted to do was make a difference. She wanted to be somebody and prove to the world she was more than just some white trash girl from the slums of Ohio.

Fortunately, her roommate was a cool girl. She was really apprehensive about living with a stranger, but her qualms and reservations were completely gone as soon as she met her. Her name was Katherine or 'Kat' as she liked to be called. She was born and raised in California and it showed. She was blonde, blue eyed and beautiful. She has such a bubbly personality. She never understood how someone could be so damn happy all of the time. Her upbeat personality was a bit overwhelming at times, but she needed someone like her in her life. She rarely dwelled upon the negative. She was always so positive all of the time. The two of them were like night and day, but it's why they clicked. They balanced each other out.

Mary could tell Kat was one of those sunny pretty and popular cheerleader types she hated back in high school. She had seen the photos of all her friends she had pinned up on her wall. But she wasn't snobby and stuck up like you would think. In fact she was the complete opposite. She was sweet and down to Earth. She knew it wasn't phony. She considered herself to be pretty good at reading people. In her experience it was a good thing to know how to do less you be dead.

She also knew Kat came from a rich family. She knew her mother was a lawyer and her father was a plastic surgeon. They were two lucrative careers in you lived in California. She never talked about it though. It was almost as if she were afraid to say something to her, like she didn't want to hurt her feelings. She has never met anyone other than Jon that cared enough to not want to hurt her.

The two of them had formed somewhat of a friendship these past two months. It was kind of hard not to considering they lived together. She was always encouraging her to go out and do things and socialize with her peers. Most of the time she would decline, choosing to stay in and study upon her school work, but after constant nagging upon Kat's part she would relent and go out.

It was nothing too crazy. They usually went to a movie, shopping at the mall or a party on campus. She never really liked the parties. It was just another excuse for kids to drink themselves stupid and sleep with everybody. She always felt so out of place at these parties. She usually just sat in the corner nursing a diet coke as she watched in amusement all of the kids making fools out of themselves. It was moments like this she wished Jon was with her. He would have gotten a kick out of it as well, but he wasn't with her. She needed to accept that fact and get on with her life. She had to start living life for herself not him.

Of course Mary hasn't spoken to her about her past. It was far too early in their friendship. She didn't want to scare her off. The only thing she knew about her life back in Ohio was that she knew a boy named Jon who was a very significant part of her life, but in what context she was not entirely clear. She had seen the picture of them she kept upon her desk and like any other nosy teenage girl she had prodded and poked until she got at least some little detail about him, but she didn't know it all. She liked to keep things on a need to know basis. They didn't know one another that long. It took a long time for her to trust people. The only person she ever trusted in her life was Jon and look how that turned out.

Being a social worker was to be her calling in life, she just knew it. Ever since she was a child it's all she ever wanted to do. She wanted to save the world, one child at a time. Jon had wrestling and she had this. It was yet another reason why they could never be were from different worlds, she knew that now. Being away from him put things into perspective for her. They had separate lives. He was off gallivanting around the world being a world class wrestler living the good life sleeping with pron stars and playboy models. She had seen the pictures of him on the internet partying backstage after a match drinking and having a grand old time. While she was stuck in Boston lonely and miserable.

Jon no longer had time for her. Sure he would call her every now and again, but it wasn't the same. They never talked about they kiss they shared. They pretended as if it never even happened. It was dangerous territory that neither had the balls to tread upon. It was best to just sweep it under the rug along with everything else that pertained to their friendship.

The phone calls were short and clipped. It was as if he were too preoccupied to even carry on a conversation with her. There were times he would even call her so drunk he would be slurring his words and mumbling making it difficult for her to discern what he was saying. She was afraid for him. He was his own worst enemy at times. She wanted to help him, but he didn't want it. You cannot force someone to change. You have to want it for yourself. She just hoped he realized the direction he was heading before it was too late.

Mary was not naive enough to think their relationship would last that good ever lasts, especially for people like them. She was stupid to think distance wouldn't change a thing. It was made clear to her he didn't need her. There wasn't any room in his life for her. There was plenty of room in her life for him, but he didn't want to fill the space. She wasn't going to beg him. She wasn't going to force him to be in her life. If he wanted to be apart of her life she would be the happiest girl in the world, but if not that was all right. She would not lie down and die. She refused to let anyone have that kind of power over her. It was the most valuable lesson he had ever taught her.

Maybe he really had created a monster.

The funny thing is if he called her right now and told her he wanted to see her she would drop everything she was doing and go to him. The fool in her that believes this is the same as the fool in him who wouldn't ask. She thought they were the same, but she could never be more wrong. She felt strongly while he had the ability to feel nothing. She could not turn the switch off and on as easily as he could. She wasn't built that way.

Mary shuddered to think about what would happen if they saw one another again. She had missed seeing him on Thanksgiving. She recently got a job at local diner nearby her dorm. She saw a 'HELP WANTED' sign and walked in and talked to the manager. Luckily for her he was short staffed and needed the help, especially during the holidays. She could have went back home for Thanksgiving, but she desperately needed the money. She had tried calling Jon a few times to explain but he had ignored every single call. She figured he was busy and just didn't feel like talking to her, which was pretty much all of the time.

She used this time away from him to focus upon herself and get her life in order. She started seeing a therapist on campus. She needed someone to talk with about all these feelings she had inside of her. She had to stop walking around hating the world and blaming her past for everything that has gone wrong in her life. Her guilt, shame and hatred were weighing her down. She had to stop living in the past or she would be doomed to repeat it. She's only had four sessions, but she was already starting to see some progress. It felt good to talk to someone whom was unbiased and outside of the situation. Her therapist didn't judge her, he just listened without any ulterior motives behind his care. She needed this. She was hesitant at first, but she was glad she went. It felt good to get some things off her chest. Maybe one day she could actually be a normal formidable member of society. Well, as close to normal as she could be anyway. She still had a long ways to go. She considered herself to be a work in progress.

Mary was glad her finals were over. She could not believe she had survived these past three months. There were times she was so exhausted and stressed she thought she would have a nervous breakdown. Between work, studying, doing homework and going school she didn't know if she was coming or going.

Regardless of how hectic and chaotic her life has been, she was thankful she was busy. It gave her less time to think about someone in particular. It was useless to name him at this point. You already know who she's talking about. She felt so ashamed with how pathetic she had become. She was in the prime of her life. She should be out partying and having a good time like the rest of her peers. She should be enjoying her youth and freedom. She was eighteen years old for Christ's sakes. She shouldn't be burdened with anything. She was far too young to feel this old. Here she was pining away for some guy that couldn't even take five minutes out of his day to talk to her. He was far too preoccupied with his heavy partying, excessive drinking, wrestling and skanks.

Jon could care less about her. There was once a time when he couldn't even go one day without calling her. Now he acted as if he couldn't be bothered. She was nothing more than a burden to him. She understood that now. He elucidated how he felt and she would respect his wishes and stay away. No matter how much it killed her to do so. He was breaking her heart and he didn't even care.

What made it all the more worse was that in less than three hours she was going to have to face him, face the truth. As she was sitting on the bus back to Ohio she kept debating if this was such a good idea or not. The only reason why she was going home is because Cody and Kasey asked her to. She didn't have any family to spend Christmas with. Well, none that she wanted to be with anyway. They have become her adopted family in many ways. Shit, they did more for her in the four years she's known them than her mother did her entire life. She loved and respected them enough to go visit them. In all honesty she missed them. They were the only people who ever really gave a shit. They took her in without asking questions. There weren't any ulterior motives behind their kindness. They did it because they wanted to. They were really good people. She cannot put it any plainer.

They didn't have any kids of their own so they actually liked having her around. They didn't see her as a burden like her mother did. They weren't obligated to her, but they took care of her anyway. She owed this visit to them. She owed it to herself.

Mary could have gone back to California with Kat. She had offered for her to stay with her family, but she declined. She had to admit though, the offer was tempting. She has never been to the beach. She has always dreamed of laying out in the sand under the hot sun and cooling off in the ocean. She did not feel right accepting her offer. Sure they were friends, but she wouldn't be comfortable staying in a completely new place with people she didn't know. Hell, she was still getting used to living in a dorm. She had to take baby steps. Maybe one day she would be comfortable enough to travel to faraway places, but she was content with where she's living now. At least for the time being.

She was thankful Cody was picking her up at the bus station. Although she had to admit she wished Jon would be there to meet her, but she was not naive enough to think he would be. The last time she talked to him was over two weeks ago and they barely spoke about anything. It was the shortest and most awkward conversation of her life. He barely spoke two words to her and his responses were either mumbles or grunts. She was fairly sure he was drunk. What else is new, right?

When she spoke to Cody and Kasey they hardly spoke about him. They did not know much about their relationship or lack thereof, but they knew enough to know it was a touchy subject for her. She had always wanted to ask them how he was doing. They would know better than anybody, but she always digressed. She would be damned if she let him know she gave a damn, but she did...very much so. Therein lies the problem. She cares far too fucking much about a guy who couldn't even give her the time of day.

This would be the first Christmas in four years they have spend apart. Every Christmas morning he would pick her up in the early afternoon and they would go see 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'A Christmas Story.' He didn't really enjoy the movies, it was mostly for her. No matter how many times she has seen 'It's a Wonderful Life' she cannot stop crying at the end when James Stewart finds his way back to his family. He is so happy to see his daughter. Through his surreal experience he had truly begun to appreciate and not take for granted the blessings he has in his life. She had always pictured her mother in that role. As if she would suddenly wake up from her drug induced slumber to discover her daughter was waiting for her to love and accept her. She mother would wrap her in her arms and never let go.

When Jon had first discovered her crying he would laugh and make fun of her, calling her a little cry baby. At first she would punch him in the shoulder and not say anything. It didn't hurt him by the way but he played along...for her. It was only until she trusted him did she tell him the truth of why this movie made her cry so much. He didn't make fun of her again after that. In fact, every time she cried during that scene in the movie, he would tightly grasp his large hand in her small one. He would squeeze it comfortingly, letting her know he was there with her and she didn't have to be afraid. He never said anything. He didn't need to. By sitting there and holding her hand, it was enough. It was more than she could ever ask for.

Mary had no idea if she would see him when she got back. She was afraid to face him. There were so many things she wanted to say to him. She knew as soon as she saw him she would become that lovesick little girl again. She would clam up and not know what to say. He had this effect upon her like no other. He had this ability to turn her into a raging ball of hormones. She really had to stop watching those teen dramas with Kat. They were really giving her a complex.

Mary knew avoiding him was pointless. She would be working at the gym while she was home. The gym was his second home. He was also a very good friend of Cody and Kasey's. She was bound to run into him from time to time, but she would have to maintain a strong front. She could not let him see how much he affected her. She could not let him know how much she loved him.

Easier said than done, right?

When Mary's bus pulled into the bus station, she collected her bags carrying her meager belongings and impatiently awaited for Cody to pick her up. She felt very anxious at this moment. The romantic and hopeless idyllic side of her dreamed Jon would be picking her up instead of Cody. He would get out of his old beaten up car and walk over to her. He would then wrap his arms around her and apologize for neglecting her these past few months. While the realistic side of her knew it would be Cody. Just good ol' reliable Cody.

She wished Jon could be more like Cody. He was loyal, responsible and...predictable. He was also a very outgoing people person. Jon was anything but. He was unruly, unpredictable and wild. He was a loner by heart. She was the only one he really let in. She experienced the side of him rarely anyone ever got to see or ever for that matter. He didn't follow anyone's rules. He made his own. It was what she loved most about him. It was also what broke them apart. He was stubborn, like her. They refused to give in, not willing to admit defeat. It was in their nature to be introverted. They feared what they couldn't understand nor comprehend so they ran away from it. They knew no other way.

Now as she stood here, finally back in Ohio. She realized that she will never escape her past, no matter how hard she tries. She will always come back here. She will always come back to him, whether she wanted to or not.

Unsurprisingly Cody picked her up at the bus station right on time just as she expected him to. At least she had someone in her life whom she could count on. She was a fool to think Jon would care enough about her to pick her up.

Cody got out of the car and walked over to her, embracing her in a big hug, 'Hey you.'

Mary wrapped her arms around him as well and smiled, 'Hey, Cody.'

She tried her damndest to not be disappointed, but she couldn't help herself. As much as she loved Cody; his arms are not the ones she wanted wrapped around her. This was not the man whom she loved with her heart and soul.

Cody unwrapped his arms from her and took a step back studying her. He shook his head and chuckled, 'Ya seemed to have grown up a bit in these past two months. Boston's been treating ya well, huh?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'For the most part.'

He nodded, 'How was your trip?'

She heaved a laborious sigh, 'Okay. It was kinda long. I spent most of the trip reading and sleeping.'

Mary made sure to leave out the fact that she had spent most of the trip upon her laptop watching Jon's matches and promos. You may call her obsessive, but it was the only way she could see him. In some strange way, by watching his promos she felt close to him. Of course this was not the side of him she loved, but she would take what she could get. Beggars could not be choosers after all. She truly was fucking hopeless.

Cody took her bags and she smiled gratefully, 'Thanks.'

Cody shook his head, 'Don't mention it. Come on we should get back home. Kasey's cooking dinner. She's been looking forward to ya coming back all week. She's had a whole meal planned out. I also wanna get back before it snows.'

Mary's heart warmed when he said those words. She never really had anyone whom looked forward to her coming home. Shit, she's never even had a real home until now. It felt good in knowing she had people who actually cared about her well being. Even though she may not have Jon's love, she had Cody and Kasey's, which was enough for her. It had to be. She had no other choice in the matter. He had made the decision for her without even asking what she wanted.

She nodded her head, 'Yeah, Ohio winters are a bitch.'

He chuckled, 'Yeah. Not as bad as Boston though. Bet you're glad to be back home.'

Mary chose to remain silent and say not a word. Sure, there was a part of her that was glad to be back, but there was another part of her that dreaded it. Being back here made her feel as if she were fourteen years old again. It was almost as if she were taking a step backward in a sense.

She got into the car with Cody and drove back to his house, all the while praying for the best, but expecting this worst. This was her life after all. Rarely anything ever goes as planned. She just hoped to God she came out of this unscathed. She doesn't think her heart could take anymore rejection.

The following day was Christmas. In the morning everyone had breakfast and exchanged presents. She had given Cody and Kasey their gifts. They didn't expect anything, but it was the least she could considering all they have done for her. Besides, she was working and making her own money. It made her feel proud she could do this for them.

Mary cried when Cody and Kasey gave her a designer purse, a new book bag for school and a peacoat. She has never received gifts before. The only time she ever received a gift was from Jon. It was usually nothing much. He gave her things he knew she needed like a winter coat, hat and gloves. One year he even got her a necklace, which she still wears to this day. It was a simple white gold chain with a heart shaped pendant made of silver hanging upon it. It was the most beautiful gift she has ever remembered receiving.

It was the last Christmas they spent together before their lives went separate ways. She still wears it to this day. She only takes it off to shower. It was her most prized possession. She wore it as reminder that what they once had was feeling the cool metal against her chest gave her something real and tangible to hold onto. She could reach out and touch it whenever she wanted. She just wished she could say the same for him.

Later on in the evening after Christmas dinner, Mary went outside to sit on the porch. Cody and Kasey were having a small get together as they did every Christmas. It felt stuffy being in that house with all of those people, especially ones she did not know. She felt awkward and anxious. The walls felt as if they were closing in upon her and the air was suffocating. She needed to get out of the house for a bit to clear her head. She hoped Jon would have made an appearance, but ever since she got back he has been nowhere in sight. She almost asked Cody about his whereabouts, but decided against it. She didn't want him to know she cared, which she did very much so. She cared more than she should, which has always been her problem.

Mary sat out on the porch just watching the snowfall. Ever since she was a little girl she has always loved the snow. It made everything pure and beautiful. It wiped the slate clean, making everything new again. There have been plenty of winters when she and Jon would take a walk through the snow. They would have a snowball fight, which she would always win. She caught onto the fact he let her win. He never put up much of an effort, but he got in a couple throws for good measure. You know just to 'act' like he was trying to put up a fight. It was those times she treasured most of all. They didn't dwell upon their problems. In that moment they were just like every other carefree teenager. They had shared so many laughs. It was the only time she ever seen him laugh, really laugh. The kind of laugh that came from his soul and went all the way up to his eyes.

There was even a time she got him to ice skate. It took incessant nagging on her part for a good two years, but he had finally relented just as he always did. There was nothing that he really wouldn't do for her. It was one of the things that made her fall in love with him. She could not lie, he was a horrible ice skater, more so than she was. She almost peed herself laughing every time he fell on his ass. There was no funnier sight to see than a lanky six foot four two hundred and twenty five pound guy on ice skates. Even now it made her chuckle thinking about it. Every single time he tried getting up he would fall back down. She had to hold his hand to keep him from falling, which was not helping anyone. She was not the best ice skater herself. They were two ice skating disasters. It was ironic that he was such a good technical wrestler yet could not master the form of ice skating.

Mary was thwarted from her thoughts by someone saying to her, 'There ya are.'

She looked up and saw Kasey standing there. She closed the door behind her and walked over to her, taking a seat down next to her.

Kasey looked out onto the snow that was accumulating on the ground, 'Looks like we're gonna have a white Christmas after all.'

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Yeah, looks like it.'

'I was wondering where ya went off to.' Kasey lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, letting out a satisfied moan, 'I've been needing one of these ever since Cody's mom came over. That woman was put on this Earth to make me miserable. I don't blame ya for running off.'

Mary chuckled and shook her head. She kept silent and just continued looking out at the snow.

Kasey saw the look of sadness upon her face and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, 'What's the matter, honey? Ya miss your mom or somethin?'

Mary shook her head, 'No.' She scoffed, 'There's really nothing to miss, ya know?'

Kasey nodded her and smiled sadly, 'Well, somethin's the matter with ya.' She smiled knowingly, 'It's Jon isn't it?'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise and Kasey chuckled, 'Honey, ya don't have to lie to me. I know ya miss him. It's only natural. The two of ya were like peas in a pod there for awhile.'

'How did ya know?" Mary asked her.

Kasey shrugged her shoulders, 'Cause every time I ask Jon if he's talked to ya he never says anything and drops the subject altogether.'

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'We haven't talked much in these past three months.'

Kasey scoffed, 'Honey, if it makes ya feel any better he hasn't talked to any of us in a very long time. Cody and I are starting to get worried about him.'

Mary's eyes widened in shock, 'What do ya mean? What's goin on with him?'

Kasey shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't know. Ever since he came back from Puerto Rico he's been distant...with everyone. He hasn't been to the gym in over two months. Whenever Cody calls him he always blows him off. Cody went to his place a couple times to talk to him, but he doesn't want to be bothered. We thought it's better to just give him some space, ya know?"

Mary nodded her head, 'Does he still compete?"

Kasey took the last drag of her cigarette and threw it out onto the sidewalk, letting the evidence get washed away by the snow. She shook her head, 'Nah, he hasn't competed in a match ever since he got back. I think he's taking a break.' She chuckled, 'I probably shouldn't be telin ya this. Cody didn't want ya to worry.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, I'm glad ya did. Honestly, I thought it was something I did. It makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one.'

Mary could not believe what Kasey had just told her. Here she was back in Boston losing sleep and crying her eyes out because she thought Jon hated her. Then she comes to find out that he's distancing himself from everyone, not just her. It made her feel a little better in knowing it wasn't something she did. She was also very scared for him as well. She wondered why he was cutting himself off from everybody that loved and cared about him. Something must be going on with him. Mental or physical she did not know. One thing's for certain though; she had to find out. She could not be here knowing he was all alone dealing with whatever he was going through. She had to be there for him just as he was for her all those years. She was going to help him whether he wanted it or not.

Kasey smiled when she saw the look of concern etched upon her features, 'Ya know he doesn't live that far from here? He got an apartment on East Mehring Way. It's that apartment complex right on the corner there. He lives in Unit number thirty-five.'

Mary looked her with weariness in her eyes, 'Why are ya telling me all of this?'

She could not believe he had an apartment and didn't even tell her. She felt as if she hadn't even known him at all. It was as if she were in love with a stranger. Maybe she never really knew him at all. She just loved the preconceived idea of him she had within her mind. Although she knew it couldn't be the case. She had seen every facet of his complex personality and loved every single one of them. What she felt for him couldn't be fabricated. Now what he felt for her, that was another story altogether.

Kasey shrugged her shoulders and grinned, 'Cause he needs ya, honey. Whether he wants to admit it or not. If anyone can get through to him it's you. Men are so fucking stubborn and prideful. They never admit they need anybody, especially women. They would rather get themselves lost then ask for directions. They're hard headed sons of bitches.' She scoffed, 'Believe me, I'm married to one.'

Mary sighed, 'I doubt he would want my help. He hasn't talked to me about anything in over three months. What makes ya so sure he would want to see me after all this time?'

Kasey nodded, 'Cause I know. All ya gotta do is push. That's all they need.' She reached into her pocket and handed Mary the keys to her car, 'Be safe driving there. I also put his gifts in the car. Give Jon my best.'

Mary sat there stupefied. She just sat there stunned looking down at the keys in her hand.

Before Kasey walked into the door, Mary stopped her by saying, 'Why do ya think this is gonna work?"

Kasey shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't. But it's worth a shot, right? Anything that's worth something to you in life at least deserves a good crack at it, don't ya think?'

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah. Yeah it does.'

Kasey smiled and nodded her head, 'Okay then. Ya go shake some sense in that bastard. Don't take no for an answer.'

'Why are ya doing this?' Mary asked her. It has been the one question that has been plaguing her mind ever since she told her where he lived.

Kasey shrugged her shoulders, 'Cause we women gotta stick together. WE can't let men walk all over us and play with our emotions. Don't be his fool, Mary. Be his friend.' She smiled softly and winked at her, 'Good luck, baby.'

Mary nodded her head, a small smile forming on her face, 'Thanks. I'm gonna need it.'

Kasey chuckled and walked back into the house, leaving Mary alone once again. She sat on the porch for a few moments to collect her thoughts. She heaved a laborious sigh and ran shaky fingers through her hair. She didn't know if seeing him was the best thing, but she couldn't just sit here having full knowledge of what was going on and not doing anything about it. If roles were reversed she had not a doubt in her mind he would be there for her. At least she hoped he would be.

Kasey was one hundred percent correct. If he wasn't going to take that first step she was going to. She just hoped he would listen to her. For once she was going to swallow her pride and admit the fact she needed him. He needed her as well, but was just too damned stubborn to admit. That was okay though, she would make him admit it. She was just as stubborn as him.

With her mind made up, she walked off the porch and into Kasey's car. As she drove down the highway towards Jon apartment tears filled her eyes. Her hands were shaking so violently she was afraid she would crash the car in the snow. That would be just her luck. She would crash in a ditch and die on the way of making amends with the most important person in her life. It would be like something out of a Lifetime movie. Except this wasn't a movie. This was real life and she was living in it. She just hoped he would listen to her and accept her help.

For both their sakes.

When Mary pulled up into the apartment complex, she parked the car and grabbed his bag of gifts out of the trunk. She looked up at the apartment buildings and cringed. They were not the nicest of buildings. They were all old brick five story buildings. They were old and decrepit looking. Most of these buildings in the area were built around the early nineteen forties to late fifties. It looked as if they haven't been renovated since. The old wooden windows were decaying and rotting away from years of neglect and weatherization. Vines from the uncut bushes were growing along the sides of the building almost shrouding the aluminum frames around the windows.

She had to wonder why he would stay in a place such as this. He obviously could afford better considering how successful he was with his wrestling. Maybe it was because he was used to living this way. LIke herself he didn't grow up in the best of neighborhoods and spent most of his life growing up in government housing. This was probably where he felt most comfortable and at home. In her opinion he deserved better.

They both did.

Mary walked down the pathway, searching for his apartment building. The snow was coming down heavily making it difficult for her to discern her surroundings. It was gathering inches upon the ground at an accelerating rate. It almost came up to her ankles. She was glad she had the sense to put on some snow boots.

As she trekked through the snow, she shook her head muttering a curse word under breath. The fucking things she does for this man. He better be damn thankful she was even here at all. Although this was Jon she was talking about. Gratitude was never his forte. He was more a take without asking kind of man. Just like he took her heart without even asking her or even apologizing for that matter.

Mary wondered if he was even home. He could be out somewhere getting drunk with his friends. She had seen the pictures on the internet of all the friends he had made since she's been gone. She remembered finding him on Myspace and looking at all the photos of him out and about with his friends either at parties or their houses. He moved on without her, but here she was showing up at his door like some little puppy. She truly was fucking pathetic. Seriously if you looked up the word 'pathetic' under the dictionary her picture would be under it.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw his car parked at the very end of the building. It was almost covered entirely in snow, but she had been in his car enough times to know it was his. But just because his car was here didn't mean he was home. He may have gone out with someone else. He could even have people over. Hell, he very well could have a girl up there right now. She had read about his exploits. She knew he wasn't a saint. He loved women and wasn't afraid to show it. She only wished she was one of those girls who had grasped his attention. Hell, she wished she was his ONLY girl, but she had learned through experience that he wasn't that kind of guy. Monogamy wasn't his thing. HIs womanizing ways was the one thing she hated about him. If he had used all of his time and energy upon her that he wasted on chasing women she would be the luckiest girl in the world.

Mary stood there averting her eyes between his car and up at his building. There was a war raging inside of her at this moment. She debated on just getting back into the car and driving back to Cody and Kasey's, but she has come all this way. It would be stupid of her to turn back now. She was anything but a quitter. She would be damned if she walked away again. She couldn't go back to Boston knowing she could have helped him, but walked away. He had saved her so many years ago. It was about damn time she returned the favor.

She just hoped her heart would survive this time around.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves, she walked up to the building and opened the door. As she made her way up the flight of stairs her heart was racing at a palpitating speed. Her entire body was breaking out into a cold sweat, which was very uncomfortable considering it was only fifteen degrees outside.

As Mary was making her way up to his floor she could not help but notice how dirty and unkempt the inside of the apartment building was. The burgundy wallpaper was chipping and wilting away. It looked as if it hadn't been changed since the building was erected. Graffiti was scribbled onto the walls and the green carpets were dingy and wasting away. The smell of mold and the distinct smell of marijuana wafted through the air and the sounds of blaring rap music could be heard. It bounced off the thin walls causing the entire building to shake. She was a little apprehensive being in this building. She could tell by the living conditions that the residents were less than savory people. She kept herself on guard for any crackheads or homeless people that might be lurking in the shadows to rob her.

She shook her head sadly, wondering why he would live this way. He was better than this. Maybe he didn't realize that. She hoped to be the one to show him he was better than living in some rundown old tenement building. Those days were long gone...for the both of them. All she could do was hope and pray he would listen to her.

Finally she came upon his floor. She walked down the hallway searching for his apartment. Fear tugged at her heart as she tightly gripped his bag of gifts. It had to be the longest walk of her life.

When she came upon his door, she stood there a moment just looking at it. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had to get herself under control. She could not buckle under pressure. She could not let him see how much he affected her. She had to maintain a strong facade and not let him see her falter or crack. She would be damned if she let him or any man have that kind of power over her ever again.

This moment had been three months in the making. He has been all she thought about and dreamed about. He was the only thing she really missed in this godforsaken town. She could not walk away now. Not after all they have been through. She not only owed this moment to him, she owed this to herself. She had to prove to herself she could be strong no matter what tribulations she may face. She had to see him. It was the only way she could truly move on with her life. If he slammed the door on her face then so be it. At least she could finally face the truth and move on with her life...without him. Sure, it would kill her but at least she could finally face the fact that he didn't love her. She would and could do this with her pride intact.

Mary only wished she could say the same for her heart.

Taking another deep breath, she raised her fist and gently knocked upon the door. She stood there, nervously rocking back and forth upon her feet as she waited for someone to answer. It would break her heart if a girl answered. She honestly had no idea what she would do. It would be the most mortifying moment of her life, but she needed a dose of reality. She needed anything to get over him. It would kill her, but she would get over it. She was a fighter, like him.

It felt like an eternity as she stood there in the hallway waiting for someone to answer. She didn't know how long she was standing there, but it was made obvious to her he wasn't home. She was correct in her assumptions. He was most likely out having a grand old time while she was standing here pitiful and lonely.

Mary was about to turn around and walk away when she heard the distinct sound of the door being opened. Her heart began racing as she stood there. This was the moment of truth. The moment she has been waiting for over three months. Her knees felt like jelly, almost like they were about to buckle under her any second.

Her eyes went wide as the door fully opened, revealing Jon standing there.

She gasped aloud in shock as she looked at him. He had changed so much in these past few months. His hair was colored a neon pink. It had grown considerably longer since she has seen him. It went a few inches past his shoulders. It was stringy and unkempt, indicating to her he has not washed it in a few days. His face was covered in a beard and it looked as if he had not shaved in over a week. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, which looked as if it had seen better days. It had holes everywhere and was worn out so much it was almost see through. His baggy denim jeans were tattered and looked beaten all to hell. She was fairly certain there were some blood stains upon them. He wasn't wearing a belt which caused his baggy denim jeans to ride low on his hips revealing his black boxers underneath.

Seeing him in such a disheveled state brought tears to her eyes. She wondered why she hadn't seen any recent pictures of him. It was because there weren't any. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. He looked so unlike the person she knew.

When she left he was in shape and took care of himself. She could also not help but notice he had gained a considerable amount of weight. It was not much, but it was a far cry from the fit guy she had left behind. His face was more fuller and he was more rounder around the midsection. He looked so much older than his almost twenty-one years of age. He had heavy bags under his eyes, his brows were slouched making his face looked hard and weathered. He had aged so much in these past few months. He looked like an old man standing there before her.

Mary could see he was intoxicated. His eyes were glassy and he reeked of alcohol. He was also slightly swaying back and forth. He also seemed to be high on something as well. His eyes were hazy and bloodshot and he could barely open them. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. He was such in pitiful shape. She had to wonder what could make him do this to himself, but he didn't need a reason. He only had himself to blame. His was his own worst enemy at times.

She stood there, tightly grasping onto the bag. She bowed her head and stared directly down onto the grimy floor below her. The worn aluminum flooring was sticky with substances she didn't even want to think about. She was going to have to burn whatever she was wearing after this. Just being in this place made her feel filthy. It reminded her of growing up. It dug up old memories she would rather forget.

Jon had to admit, he never thought he would open up his door and see her standing there. He wondered how the hell she even knew he lived here. He tried to be as private as possible. He didn't want her knowing where he lived. He hated for her too see him this way. He wanted her to remember him as he was. As that young, vivacious badass she has come to know over the last four years. He was nothing like that man any longer. He was bitter, angry and a drug addicted alcoholic.

He wasn't good for anybody, not even himself. Ever since she left him he has been on a downward spiral. It's mostly the reason why he competed in wrestling matches where he got beaten to a bloody pulp every night. It was the only thing that made him feel alive. He deserved every slash and every broken bone he ever received. He released it all out onto that ring with every drop of blood he shed. All the pain, sorrow and anguish of not being man enough to tell her how he felt. It was the sole reason why he got himself shitfaced drunk and high every night. It was so he wouldn't think about her.

Every time he closed his eyes he would see her face. It incessantly haunted him. It gnawed upon his psyche relentlessly until he thought he would go mad. There were so many nights he would be trashed out of his mind and he would call her. He would stumble to a payphone in whatever podunk town he was in and call her. He never used his cellular phone. He didn't want her to know it was him. He would call her at a payphone just to hear her sweet and soft voice on the other the end. He never said a word. He would just sit on the floor of the grimy payphone booth and close his eyes listening to her voice. It was the only thing that got him through those rough nights. When the pain of every mistake boiled to the surface and he felt nothing was right. The only way he could dig himself out from his rubble of regret would be to drink away the pain, hoping one day he would pass out and never wake up. But he always woke up though. He put his body through so much dangerous shit and he was still alive. Isn't that a son of a bitch?

When she didn't return for Thanksgiving he knew that was the end all be all. He had lost her forever. She had made up some sorry excuse she had to work. She apparently needed the money. He knew she probably had the opportunity to take off, but she decided to stay...away from him. He couldn't blame her for the way he treated her. That was okay. He spent his Thanksgiving getting wasted in a bar watching football. He knew the owner and he let him drink there. He was almost twenty-one anyway so it was no big deal. Besides, there weren't that many people inside the bar. There were only a handful of patrons. They were lonely men such as himself with a beer bottle being their only companion. He liked being alone. He was used to it by now.

Now seeing her standing before him, it brought back every feeling he tried his damndest to forget, but never could. No matter what he did to himself he could never forget her. She was the only ray of light in his dark world. She was the only person he had ever really loved. You can't drink yourself out of being in love with someone and you surely can't mask it with Percocets, he knew from experience. You may be able to forget for a bit, but as soon as the fog is lifted you remember. He always remembers. That's always been his problem.

Jon had to admit, she looked damned beautiful standing there. Who the hell was he kidding? She has always been beautiful, but there seemed to be something different about her. She looked so mature. It was not more so her outward appearance. It was in the way she carried herself. She wasn't slouching as she always had before. She slowly raised her head and stared him defiantly in the eye. She had stood up straight with her head held high.

Mary also dressed more maturely as well. She was wearing a red turtleneck with a black pea coat over top of it, denim jeans and black snow boots. Her long brown hair was covered in a wool cap. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and she had snowflakes covering her from head to toe. Just looking at her he felt that all too familiar ache in his chest he only associated with her. It was a longing so piercing it had the ability to bring him to his knees.

His eyes unconsciously roved down to her lips. He stared at them in fascination. The kiss they shared was never far from his mind. There were days where it's all he would think about at times. Just thinking about the kiss made every nerve within his body come alive, making him feel as if he were being burned alive from the inside out. Never has a kiss made him feel this way before. It was just a simple kiss though. It further solidified what he already knew. He was in love with this woman and always would be.

Jon had to admit in all candor, there were nights the need got so bad for her he would have to take care of himself just dull the ache. The kiss only intensified his need for her. As he tightly gripped his rock hard cock into his fist and pumped furiously, it was her name that spilled from his lips when he finally came. It was the main reason why he had been partial to brunettes these past few months. They only relieved his body. He needed someone to ease his heart and soul. He yearned for someone to wrap his arms around him at night to lull him into a sense of comfort and peace. There were times he even clutched his pillow to his chest at night pretending it was her. He wasn't proud of these moments of weakness. No one would think the infamous Jon Moxley was capable of feeling anything but hatred and anger. He was sick of being 'Mox'. All he wanted was for someone to see him, as the man he is. He wanted someone to see Jonathan Good, the man who has wants and needs just like any other. No one was willing to try, except for her.

Mary forced a smile upon her face, 'Hi...Jon.'

Jon took a drag of his cigarette and curtly nodded, '...Mary.'

She could discern by the slurring of his words that he was drunk. Her fears were finally confirmed. She wondered how the hell he got the alcohol when he wasn't twenty-one yet, but he had his ways of getting what he wanted. He always did, except for her that is. She was slowly beginning to realize he never wanted her at all. It was she whom was alone in this.

'Can I come in?" Mary asked him.

He let out a shaky sigh and shrugged his shoulders, 'Sure.' He opened the door wider, giving her enough access to enter.

Mary cautiously and slowly entered his apartment. She looked around the room, carefully observing her surroundings. It wasn't that big of an apartment. It was only large enough to fit his meager belongings, which consisted of a beat up red burgundy couch, a scratched up coffee table and thirty-two inch tv which was mounted on the wall. The blinds were closed and he had black curtains up. It shrouded the entire living room in darkness. It was as if he was hiding away from the rest of the world. Maybe that's exactly what he was doing. The white walls were bare except for a few posters he had up. They were mostly promotional shots of himself for whatever wrestling event he was competing in. It reminded her of the days when he actually gave a fuck. The living room connected to the kitchen. She could see unwashed dishes piled up in the sink along with empty pizza boxes and carton of Chinese food. Beer bottles were scattered everywhere. It was as if he sat them wherever he was at the time. They were littered everywhere; on the coffee tables, lined up around the sink and even on the floor. There were empty cigarette boxes everywhere. The heavy stench of tobacco smoke and stale air permeated the room. A heavy white cloud of fresh cigarette smoke lingered heavily in the room, making her feel lightheaded and nauseous. She wondered when the last time it was since he's opened a window.

She shook her head sadly, wondering why he was living in such deplorable conditions. It was as if he didn't care about anything anymore. He was just giving up. She refused to let him do that. She would not stand by and watch while he killed himself. He had been the one who helped her rise from the ashes and by God she was going to do the same for him.

Mary jumped slightly when he slammed the door. She watched as he slowly stumbled his way over to the couch and plopped down upon it. She stood there in the middle of the room. She was as still as a statue, not knowing what to say or do. She has never seen him in such a state before. She was afraid to say the wrong thing for she didn't know how he would react. She has always considered him a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up at any moment. She didn't want to be the one whom would push that final button and set him off.

She walked over and tentatively sat down next to him, making sure to keep a considerable distance between them. She laid his bag on the side of the couch. The presents could wait. He had far more important things to worry about, such as his health and sanity.

Mary folded her hands upon her lap as they sat in awkward silence. It was an odd thing. They haven't seen one another in over three months and they had absolutely nothing to say. She had gone over thousands of times in her head the things she would say to him when she finally had the chance. When she was finally given the opportunity she had nothing to say. How ironic, huh?

She wearily averted her eyes over toward him. He was resting his head against the couch and his eyes were closed. He was clutching a beer bottle in one hand and a cigarette in another. The cigarette was burning at the ends and the ashes fell onto his jeans, but he was too out of it to notice. Seeing him this way made her sick to her stomach. He reminded her of Slim, the man whom she hated with all of her heart. Slim was the reason why she was afraid of intimacy and relationships. He had stolen her innocence, not even caring about the repercussions. Jon was the complete opposite of that. She wanted all the things with him she never thought she'd have. Never did she think she would compare the two. She just couldn't help herself. It's the sole reason why she hated alcohol. She didn't like what it turned people into, men in particular. She certainly did not like what it made Jon become.

Jon rolled his head over to the side to look at her. He was so drunk and high out of his mind he could barely lift his head up. She was becoming out of focus and he had to struggle to keep his eyes opened. He was fairly sure this was some kind of hallucination brought on by his drug addled mind. It wouldn't be the first time he has conjured her image up. It definitely won't be the last.

Mary had tears in her eyes as she shook her head sadly, 'What's happened to ya, Jon?'

He shrugged his shoulders and took a long swig of his beer. The beer was warm and made him gag, but it did the trick. Maybe if he drank enough she would disappear and he could finally get some peace.

Jon shook his head sluggishly, 'Just...wanna...be...alone.'

His words came out muddled and stunted and she could barely make them out, but she knew the gist of what he was saying.

She let out a shaky sigh. She was trying to keep her emotions in check, but was having a difficult time in doing so. He looked so dejected and lost. It made her want to break down into tears, but she couldn't do that now, especially right in front of him. She had to be strong...for the both of them. She was going to be that touchstone he had been for her all those years. She didn't do it because she felt as if she owed him. She was doing it because she loved him. There is pity in anyone's love. It's only natural to want to take special care with the ones we love.

Mary scooted over and took his hand and tightly squeezed it. His hand was limp in hers. It was cold and clammy. If she didn't know any better she would have thought he was dead. He wasn't that far off.

Jon's eyes were half-lidded as he looked at her. His heavy brow made it difficult to discern if he were lucid or not.

He let out a slight chuckle, 'What ya...doin...here?'

His usually raspy and deep voice was even more so from not using it as much and from smoking too many cigarettes. His voice never ceased to run chills down her spine. Usually it was the good kind of chills, but these were anything but.

She shook her head and sighed, 'To help ya, Jon.'

Jon grunted and lolled his head from side to side, 'School?'

Mary nodded her head, understanding what he was trying to ask her, 'It's Christmas. I'm home for break.'

He grunted again in response and ran his free hand over his face, 'Christmas? Shit.'

She could not stop the tears from involuntarily sliding down her face. He was so out of it he didn't even realize it was Christmas. Maybe he knew, which is why he was drinking. He wanted to just forget about the day altogether. She quickly wiped the tears from her eye. She did not want him to see her cry. She would cry for him later. Now she just needed to take care of him. It's what he needed most of all, whether he realized it or not.

Jon's eyes had closed and his entire body became lax, indicating to her he had fallen asleep. She sighed and gingerly took the beer bottle and cigarette out of his hand, quickly discarding it. She got up from the couch and walked down the hallway to find his bedroom.

His bedroom looked completely unused. There was only a mattress on the floor with a pillow and comforter on it and a beaten up old dresser. She walked over to his closet and opened it up. All of his wrestling attire were on hangers, even his trunks. She smiled when she saw his denim jean jacket hanging in there. It took her back when she first saw him wrestle. Seeing him standing there in that ring was the moment she realized she was in love with him. It took her a long time to admit it to herself, but she was. She had no doubt about it. The man passed out on the couch was not the same man she had fallen in love with. She vowed to herself in that moment she would do everything in her power to get him back.

Mary grabbed the pillow and comforter off his bed and walked back into the living room. His head had fallen over to the side and he was slouching passed out on the couch. She breathed a sigh of relief when he grunted slightly. She was thankful he was still breathing, for now at least.

She leaned down and gently took hold of his feet to lie them straight on the couch. She gingerly lifted his head onto the pillow she put on the couch. She could not help but notice his body odor. He smelled like stale sweat, tobacco and straight liquor. She cringed her nose at the smell. She had to wonder how long it's been since he took a shower. She was going to make sure she rectified that tomorrow morning. She missed his old smell. He usually smelled like Irish Spring, Old Spice aftershave and tobacco. It was such an intoxicating mixture to her. It smelled like home. She didn't know this man before her. She wondered if she would ever find the man she loved again.

Mary opened up the comforter and began laying it over him. She started at his feet and slowly worked her way up.

She reached his neck when he surprised her by grabbing her hand and pulling her to him. She laid awkward upon his chest and stared up at him in wide-eyed shock, wondering what he was going to do.

Jon reached down and began nuzzling her neck. She shivered as she felt his hot stale breath upon her neck. She remained motionless. She was far too stunned and frightened to move. He kept nuzzling her neck and his nose was buried in her hair.

He cupped her cheek and whispered, 'Dreaming? ...Mary...baby...love ya'

Mary couldn't tell half of what he said. He was mostly mumbling incoherent words, but there was no mistaking what she could understand. She was pretty sure he had told her he loved her. Never did she think she would hear those words coming out of his mouth, but they didn't mean anything. She was not naive enough to think they did. He was not thinking too clearly. His eyes were closed the entire time. He was so out of it he would not remember anything that happened tonight. He didn't even know what day it was let alone to know what he's saying. It was best to just forget about it and pretend as if it never happened. Just like everything else that happened in their relationship.

She quickly lifted herself up and tugged the blanket over his chin. She smiled at him sadly and kissed his forehead, whispering to him, 'Goodnight, Jon.'

Jon said not a word response. Then again she never expected one. He didn't even know she was here.

Mary looked around at the living room and heaved a laborious sigh. She rolled her eyes and took off her coat. She mine as well clean up the place considering she's not going to be leaving tonight.

She must have spent the entire night cleaning up. She scrubbed the bathroom and sweeped off the carpets. She threw out his trash and got rid of all the beer bottles. She even washed his dishes and cleaned his toilet. If that's not fucking love she doesn't know what is.

Mary also opened up the windows in every room to clear out the place and get some fresh air in there. All the while she did this he never got up. He remained motionless as he lied there in his drug and alcohol induced slumber.

After she was finished cleaning up, she took a seat at the end of his feet on the couch and watched him. She wanted to keep an eye on him. She was glad she had enough sense to lie him on his side. She didn't want him to choke on his vomit. It wasn't very long before she too dozed off and joined him in sleep.

When Jon opened his eyes, he winced and rubbed his forehead. His entire head ached. He had this excruciating pain in his skull that even hurt to open his eyes. His eyelids felt as if they weighed a ton, making him feel dizzy and disoriented. Waking up with this pain was nothing new to him. With the amount of alcohol he drinks he's used to these hangovers by now.

Every single time he tried lifting up his head, he had to lie it back down. The pain from his head shot down to his neck. Every single bone in his body ached, making him feel as if he were run over with a freight train. He woke up with these kind of aches and pains every single morning. His body was worn out from years of abuse due to his wrestling and hard lifestyle. He was only twenty years old, but felt like eighty sometimes. These mornings humbled him. It made him realize he wasn't invincible. He could feel pain and weakness just like everybody else.

When he finally regained the strength to lift his head somewhat his eyes widened in shock when he saw who was sleeping before him. He blinked his eyes a few times. He wasn't quite sure this isn't some figment of his imagination. Maybe he was still drunk from the night before. It has happened to him before. He usually just kept drinking until he numbed himself to the pain.

Jon slowly sat up and ignored the nausea as he looked at her. He could not believe it was her. Here was the woman whom had haunted his every waking hour. The woman that gave his life meaning. This was the woman he was in love with. It was impossible for her to be here, especially since he was such a bastard to her. He pushed her away because it was the right thing to do.

After they kissed and she walked away from him, he suddenly realized she was better off without him. She had a chance of making something of herself. A fuck up such as himself would only ruin that, ruin her. He would never be able to forgive himself if he hurt her. He knew it would only be a matter of time. He was an ornery bastard and she was everything good and pure in this world, whether she knew it or not, but he did. For months he had tried denying what he felt. He would drown himself with women and booze and pretend everything was going great, but he was slowly dying inside. Each day without her was like a knife slowly being twisted into his chest inch by inch.

It's the sole reason why he beat his body to a bloody pulp each and every single day. He was punishing himself for what he's done. He manipulated and used her just like any other man that has entered her life. He didn't deserve anyone and he most certainly didn't deserve her. Jon Moxley was a man that didn't care about anything, not even himself. He lived in the moment. He was a loner, a brawler and an all around bastard. He always got what he wanted. NO matter what he had to do to get it. He fucked and discarded women as if they were underwear. People loved and hated Jon Moxley. They admired, respected and adored him. Jonathan Good was a weak, poor pathetic excuse for a human being. He was hopeless in love with a girl that would never love him back. Not in the way he wanted her to anyway. He vowed to never be that boy again. But as he looked at her none of that mattered. He was still the same boy he always had been.

Mary always reminded him of that fact.

Jon took a deep breath and lightly shook her, whispering, 'Mary?'

Her eyes popped opened and she gasped aloud. It was a defensive reflex from living in a crackhouse most of her life. She always felt uncomfortable in strange surroundings. She began to calm down after she realized where she was at. This was Jon's apartment. She was safe here. At least she hoped she was anyway.

Mary shook the cobwebs out of her head and slowly looked up at Jon. He was sitting up facing her with an intense look in his eyes. He was most likely wondering what in the hell she was doing here. It looked as if the moment she has been dreading for over three months is finally going to happen.

'I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here, huh?' She asked him, smiling sheepishly.

He cleared his throat and nodded his head, 'Ya, the thought's crossed my mind. I wake up to find ya sleeping on the couch with me. Not fuckin somethin I'm used to wakin up to, ya know?"

Mary nodded her head. It was good to see he was still the same cocky, arrogant asshole he's always been. But she wouldn't have him any other way. She loved him just for he is. Even with his extra pounds and hot pink hair. He was still the same person she loved on the inside. She just had to make him see that.

She sighed and turned to face him, 'I came here to visit you...last night.'

Jon's eyes widened, 'Ya were really here?' He shook his head and whispered under his breath, 'Thought I dreamt that.' He shook his head, 'How'd ya know where I lived?'

Mary took a moment of deliberation before answering, 'Kasey told me.'

He scoffed,'Figures.' He sighed, 'So, I let ya in, huh?'

She nodded, 'That's right.'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'What happened after that?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Nothing. Ya pretty much fell asleep as soon as I came in. Ya didn't remember yesterday was Christmas.'

He nodded and bowed his head, 'I...uh...don't keep track of days much.'

She sighed, nodding her head, 'I can see that.'

Jon ran a hand through his disheveled hair, 'Did I say or do anything...weird?'

Mary thought back on the moment last night when he told her he loved her. She knew he was so out of it he wouldn't remember. To think he didn't even remember something that was so meaningful to her. They always say the drunk tongue speaks what the heart really feels, but it was obvious he didn't feel anything. He probably threw those words around when he was drunk. Some poor girl such as herself would fall on their knees in front of him in two seconds flat. She refused to think that of him. He was better than that. She had seen it for herself.

'Why are ya here?' He asked her.

She shook her head, 'I don't know. For some reason I have this sick and twisted need to take care of you.' She rolled her eyes, 'It's not one of my better qualities.'

Jon snorted. She was a real smartass when she wanted to be, but he deserved it. He wouldn't expect anything less considering the way he treated her. She was always the most beautiful when she was angry. Sometimes he like to get her riled up just to see her mad. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks would flush, her nostrils would flare and her lips would part. She had so much passion. He could see it buried underneath the surface. All she needed was someone to unleash was what struggling to break free inside of always wanted to be the man to show her that passion. He wanted to show her everything. But he had ruined that chance long ago. Besides, who would want a sorry excuse for a man such as himself?

He also could not help but notice she was still wearing the necklace he gave her the last Christmas they spent together. It meant a lot to him that she still wore it. It gave him a small semblance of hope he still actually meant something to her.

He let out a sigh, 'Ya don't need to be here, ya know? I can take care of myself.'

Mary scoffed and shook her head, 'Yeah, good fucking job you're doing of that, aren't ya? Ya were so fucking drunk and high last night you could barely walk. That's taking care of yourself?"

Jon grasped his knees against his chest and bowed his head. He had no words to say. She was right. He was slowly killing himself with what he was doing. He doesn't know why he's so goddamn depressed. No matter how successful he is with wrestling he's never satisfied. He always has to take everything too far. He can never have just one shot of whiskey. It's always got to be more. He can never drive a little fast. He has to take his car as fast as it could go. He can't just sleep with one girl. He has to sleep with all of the girls. He's never satisfied...with himself most of all.

She shook her head and sighed. She put her hand upon his own, saying softly 'What's going on, Jon? Talk to me. I know we haven't really talked in a long time, but we've seen each other at our worsts. Don't bullshit me. Why did ya quit wrestling?'

He sighed. He never wanted her to know that. He wanted her to think he was still happily living his life as a wrestler. He never wanted her to worry about him. He wanted her to enjoy being a college student in Boston. She deserved to live a carefree life without his troubles weighing her down. Whenever he talked to her on the phone she sounded so happy. He didn't want her to feel guilty about being happy. All he ever wanted to do in life was make her happy. He knew the only way he could that was by stepping aside.

There was not a doubt in his mind Cody or Kasey told her that. They always opened their big mouths. They were Ohioans after all.

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'It stopped being fun.'

Mary nodded, 'And drinking yourself until you're sick is? Get a grip on yourself, Jon.'

His eyes widened. He has never seen this demanding and forceful side of her. He liked it...alot.

Jon shook his head in bafflement, 'Why did ya come? After all this time of me being an asshole to ya, why did ya come to see me?'

He didn't want to ask, but he had to know. It has been the question that's been plaguing his mind since he woke up to find her here.

She shrugged, 'I don't know why I'm here to be honest. All I know is that ya need to really get your shit together. I don't mean with wrestling. If that's not fun for ya anymore don't do it. But this drinking has to stop. '

Jon got up off the couch. He ignored the dizziness and forced himself to stay upright. He looked around the room and it was then he noticed how clean it was. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and saw all the dishes were cleaned and stacked neatly in the drainer. Even the countertops were cleared and wiped.

He turned to look at Mary. She was standing in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed.

'Ya cleaned up my place?" Jon asked her in wide eyed shock.

Mary shrugged sheepishly 'It needed it. It looked like a pig sty in here.'

He shook his head, 'I'm not a fucking child, Mary.'

She scoffed, 'Then stop acting like one and I'll stop treating ya like one.'

Jon snorted, 'Ya a fucking smartass, ya know that?"

Mary nodded, 'Thanks, I learned from the best.' She gave him a accusatory glare, letting him know exactly who she was talking about.

He chuckled in amusement, 'Cute.' He grabbed the sides of his head and groaned aloud, 'Fuck, my head's killin me. I need to go to the bathroom a minute.'

Jon walked into the bathroom and opened his medicine cabinet to get out his bottle of Percocets. He was shocked to see the bottle wasn't in there. He slammed the medicine cabinet door shut. He could not believe she had thrown out his Percocets.

He jumped in surprise when he heard her saying, 'I flushed them down the toilet.'

Jon looked up to see her leaning against the archway to the bathroom with her arms crossed.

Mary smiled softly,'I also emptied out any form of alcohol that was in the house.'

His eyes widened, 'Why the hell would ya do a thing like that?'

She shrugged, 'Cause I care.' She raised her fists in front of her and gritted her teeth, 'Cause I fucking care and I hate it. But I do so just get fuckin used to it, buddy. ' She walked over to him and grabbed his shirt with her hand. She leaned upon her tiptoes and gave him a cold hard slap in the face.

Jon winced and let out an instinctual groan of pain as he touched his cheek. His head snapped to the side, making the nausea he felt ten times girl had a hell of a force behind her hand that was for damn sure. He had taught her after all. She hit harder the most of the men he came across in the ring.

Mary kept her grip upon his shirt as she looked directly into his eyes, 'You better start growing the fuck up and get your shit together, Jon. This is the last chance I'm gonna give you. You screw up again and I'm gone forever. Do you understand me?'

He nodded dumbly, 'Yeah...sure.'

She nodded, 'Good.' She scrunched up her nose, 'Now get in the shower cause you reek really bad. Also, shave that animal off that died on your face. I'm gonna go make coffee. Sound good?'

Jon nodded his head. He cleared his throat, 'Yeah.'

He didn't know what else to say to her. He was far too stunned to speak. He was still sure this was some figment of his imagination.

Mary smiled, 'Good. I'll leave ya alone.'

She closed the door, leaving him standing there in bewilderment, It was hard for him to fathom that just twenty four hours ago he was depressed and alone thinking he was never going to see her again. Then he wakes up and sees her sleeping in his living room. It was all too good to be true. He had to keep his promise to her. He could not bear the thought of her leaving him again. He had to start getting his shit together or he would lose her. He doesn't think he could take losing her again. He almost killed himself the first time. He doesn't think he would be so lucky the next time around.


	12. Chapter 12

It was New Years Eve and Mary was busy with finishing up last minute preparations for the annual New Years Eve party that was being held at the gym. Every year Cody would throw a party for all the wrestlers along with their family and friends. It was his way of giving back and thanking them for all the hard work and dedication they have put in all year.

Surprisingly it was a very classy affair. Everyone would be dressed up in suits and fancy dresses. Hors d'oeuvres' would be served along with champagne. They even had a deejay and everyone would be dancing and have a great time. A lot of the wrestlers would get drunk and make speeches, which would mostly consist of them heckling their peers or being retrospective about the past years' trials and tribulations.

If there's anything she has learned after being immersed with the wrestling business for so many years is that wrestlers are very sentimental. The whole wrestling community is like one big family. They are always there for one another, whether it being an encouraging word or just to lend an ear. They were like brothers in arms.

For one night they forgot about their 'feuds' and upcoming title matches. They spent one night ringing in the New Year as a family. with their loved ones and friends.

Mary always looked forward to this every year. For the last four years she has been the one who organized everything. She was responsible for every detail from hiring a caterer right down to sending out invitations and collecting RSVPS'.

It had always made her feel special in knowing Cody trusted her to take care of everything. Sure she had help from Kasey of course, but mostly it was all her. This night was very important to him so it made her feel good inside knowing he was happy with her plans. Cody was not an easy man to please by any stretch. So she considered it to be a pretty amazing feat.

Last year had been their biggest party yet. Over one hundred and fifty people showed up not just from HWA, but also from neighboring territories. For one night everyone put aside their differences and just enjoyed each other's company.

Unfortunately, Jon had missed last year's party. He had been too busy wrestling in an event in Germany. He had wanted to take her with him. For over two months he had constantly nagged her, telling her she was missing out on a great opportunity, but she declined his offer. She wanted to stay here and make sure everything was going according to plan. She owed Cody at least that much. She was loyal to a fault, which she didn't consider to be one of her endearing qualities. Sometimes her loyalty does far more harm than good. Jon being the perfect example.

Sure, it would have been great to hop on a plane and travel with Jon, but she refused to be one of his lackeys. She wanted to let him know she wasn't at his beck and call. Sitting in a hotel room watching wrestlers getting shit faced drunk was not on her list of priorities of things to do. If she went with him she essentially would have been left on her own. He would be too busy with matches and training to do any sightseeing. She had always dreamed that if they traveled to some faraway place they would enjoy it together. The silly and romantic ideas she have will not relent. She is a woman after all.

It was true she loved him very much, but he didn't own her. No one did, not anymore. She belonged to herself and that's how it was going to be from now on. Some would say she's being too hard on him, that she's being selfish and immature. Maybe she is, but she refuses to apologize for that. For so many years she has put everyone else's needs before her own. It's about damn time she started thinking about her own needs for once.

Mary wondered if Jon would show his face tonight. He has come a very long way since she first saw him drunk and high out of his mind. While it may have been only six days he had stopped taking the painkillers, which was a good start. It was a little rough for him those first two days. He had dealt with some pretty rough withdrawal symptoms such as vomiting, night terrors and shakes. Sometimes the shakes got so bad she would have to climb into bed next to him and spoon him from behind. She would wrap her arms around him tightly and whisper to him that she was here and isn't going anywhere. It seemed to soothe and comfort him for his shakes slowly began to subside and he would fall into sleep. She would just lie there with her arms around him and carefully watch him sleep. She hardly slept those first two nights. She didn't want to miss anything. She also wanted to keep an eye on him and make sure he wasn't trying to pull a fast one on her such as going to get painkillers or liquor.

During those past six days, Mary rarely left his side. The only time she left him was to get a shower. She never left his house. She was far too afraid to leave him. She just threw on whatever tee shirt of his she found clean and went right back to taking care of him. She had to admit, those days spent with him were the hardest of her life. Tears filled her eyes as she sat there upon her knees on the cold bathroom floor while his face was buried in the toilet. She would soothingly rub his back as he clutched the toilet and groaned aloud at the excruciating pain he felt. Not just physically, but mentally as well. She had never seen him so weak and...vulnerable. He had yelled and screamed at her, telling her to leave him the hell alone, but she ignored his pleas. He even grabbed her by the throat and told her if she didn't get him something strong to drink he was going to kill her. She ignored his empty threats. She knew he was just speaking out of desperation. He would never hurt her, that much she was certain. He would kill himself before he ever hurt her, which he seemed to be doing a damn fine job of. He needed her now more than ever. She refused to leave him all alone during one the lowest points of his life.

If it wasn't for him Mary would have been dead by now. She would have wasted away in that house right along with her mother. She not only owed this to him, she owed it to herself.

On the third day she was making breakfast for him in the morning and he came out into the kitchen. He had showered and shaved. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and he was wearing clean clothes. Well, what was considered clean for a guy anyway. As long as they passed the 'sniff test' it was considered wearable to them. There was a smile upon his face and his eyes were clear and bright. The heavy fog she had once seen in them had lifted. His skin had also taken on a healthful hue, not like the deathly pallor she had first seen upon him. He looked well rested and ready to take on the day...sober and of sound mind. She knew he had a long way to go, but the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Yeah, he didn't come right out and say that. Jon was never a man to admit defeat, but by letting her take care of him he was letting her know he needed help...hers most of all. It was then and there she knew that she would never let him out of her sight again. No matter how much he may try pushing her away, she wasn't going to back down so easily anymore. She loved the man. God help her but she did.

It was safe to say she had her own issues to deal with.

Jon may not be one hundred percent better. He was only six days sober. He was taking it one step at a time. Like she, he was also a work in progress. The only difference is they didn't have to go through it alone. They had made a lot of mistakes in the past. They were both to blame for those past few months of miscommunication. They were never really good at expressing their feelings. No one had ever taught them. They did what they only knew, they hid from each other. They refused to admit they needed anyone let one each other. These past six days have cruelly reminded them that being alone will slowly be the death of them. It eats away at you from the inside out. Then suddenly one day you wake up and look in the mirror and you don't recognize the person looking back at you. You have become so lost within yourself you don't know who you are and what you've become. The people that you pushed away don't recognize you either. The only thing you're left with is the former shell of the person you once were.

He had seen rock bottom. He was slowly becoming someone whom she didn't know, which is why she would be damned if he became lost to her. She loved him far too much to lose him. She has lost so many people in her life due to drugs and alcohol. She would not let him be another. She couldn't save the others, but she would save him. At least she would try anyway.

Women, we always like a project don't we?

It was the middle of the afternoon and Mary was finished with last minute preparations for the party. She was studying the clipboard in her hand, checking off the things that needed to be done and organizing the things that weren't in order of priority. She forgot how overwhelming it was to plan a party. She didn't think she would be able to do this on a daily basis. She was already two weeks into planning and she was losing her mind. Her mind was also a bit preoccupied with Jon. She was always leery of leaving him alone for long periods of time. She was afraid of what he might do to himself or someone else for that matter. While it was true he was getting better, he was not anywhere near in the clear zone as of yet. He was only six days sober not six months. Even then junkies and alcoholics always fall back into that vicious cycle. All it takes is one hit, one swig of alcohol and one painkiller and they're right back to square one. She has witnessed it numerous times. It's never enough, they always need more more more until one day it's too much and they're found rotting away in some deserted alleyway. There were a lot of people in their neighborhood who would be alive today if they knew the meaning of self preservation. She doesn't think any of them knew the meaning of the word.

Mary had to admit in all candor she didn't trust Jon. It's not in the way you think. She just doesn't trust him alone with himself. He's the kind of man whom cannot be left alone with his thoughts for too long. He will start trying to drown them out with any kind of liquor he can find until he's passed out in a drunken stupor.

She usually called him every hour to check in on him and make sure he was eating and taking care of himself. He always acted annoyed and irritated, as if he hated to be treated like a baby. But she knew deep down inside he was thankful someone actually gave a damn about him. At least she hoped he thought that way. As she had told him before. If he wanted to act like a child she was going to treat him like one. He was twenty-one years old for Christ's sakes. It was high time he started to grow up and act like an adult for once.

When Mary finally had some time to sneak away and give him a call, she was shocked when she saw him walking through the door of the gym.

She shook her head in amusement and thought to herself, _Speak of the Devil._

Mary was pretty sure Jon was the devil. It had to be a sin for a man to look that good in denim jeans. Shit, he was sin personified. They always said Jon had the ability to make men shit their pants and women cream their panties. In her opinion, truer words were never spoken. Even with a little weight on him he was still the sexiest motherfucker she has ever laid eyes upon. It was funny, she never thought of men in that context before. He was the only one whom she had those kinds of thoughts about. She didn't know if she had these thoughts because she loved him or she loved him because he brought out that side in her. She was always confusing the two. It was safe to say her psychiatrist was having a field day with her.

She didn't know what she felt for him sometimes. There were so many conflicting emotions inside of her. Her logical mind was saying to run as far away from him as she could get. He was dangerous, unpredictable and unreliable. He was self destructive and would only bring her down. But her heart said something wholly different. It said this was the man whom had saved her from imminent death. This was the first person who ever gave a damn. Whenever she looked into his eyes she saw forever. This was the man whom she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. It was more than hero worship. It was pure unabashed love. Nothing else mattered when they were together. They always found their way back to each other no matter what.

Jon looked really good. It amazed her how far he has come in these past few days. Sure he still had the urges. She was still losing sleep for she would be awoken in the middle of the night by him vomiting in the bathroom or sitting up with, consoling him after a particularly bad dream. One of his withdrawal symptoms was night terrors. He would thrash violently around in bed. He would jump out of the bed and huddle in the corner. Sweat completely drenched his body making him look as if he just got out of the shower. His eyes were wild and ferocious. The man in him was nowhere to be found. He was like a ferocious animal. She would sit on the floor next to him and wrap her arm around his shoulders as he sat in the corner of the room. He would cradle his knees against his chest and rock back and forth as he begged and pleaded for her to put him out of his misery. She would just ignore his pleas and continue to wrap her arms around him, all the while continuing to whisper comforting words into his ear.

On these particularly bad nights she would run a lukewarm bath for him. She would take his hand and lift him up to the best of her ability and bring him into the bathroom. She would strip him down to his boxers and help him into the bath. She would sit on the edge of the bath and run a rag over his forehead to bring his temperature down somewhat. He would just lie there with his eyes closed not saying a word. He was usually so weakened physically and mentally he could barely open his eyes let alone talk. To think a man whom was so strong. He had wrestled giants and overcome so many obstacles to get where he is now. He had such an indomitable will, but the man whom she had witnessed during those nights was anything but strong. He had no fight left in him. He had surrendered himself over to her. It made her feel so honored to know he had trust her enough to let her do this for him. It made her love him even more, which she didn't think was used all of her insurmountable strength not to cry in that moment. She had to be strong for him. Jon was not a begging man by any means. He never begged for anything in his life nor did he ask for it. He just took regardless of the repercussions. It made her chest physically ache to see a man of his strength being deduced down to nothing all due to the sake of drugs and alcohol. She would be damned if he became another cliched boy from Ohio to succumb to drugs and alcohol. She would not let him become another statistic.

He was wearing denim jeans, that black hooded sweatshirt he loved so much and his orange trucker hat she was accustomed to seeing him wearing over the years. He had gotten the hat in some gas station over three years ago and has been wearing it ever since. She vowed she was going to make that hat and hoodie sweatshirt mysteriously disappear when she did his wash. That sweatshirt and hat needed to be burned. Then again, she liked seeing him like this. He was slowly but surely getting back to his old self again. She could finally breathe a sigh of relief...somewhat. He was far from okay, but he would be. She had faith in him he could do it. He was proving it to her everyday. She just hoped that when she left in a week he would be okay without her. The only thing she could was hope and pray he would have enough sense not to fuck up and fall into bad habits once again.

Jon averted his eyes back and forth, trying to find her. When he eyes fell upon her, a small smile formed upon his face and he walked over to her.

Mary clutched her clipboard tightly to her chest and tentatively returned his smile.

He curtly nodded his head, 'Hey.'

She smiled softly, 'Hey yourself.'

Mary carefully searched his eyes, making sure he was not high. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his blue eyes were bright and clear. They were devoid of the haziness she had once seen in them. The cloud had lifted and she was looking into the eyes of the man she loved. Thank fucking God. If he had come into here high or inebriated she would have knocked him right out with her clipboard. She wasn't going to tolerate his bullshit. Everyone else around him was too afraid to approach him, but she knew better. His bark was far worse than his bite. He may act all big and bad, but on the inside he was still that little boy screaming and crying out for someone to help him. She was the only one who took the time to listen. Thank God she had. If she didn't he would most likely be dead now. That was a harsh but true fact.

Jon shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and shuffled back and forth nervously upon his feet. He averted his eyes back and forth, trying to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. Ever since she had come to him over six days ago she had seen him in ways no one ever has. She had seen him at his lowest. He never let anyone see him weak. He didn't want anyone to know he was capable of feeling. He vowed to himself a long time ago no one would have that kind of power over him, but she did. He was powerless to her. He had screamed, begged and pleaded for her to leave him alone, but she never had. Shit, she even had started sleeping next to him in bed when the nightmares got so bad he was shaking and crying. He hated for her to see his tears. He didn't want her to see him as a pussy. He wanted her to see someone whom was strong in mind, body and soul. He wanted her to see him as a man whom could not only take care of her, but himself as well. Who the hell was he kidding anyway? He was of no use to anybody, himself most of all. He had given up his entire life's work all for the sake of drugs and alcohol. He was slowly becoming the cliched wrestler. He was only twenty-one years old and he was slowly killing himself. With the way things are going he doubted if he would even make it to thirty.

Mary didn't give up on him like all the psychologists, teachers and friends he had in the past. In those six days she rarely left his side. Fuck, she even sat with him in the bathroom while he puked his guts out when the cramps and nausea became too much to bear. Sometimes he couldn't even make it to the bathroom and would throw up all over himself. It was safe to say those weren't his proudest moments. She would never bat an eye. He would apologize profusely as she quietly cleaned up his mess. She would draw him a bath and wash him up, never once judging him. The only words that came out of her mouth were of comfort and consolement. It was moments such as this which made him thankful for the things he had in his life. He doesn't know what he's done in life to deserve such a great woman, but he would be damned if he gave it up. He was always a selfish bastard, especially when it came to her. She made him want to be a better man. He didn't want her to see him like this, but she never shied away. She treated him as if he were the most precious thing in the world. For once in his godforsaken life she made him feel like he was worth something. He couldn't let her down. He had to make her proud of him. He never wanted her to see him that way again. He loved her far too fucking much to let her down. He's already disappointed her enough.

He also could not help but notice how beautiful she looked. She was wearing tight denim jeans with black ankle boots, a form fitting gray v-neck tee shirt and a denim jacket. She had some type of silk scarf wrapped around her neck that was more for fashion than warmth. Her hair was down and it tumbled down her back in waves. He has always loved her long hair. He can still remember how soft and silky it felt in his tight closed fist. He could just imagine how it would look curtaining them as she slowly rode him to oblivion. He would give anything to know what it felt like as she laid her head upon his chest.

These lustful thoughts are never far from his mind. In fact it's all he could think about as of late. What made it all the more worse was he loved her. It intensified the feelings tenfold. He couldn't tell her these things when he was vomiting into a toilet or shaking violently in the middle of the night. She wouldn't want someone such as him anyway. He was a good for nothing junkie just like his mother. She saw him as someone who needed to be taken care of. She didn't see him as a man or potential companion. The most fucked up part about is he had no one else to blame but himself. He had pushed her away and now must deal with the consequences.

Jon looked around the gym at all the decorations, 'So, how's the planning coming along?'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'It's going good. Still have a lot to do.'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah, well you'll get it done. Ya always take care of your shit.'

_Unlike me. _Jon thought to himself.

Mary bowed her head. She deciphered his cryptic words, understanding what he was trying to say without really saying it. She understood him better than anybody. They had a way of communicating where neither had to say a word for they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

'Ya coming tonight?' Mary asked him.

Jon shook his head, 'Nah.' He sighed, 'I don't think I'm up for seeing everyone just yet.'

She nodded her head in understanding. She was trying her damndest to hide her disappointment. She had hoped he would come tonight. She always felt so awkward at these types of events. After making sure everything was organized she usually just spent the rest of the night sitting at a table by herself. She would watch everyone dance and laugh, feeling out of place. Nothing makes you feel more alone than sitting in a room full of people and being the odd person out. Having Jon there made her feel not so bad. He was always her anchor in those kind of situations. He hasn't been that person for a long time now. The roles have been reversed. She was now the person taking care of him. Never did she think she would live to see the day.

She lifted her head, looking directly into his eyes, not wanting him to see how he affected her, 'So, what ya doing here?"

Mary had not meant for her words to be so biting, but she was still angry at him. She could not let go of her anger she felt towards him. She was angry at him not only for ignoring her all those months, but also for almost killing himself. She could not get over the fact he had almost given everything up, her included. He was making a mockery of himself. He disregarded her feelings and almost chose death over living. He didn't care if he left her alone. He was willing to just give up. She could not forgive him for that. At least not yet. She wondered if she would ever be able to.

Jon shrugged, 'I figured I'd come here and say hi. I also wanna talk to Cody about maybe getting my old manager job back.'

She smiled, 'Can't stay away, huh?"

He shook his head and chuckled, 'Yeah. I mean I'm not in the right frame of mind to wrestle yet, but I still fucking love it. I need to be involved somehow though, ya know?'

Mary nodded, 'I do. I bet Cody will be happy to have ya back.'

Jon heaved a laborious sigh, 'I hope so. I burned a lot of fucking bridges these last few months, Mary.' He stared directly into her eyes as he said, 'I hope to correct that.'

A small smile formed upon her face, 'Well, just focus on taking care of yourself first. That's the most important thing, got it?'

He chuckled lightly, 'I do.'

Mary looked down at her watch and muttered a curse word under her breath, 'Shit, I gotta go. The caterer is coming in an hour and I still have to count out how many people RSVP'd. ' She lifted her head, looking up at him with home in her eyes, 'I'll see ya later?'

Jon nodded his head, 'Ya betcha. I gotta go hit the gym a bit anyways. ' He patted his belly and frowned, 'I've kinda let myself go a bit.'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't know. I kinda like the extra pounds. It doesn't look so out of place now with your fat head.' She winked letting him know she was kidding, 'I gotta run. But I'll talk to ya later?'

He nodded and said not a word.

Jon shook his head in amusement as he watched her walk away. He also could not help his eyes from lecherously following the sway of her hips and ass as she walked away. He quickly shook his head, clearing his mind of those heated lustful thoughts. He didn't want to get a hard on in the middle of a gym filled with dudes. That would be all kinds of wrong and embarrassing. This woman was going to be the absolute death of him. In more ways than one.

That night Mary was standing at the door greeting everyone along with Cody and Kasey. She had to be honest, every single time someone walked through that door she wished it was Jon. Her heart sank every time someone walked through the door and it wasn't him. She knew he was still recovering and getting himself together. She didn't want to push him and overwhelm him. She respected him enough to know when to step back. If he wanted to come he would. She wasn't going to beg him.

The two of them had grabbed dinner together at their favorite diner and he had dropped her off at Cody and Kasey's house to get ready. She will never forget the dejected look in his eyes as she got out of his car. It almost made her ditch the whole party and go back to his home to ring in the New Year together, but she couldn't do that. Cody was relying upon her. She could not disappoint the second most important man in her life, especially after all he had done for her.

Now here she was at eleven o'clock in the evening sitting at a table alone. Cody had let her drink of couple glasses of champagne, much to Kasey's chagrin. He had laughed her off and told her to quit worrying, that it was only two glasses and she deserved to celebrate a little. Kasey wasn't comfortable with her drinking on account of her being only eighteen years old, but she relented and let her have a couple glasses. She made sure to tell the bar only two though.

Mary usually never liked drinking, but it was New Year's Eve after all. She just wished she had a reason to celebrate. For the person she wanted here most of all was nowhere to be found. It angered her that he would much rather sit alone in his apartment then come out and share this night with her. She understood his reasons, but it didn't make her feel any better. It made her feel quite lousy actually. She was really starting 2008 off with a bang. That was sarcasm by the way.

She rested her head upon her hand and looked out on all the people. Some were huddled in groups laughing and joking while others were upon the makeshift dance floor. She watched in amusement as people attempted to dance. Most of them were drunk off their asses and couldn't even stand upright let alone accomplish something as complex as dancing. Nothing's funnier than watching a big macho wrestler attempt to dance the electric side. That sight will stick with you for years to come. She was glad to see at least some people were enjoying themselves. The party had gone off without a hitch. Sure there were a few hiccups where they ran out of beer, but Cody had made a quick run to the beer distributor for kegs and all was good. Everyone was so happy and joyous and in such a celebratory mood. She wished she could say the same for herself.

Mary was staring down at her half eaten slice of cheescake. She was idly moving the uneaten pieces around the plate with her fork. She heaved a laborious sigh, wondering how in the hell her life became so fucking pathetic. She was feeling sorry for herself. Maybe it was due to the fact she was slightly buzzed. She doesn't drink very often and it doesn't take much. She should be enjoying herself instead of sitting here pining away for a man whom couldn't be bothered.

Suddenly she was thwarted from her thoughts by someone saying, 'What's a pretty thing like you sitting here all alone by yourself?'

Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock when she saw Jon standing there before her. She blinked her eyes rapidly, thinking this was some type of hallucination brought on by the alcohol. But as she opened and closed her eyes he was still there. He was real and in the flesh. She could reach out and touch him, but she would never dare. He was always so close to her yet so far away. It's the epitome of their relationship.

Mary roved her eyes up and down his form appreciatively. She was surprised to see he had gotten dressed up for the occasion. He was wearing black dress pants with patent leather shoes which were polished and shone brilliantly under the soft lighting. The dark navy blue dress shirt he wore made his blue eyes stand out even more. The black suit jacket fit him perfectly, making his broad shoulders even more defined. Not even the extra pounds he had gained took anything away from his looks. He was still so fucking handsome to her, that will never change. Besides, on account of his throwing up so much over the past six days he had lost some weight. You could see it in his face. He was also starting to work out again and eating healthy. It would only be a matter of time before he dropped all the extra pounds and was back down to his normal weight. She could not wait. He always looked his best when he was healthy and in shape. It not only benefited him physically but mentally as well. He was a far different person when he was in 'competing shape' as he liked to call it. He not only looked better, but felt better. His demeanor completely changed. She was so excited for him. She was finally going to get the old Jon back, the man whom she loved with all of her heart. She had missed that man so much, more than she would like to admit.

She was also surprised to see he had cut his hair and washed out all the hot pink dye. She was glad to see his strawberry blond hair. She had missed it. He was far too handsome to have such a silly hair color. It only detracted from his mature and rough persona. His hair was slicked back with what appeared to be gel or water, she really couldn't tell. Her fingers itched to run through it and find out. Seeing him dressed this way tugged at her heart. She once again felt that aching and piercing longing she only associated with him. He looked so handsome it brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't hide these tears. These were happy tears, unlike the ones of sadness he had caused her in the past. She wanted him to see how damn happy she was for him.

As he was driving here, he silently debated if this was such a good idea or not. When he walked up to her and saw the look of happiness upon her face, every reservation and qualm he had about coming went right out the window with her smile.

Jon was sitting at home alone watching Dick Clark's special on television. He couldn't even tell you who was on there. He wasn't paying attention, not really anyway. He just wanted something on to drown out the silence. He was afraid to be alone with his thoughts for very long. There was no telling what he was liable to do when left to his own devices. He could not stay in his apartment a minute longer or he was going to start drinking again. He sat on his couch and all he could think about was Mary. He hated the thought of her spending New Year's Eve alone. Someone that beautiful shouldn't be alone. He knew it would only be a matter of time before someone realized just how truly special she was and he would lose her forever. He came to the conclusion that he had to appreciate her while he had her in his life. They were on borrowed time, he knew that now.

In a week she would be back in Boston and he wouldn't see her again until Summer. He could not take her for granted, not anymore. Those days of him being a selfish bastard were over. Well, except when she was concerned. He will always be an asshole. That will never change. He was pretty sure it's in his chemical makeup. It was yet another endearing trait his father had given him.

As he stood there looking at her, he was damned glad he decided to come. He would hate to have missed out on seeing her all dressed up. She looked absolutely stunning. Never did he think he would use that word to describe a woman, but as he looked at her it was the first thing that came into his mind. Hell, he didn't even know his vocabulary extended that far. Then again, she had him thinking a lot of things that were out of the norm for him as of late.

Mary was wearing a black knee length dress, which was embroidered with some kind of sheer lace over top of it. It was sleeveless and accentuated her toned arms. Her hair was worn simply down, but it was curled and styled. Her straight blunt bangs made her dark brown eyes pop. The mascara and black shimmering eyeshadow she wore made her brown eyes even sultrier. He always loved her eyes. There were her best feature. They were always so expressive. Whenever he looked into her eyes he could always tell exactly what she was feeling at that moment. He never understood why people said eyes were the window to someone's soul, but as he looked into her eyes he understood. All the girls that have come in and out of his life, he never once took the time to look at them. He means really look deep down into their soul. She was the first woman he really took the time to look at. He wasn't just in love with her physical appearance. He was in love with everything about her. She was the only good thing about him. He's not an expert on feelings and emotions, but he's pretty sure this kind of love doesn't happen very often. He would be a fool to let this go...for anything.

Mary got up out of her seat and stood in front of him, 'You came, Jon.'

Jon shrugged sheepishly, 'Yeah, I figured since ya took care of my sorry ass this past week. I could at least get into something civilized and join the party, ya know?'

She smiled and nodded, 'Well, I'm glad you came. Your hair.' She put her hand over her mouth as tears fell from her eyes, 'You look so handsome.'

He rocked nervously back and forth upon his heels and stared down at his feet, 'Yeah...well. Ya said I had to grow up and ya were right.' He chuckled, 'Bout damn time I figured it out, huh?'

Mary shrugged, 'Eh, better late than never.'

Jon nodded and said not a word in response.

In all honesty he was far too preoccupied with her dress. The dress was modestly cut, but it made her legs seem even longer. They seemed to go on for miles. As much as he loved the dress on her, he would much rather like it on the floor next to his red heels just made things worse. All of the sudden he had visions of bending her over his kitchen countertop. She would be wearing nothing but those heels as he grabbed her hair and pounded furiously into her from behind.

He shook his head, ridding himself of those lecherous thoughts. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself in front of her. He took that vision and catalogued it in the back of his mind. It would come in handy later on tonight when he was alone in the shower.

She stood there, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. She could feel his eyes burning a hole into her. The intense look in his eyes felt as if molten lava were coursing through her veins. Every single nerve within her body was on fire, fleshing Goosebumps upon her skin. She felt that all too familiar ache in the pit of her stomach she only associated with him.

Mary wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She was thankful the heels gave her a little extra height. She didn't have to stand upon her tiptoes to hug him. She could actually remain on solid ground for once. If you think about it, it's the perfect parable to describe their relationship. For once she didn't have any lofty ideas or preconceived notions. They both have seen every facet of one another. They had witnessed one another at their lowest points and were still here together. That has to count for something, right?

Jon slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her. He buried his nose into her hair and closed his eyes, reveling in the scent of her surrounding him. The smell of her was always so intoxicating. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla. He only associated this smell with her. She smelled like Mary to him. She smelled like home.

She smiled through her tears and whispered in his ear, 'Thank you so much for coming. It really means alot to me that ya came.'

He smiled, 'Bout fuckin time I did something right for a change, huh?'

Mary took a step back from him and shook her head, 'You don't give yourself enough credit. Ya never did. You're a good man, Jon.'

Jon scoffed, 'I doubt it.' He swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat. He felt himself getting choked up, but refused to break down and cry like a little bitch in front of. God knows he's done enough of that in the past six days.

He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. He caressed her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb and stared directly into her eyes, 'When ya say those things I believe it.'

She smiled softly, 'Well, get used to it, buddy. Cause I'm gonna keep saying it.'

Jon chuckled, 'I fuckin hope so.'

The deejay once again came back onto the stage and made an announcement that the next song would be for couples only. He put on a slow song. All of the couples went onto the dance floor and began slow dancing along to the song.

Jon and Mary both looked at one another warily.

He surprised her by taking her hand and curtly nodded toward the dance floor, 'Come on.'

Mary's eyes widened, 'Really, Jon? Ya don't have to dance with me. Do ya even know how to slow dance?'

Jon rolled his eyes, 'Of course I do. I'm not that fuckin uncivilized, ya know?'

She smiled and nodded, 'I know that. But I'm just so happy that you came. That's enough for me.'

He shook his head, 'Well, it's not enough for me.' He heaved a laborious sigh, 'Look, I've been owing ya a dance ever since...prom. I'm rarely ever this nice. Ya should take advantage of this rare opportunity. Now are ya gonna fuckin dance with me or am I gonna have to drag ya out onto the floor?"

Mary chuckled, 'Well, since ya asked so nicely. How can I resist?"

Jon scoffed,' Seriously. Now come on. Lets show these old heads how it's done.'

She shook her head in amusement and laughed as she let him lead her out onto the floor. He slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Once again she was thankful she had chosen to wear heels tonight. The heels gave her just the right amount of height so she could be at eye level with him. They never broke eye contact as they slowly swayed back and forth to the music.

She smiled up at him, 'Thanks for this, Jon. I really appreciate you coming here tonight.'

Jon shook his head, 'Mary,baby. Don't thank me. It's my pleasure.' He smiled softly, 'Ya look fucking beautiful tonight. Sorry it took me so long to mention it.'

Mary ducked her head embarrassingly, 'Yeah. Thanks, but ya didn't have to say that.'

He shrugged his shoulders, saying in a matter of fact tone, 'It's true.'

When he said those words and looked directly into her eyes, she believed him. Never has she felt more beautiful than she did within this moment in his arms. The way he stared at her made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. No one has ever looked at her the way he does. He makes her feel cherished and adored. Now was no exception.

She surprised him by lying her head upon his chest and closing her eyes with a soft smile upon her face. He laid his head atop of hers and gently kissed the crown of her head. He too closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of being in her arms again. As he opened his eyes and looked down at her head resting upon his chest he knew a longing so piercing it damn near brought him down to his knees.

Everyone dissipated in the background and nothing else mattered but the two of them. They rarely get moments such as this. Where the world doesn't matter and all the bullshit just fades into obscurity. They realized in this past few week that time goes by too fast. They had wasted so much time these past few months, letting their hangups and insecurities get the best of them. It took them almost losing one another to fully understand how precious they were to one another. They would be damned if they let one another go so easily again.

The two of them were given a second chance. They were given a clean slate. Opportunities such as this don't come around very often. Even if they couldn't be together like they truly desired, they were going to take what they could get, which is more than either one of them could ever ask for.

The dee jay suddenly cut off the music and announced that it was almost midnight. All of the couples disengaged themselves from one another and started to get ready for the countdown.

Mary and Jon stood there, never once breaking eye contact from one another. They shared a smile as they counted down the seconds until midnight. Just as the clock struck twelve everyone began hooting and hollering and blowing their horns as they celebrated the New Year.

Mary smiled up at him and whispered, 'Happy New Year, Jon.'

Jon cupped her cheeks and leaned down, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. Before he could get too carried away he leaned down and whispered in her ear, 'It is now.'

She closed her eyes and smiled softly. He was right. This was going to be a great year. They had dealt with so much shit over this past year, they deserved something good for a change.

They had no idea what this next year was going to be bring them. They knew one thing's for certain though. Whatever was in store for them, they would face it head on...together.

TBC...Happy New Year Everyone!


	13. Chapter 13

Finally it was Summer break. Mary was happy to be leaving Boston and going back to Ohio. Never did she think she would ever say that. There were many things she left behind back there...Jon most importantly.

Ever since she had helped him get clean their friendship has become even stronger. Those six days they had spent holed up in his apartment bonded them in ways they never had before. They were inextricably connected; mind, body and soul. Nothing or anyone could change that. Whatever they had was for keeps, they knew that now.

They didn't considers themselves lovers. They were far from it actually. Just because you shared a couple kisses it doesn't mean you're automatically in a relationship with someone. There were a lot of contributing factors, such as themselves. They were far too caught up in their hangups and insecurities. Their fears held them back from what they truly wanted, which was each other. It's a scary thing to take that last step. There is no turning point and you can't rewrite history no matter how many times you try.

When he dropped her off at the bus station they didn't make any promises to one another. That wasn't the kind of people they are. They didn't want to create false hopes or try to live up to promises they had no intention on keeping. They didn't even kiss. They hugged and she got onto the bus, leaving him once again. But this time she knew things were going to be different. They were different people. They weren't kids any longer, they haven't been for a very long time. It was high time they started to take the high road and act like adults. They had wasted so much time those three months. They refused to let anymore time go by without each other.

When you finally give yourself over to someone the friendship you once had is changed forever, in every way possible. If they were to put themselves out there their friendship may never be the same, good or bad. If they failed together they could never go back to just 'being friends'. While every great love story is rooted in friendship, there's always that off chance it wouldn't work between them. What happens then? Their friendship would not be able to be salvaged. They didn't want to risk their friendship, they meant far too much to one another. They would much rather have each other in their lives as friends than nothing at all.

Then again, they weren't exactly friends either. They considered themselves to be far much more. They have been to Hell and back with each other. They have witnessed their ugly sides and yet they still stuck around. They were there for each other through thick and thin. They would die for each other and almost had a few times. They weren't friends, but not yet lovers. They didn't like to put a label on what they were to one another. They were just Jon and Mary. It's as simple as that.

The two of them have made sure to keep in touch while she was at school. They talked on the phone almost everyday. No matter what she was doing she made sure to call him and check up on him. She wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself, not just physically but mentally as well. He seemed to be doing fine. Cody had given him his old managing job back and he helped him book matches for HWA. He wasn't wrestling, but he was still involved in the business. He had once told her wrestling was the only thing he was ever good at. He could never fully leave the business behind. No matter how much he tried to run away from it. It was in his blood. Wrestling was his calling in life. It's what he was put on this Earth to do.

Mary wanted him to be happy, but she wished he was still competing. It was the only time he was ever truly happy, but she respected his wishes and didn't press the issue. She thought it best to just let him be to figure out what he wanted. When the time was right he would go back, it was inevitable. For now she was glad he was off the drugs and taking care of himself. His health and sanity were the two most important things in the world to her. Well, at least when it pertains to him anyway. She still had herself to worry about first and foremost.

She was waiting at the bus depot for Jon to pick her up. She had the utmost faith he would arrive. They talked only an hour ago and he had promised he would be there to meet her. A small part of her didn't want to get her hopes up though. He has let her down before, but things were different now. He was different. At least she hoped he was anyway.

Mary's fears dissipated as soon as she saw his beat up Chevy pull into the parking lot. He honked the horn as at her and she waved.

He parked his car where she was standing and got out.

A wide smile formed upon her face as she watched him walking up to her. It felt so good to see him after all these months. He looked really good. He kept his hair short. At least somewhat. His hair was a shaggy mop and it looked as if it hasn't been combed. Then again, it always looked that way. She doesn't even think he owns a comb. His wild hair is something she always associated with him. It's one of the things she liked about him. He wasn't fussy like the boys she went to school with. He didn't spend hours in the mirror making sure his hair was elegantly disheveled. Men are so fucking ironic.

Jon was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a plain white t-shirt with Nike sneakers. He looked like your average twenty-one year old. He even had a tan. He had told her during one of their many phone conversations that since he had time to do things he took up fishing. He said it was something he liked to do. He liked sitting on a boat alone and enjoying the peace and quiet. Out there in the lake he felt a sense of calm unlike he never has before. It was something his and his alone. She was glad he was going out and doing productive things for himself. For so long he had spent his time hopping from city to city. He never took the time to really enjoy things, but now he can finally relax and not have to worry about anything.

He looked so happy. His blue eyes were bright and lucid. He even lost all the extra weight. He was back to his old slim and lanky self again. This was the man she had fallen in love with. It was about damn time she got him back.

When Jon was walking up to her he felt an anxiousness he's never felt before. Not even before a match could he ever remember feeling this nervous before. For the last six months he has been getting his life together. Not just personally but professionally as well. He had made sure to apologize to every single person he has wronged in the last year, including Cody and Les. The two of them had done so much for him and he repaid them by fucking things up, just as he does with anything good that comes in his life. He wanted to make her proud of him. He never wanted her to see him like that again.

He had felt so ashamed and embarrassed that she saw him as a fat, alcoholic drug addict, just like his old man. It was one of the reasons why he stopped talking to her and completely cut her out of his life. It wasn't like he wanted her out of his life. He just didn't want her in his. He was an all around fuck up. He wasn't good to anyone, not even himself. All he did was drink, wrestle, get high and screw random chicks. His life was like one continuously long day. Seeing her at his door that night put things into perspective. The way she looked at him with pity and shame in her eyes made him sick to his stomach. Even now thinking about it makes him disgusted. He never wants to see that look in her eyes ever again. Not if he has something to say about it.

While she was away back at school he took these last six months to reflect on himself and do some soul searching. He started taking care of himself again by going strictly organic. He even gave up meat, but he didn't go vegan. What do you think he is? Some pansy ass hipster?

Jon would run every morning and work out at the gym twice a week. Now that he wasn't wrestling any longer there wasn't any need for him to go everyday. He had no strict schedules to keep. There wasn't any all night drives to go compete in some podunk town making two hundred dollars a night if he was lucky. His life belonged to himself. He had no other person to answer to. For once he could just breathe without having to ask someone first.

Sure, he still worked. He needed the money after all, but it didn't feel like work to him. He loved the gym and he loved Cody. They work well together. They were like brothers in a sense. He was damned glad Cody was man enough to forgive him. He doesn't know what he would if he didn't.

Jon still does enjoy a beer or two, but he doesn't overdo it like before. He knows his limits and can control himself. Yeah, there are times when all he wants to do is pop a couple Xanax and drink a whole six case of beer by himself, but he digresses. Whenever the need gets too strong to handle he'll take out the picture he has of Mary in his wallet and look at it. Kasey had snapped the photo on New Year's Eve. She looked so beautiful that night. The picture was of her sitting by herself looking off into the distance. She probably didn't even know the picture was taken, which is why he liked it. It was rare you would catch her in such a vulnerable moment. She was always so guarded and kept people at a distance, himself included. And to have this rare moment captured forever is something he'll always cherish.

The picture he kept got him through some rough nights thats for damn sure. In all honesty, there were nights when the need for her was so overwhelming that he would take the picture out and jerk off while staring at it. The orgasms he had were some of the best of his life. If he came that hard with just a picture of her, he could only imagine what would happen if he was actually inside of her. He would probably have a fucking heart attack. He always hated himself afterwards. He felt dirty. It was like he was tarnishing and tainting her in a way. He was no better than Slim. But he loved her. The things he felt for her, however sordid they may be came from a good place. He would kill himself before he ever hurt her, which is why he would never let her know. Some secrets are just best left buried.

Besides, he didn't have any reason to get shitfaced drunk and high any longer. He had a lot of people counting upon him, one special person in particular. That special person is standing right in front of him.

He had to admit, it felt good to see her after all this time. For the last six months she has been all he thought about. He couldn't wait to talk to her. They had some great conversations these past six months. It felt good to catch up on lost time. He especially loved reminiscing with her about all the matches he competed in all over the world. She would listen and ask questions and then tell him about what was going on in her life. It's funny, they were basically living separate lives, but by talking to each other all the time they felt like they were apart of it all. They shared everything together, except for what they really wanted the most...each other.

Mary seemed to grown even more beautiful over these last six months. He didn't think that was remotely possible, but she had. Her hair was still as long as it had been, but she lightened it a bit. It was nothing too drastic, but even he could tell she did something with it. He liked it a lighter shade of brown. It brought out her brown eyes and gave her skin a healthy glow. She was wearing jeans and t-shirts for comfort during the long bus ride and flip flops. He couldn't help but notice how tight the jeans were. They were form fitting and hugged the curves of her body. He loved her body. She wasn't rail thin like most of the crackheads around these parts. She had curves and looked healthy. She had the body of a woman. He always knew she would be a beautiful woman.

For so long he had tried ignoring the fact that she was now a woman. As he felt her lush body against his own, he knew she was anything but a little girl. He tricked himself into believing she was still that same scrawny fourteen year he had chased down in the rain. Then suddenly one day he looked at her and realized she had gone and turned into a woman right before his blind eyes. He only knew the girl, he has yet to know the woman. He could not fucking wait to meet her.

She jumped into his arms and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. He lifted her up off her feet to get better leverage.

Mary smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in his familiar scent, 'It's so good to see you.'

Jon's eyes were closed as well and reveled in the scent that's been haunting him for over six months, 'It's good to see you too, baby.'

He has taken to calling her that now. At first she didn't like it. She thought it was sexist and derogatory. It's also what Slim used to call her. But when Jon said it, she didn't think those things. It sounded good coming from him. He didn't say it to get anything from her. She wondered if he even realized he was saying it. She didn't call him out on it though. Maybe she liked it more than she would care to admit.

She took a step back from him and stood upon her tiptoes to cup his cheeks, 'You look so good, Jon. Look at ya.' She shook her head and smiled through her tears, 'Ya look so happy.'

Jon shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and bowed his head in embarrassment. He was always uncomfortable around crying girls. He just never knew what to say. It being Mary just made it all the more worse. He also was not very good at taking compliments. Maybe it's because he's not used to them. He can take the hate, it just fuels his fire. It's the praise which comes rarely.

He shrugged sheepishly, 'I figured since I wasn't wrestling, I better get my lazy ass out there and do somethin, right?'

Mary nodded, 'Yeah...'

Jon cleared his throat and coyly averted his eyes up to her all the while keeping his head bowed, 'Ya look pretty good yourself. Ya look...comfy.'

He groaned inwardly at his choice of words. She gives him all these compliments and all he could think to come up with is she looks comfy. To think he was considered one of the best mic man in independent wrestling and yet he can't string along two sentences to compliment her. If any of his fans or foes caught wind of this his badass reputation would be ruined forever.

She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at his typical Jon response. He was never very good at giving or receiving compliments, 'It's hot as balls out. Wanna get going?'

Jon breathed a sigh of relief, 'Yeah...sure.'

He grabbed her bags off the ground and threw them in the trunk. Mary got into the passenger side and looked at him through the rearview mirror smiling. It was damn good to be back.

Mary was surprised to see they were not taking the typical route to Cody and Kasey's house. She looked out the window curiously, wondering where in the hell they were going.

She looked wearily over at Jon, 'Uh, where are we going?'

Jon took a deep drag of his cigarette and grinned, 'You'll see. It's a surprise.' He rolled his eyes and chuckled as she leaned back in the seat with a huff, 'It's good, I promise. Just sit there and fucking relax.'

Mary scoffed and shook her head, remaining silent. Yeah, he was back alright. Back to being that cocky, arrogant asshole she knew and loved.

Finally they seemed to be coming upon their destination. He pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex. She looked out the window, carefully observing the building. It looked really nice. Most of the apartments had patios and the garden outside was vibrant with different arrays of flowers and rose bushes. The apartment complex was even in the nice part of Albany.

She looked over at him curiously and asked him, 'Why are we here?'

He shrugged, saying in a matter of fact tone, 'I live here now.'

Mary's eyes widened in shock, 'You live here?"

Jon nodded and she asked him, 'Why didn't ya tell me?'

He shrugged his shoulders, 'I just got it last month. I wanted it to be a surprise.' He scratched the back of his neck and heaved a laborious sigh, 'It's two bedrooms. I got it for...us.'

She was rendered speechless at his admission. All she could do was sit there and stare at him in wide-eyed shock, looking like a deer in headlights. She was not expecting this to come so soon. Shit, she wasn't expecting this at all.

Jon saw the look of dread upon her face. He shook his head, 'Look, this was a bad idea. I'll just take ya fuckin back to Cody's. I did this cause I thought ya wouldn't mind havin your own space. Ya can study and shit without interruptions. I know ya didn't fuckin like Cody letting wrestlers crash there.' He bowed his head, saying in a voice above a whisper, 'I didn't like it either. ' He lifted his head staring directly into her eyes, 'Look, I don't wanna scare ya. I want this place to be as much as my home as it is yours. We stick together, ya got it?'

Mary nodded her head, 'Got it.'

He smiled, 'Okay then. Lets go see if this place is girl approved.'

She chuckled and nodded her head, 'Yes...lets.'

There it is. It's as simple as that. He didn't have to beg her and she wouldn't let him. She understood what he was giving to her. He was giving himself, which is more than she could ever ask for.

When they walked into the apartment building, she was happy to see that the green carpets were vacuumed. Even the walls were painted a pastel purple, giving it a vibrant and happy feeling. The halls also smelled like some kind of potpourri. It was a far cry from his old apartment that's for damn sure. She could already tell this place was ten times better.

Mary followed him up the stairs to the third floor. She followed him down a long corridor and they stopped in front of a door at the very end, which she assumed to be his apartment.

She impatiently awaited as he unlocked the door. He opened it wider and let her walk in first. As she walked in she gasped aloud in surprise. It was actually nice. The living room was spacious and was big enough to accommodate a brown leather couch and loveseat. The coffee table situated in the middle of the living room was clean except for an ashtray and a few sports magazines. The walls were white and had a few framed photos of Jon in action during wrestling matches along with pictures of him and his wrestler friends. The floors were all hardwood, even in the kitchen.

Mary slowly made her way into the kitchen. It was so neat and tidy. All the dishes were put away and the countertops were wiped clean. Even the sink was shiny. He must have learned how to clean since she's been away, or he did it for her. She would bet her life upon the latter. Jon was many things, but neat and organized wasn't one of them. He always said to her his messiness was just like the inside of his head. Everything was out of place and disorganized.

He even opened the windows and let the warm Summer air breeze through, making it feel fresh and lively. She stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked around. She was going to like it here. She knew it. There was already one very important thing she liked about the place. Jon lived here.

Jon was leaning his shoulder against the archway between the kitchen and the living room. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was watching her as she observed her surroundings. He felt this sense of male pride as he saw her walking around his apartment...well their apartment. She looked as if she belonged here. It's strange, never did he think he would live with a girl. With the kind of lifestyle he led he just never thought it would be possible. Never did he think he'd be living with someone he wasn't even having a sex with. He thinks he should return his man card and ask for a new one because he's pretty sure his expired. He was really starting to become a pussy. But only with her. She was the only one whom ever got to see him like this. If he had it his way that's how it was going to be from here on out.

'So ya like it?" He asked her.

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I do. But in order to give it a full review I need to see my bedroom and the bathroom.'

Jon scoffed dramatically, 'My fuckin God the bathroom's not up to your standards. Sorry but the jacuzzi was too small to get in.'

She chuckled, knowing he was being sarcastic, 'Whatever smartass. Just show me the rest of the place.'

He nodded and surprised her by taking her hand and bringing her down the hallway.

Jon pointed toward the open door, 'That there's the bathroom.'

Mary poked her head inside. It was not very big, but it was large enough to fit a decent size tub. The walls were painted a dark green that clashed with the bright red shower green. He was a wrestler after all, not an interior decorator.

She nodded, 'I like it.'

He chuckled and pointed toward the closed door next to the bathroom. He cleared his throat and bowed his head, 'That there's...my room.'

Mary nodded, choosing to remain silent as she followed him along, letting him lead her by holding her hand.

Jon opened the door at the very end of the hallway and let go of her hand. He stood next to the door, 'This here's...yours.'

She slowly and cautiously walked into the bedroom. Her eyes widened in shock. He must have given her the master bedroom. It was very spacious and was big enough to fit a queen size bed, which were covered with pale purple bed sheets and a matching comforter. It was her favorite color. The walls were an off white and completely bare, but she would be able to put some posters and pictures to spruce it up a bit.. She was also surprised to see the bedroom had a balcony. He even put a dresser in there for her.

Mary gasped aloud when she saw bags neatly stacked in the corner.

She shook her head in disbelief, 'Ya brought my things over?'

Jon had his hands in his pockets. She has learned over the years it was something he always did when he was nervous or anxious about something. She had to wonder what the hell he was so nervous about. If anything she should be the one who's nervous.

He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly,' Yeah, Kasey brought them over.' He curtly nodded toward the bed, 'She's the one who bought that bed shit for ya.' He chuckled, 'I can't and won't take credit for that.'

Mary chuckled, 'Of course, big man.' She could not help but notice he wouldn't come into her room.

He stood at the threshold, almost as if he were waiting for her permission. No one would ever believe her that the infamous Jon Moxley was a gentleman. But he wasn't 'Mox' around her. He was simply Jonathan Good. The man she loved.

She smiled at him, 'Ya can come in, ya know?'

Jon's eyes widened, 'Ya sure? I don't want ya to think that I can just come and go anytime I please, ya know?'

Mary rolled her eyes and chuckled, 'Just get the fuck in here, Jon.'

He curtly nodded and walked into the room, 'See. I'm in here. Happy?'

She smiled, 'Very.' She put her hands upon her hips, 'What if ya brought all my stuff here and I said no?'

Jon shrugged his shoulders, 'The hell if I know. Didn't think that far ahead. Why, ya thinking of sticking around?'

Mary looked around the bedroom and nodded, 'Yeah, I think I could live here. Besides, someone needs to clean up after you. Cause I know this fuckin place doesn't look like this all the time.'

He nodded and laughed, 'I cleaned up a bit. Just don't open the closet in the kitchen'

'Why?' she asked him curiously.

Jon shrugged, 'Cause that's where I threw all my shit. Don't want it fallin on ya.'

Mary shook her head, 'You're fuckin weird, man.'

He nodded, 'Look who's talkin. Miss paints her nails in the bathtub.'

Her eyes widened, 'How the hell ya know I do that? Ya spying on me in the tub?'

Jon's face became crimson red. It was more like a full on body blush. His eyes widened and a look of dread came upon his face, 'I would...never...I didn't...'

Mary gently punched him in the shoulder and giggled, 'Knock it off. I was only fucking joking.' She rolled her eyes, 'And they say women take things literally.' She sighed, 'In all seriousness though, how much is rent?'

He shook his head confusingly, 'Why the hell do ya care?"

She scoffed, 'Cause I wanna know how much to give ya for rent per month along with utilities and stuff."

Jon shook his head, 'No way. I don't want your fucking money. '

Mary sighed, 'Why not? I'm going to live here too. I wanna contribute.'

He waved his hand dismissively in the air, 'No. I can take care of my shit. I saved up enough money. I don't need yours.'

She gave him an incredulous look, 'I don't understand why you're being so hard headed about this. We're roommates aren't we? Don't roommates split the rent and shit?'

Jon shook his head, 'We're not roommates, Mary.'

Mary nodded, 'Then what are we?"

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, 'We're...friends. I did this because I wanna make sure you're safe.'

She let out a shaky sigh, 'Jon, ya can't protect me from the world. I'm nineteen years old. I live on my own and can take care of myself. I've been doing it most of my life. I don't like to owe people, ya know? If anyone should understand that it's you.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Ya don't fucking owe me anything, ya hear me? If anything I should owe you.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, you don't'

He scoffed, 'Yeah, fucking trying to choke the life outta ya for not giving me alcohol and pills. I don't owe ya anything.' He was being sardonic and his naturally raspy voice went an octave lower indicating to her he was upset about something,

Jon bowed his head and stared directly down onto the floor below him. She knew that he had felt guilty for the way he treated her those days in his apartment. The despicable things he had said to her. The way he manhandled and belittled her. He'll never be able to forgive himself for that. Not once did she leave his side. She ignored his words and continued to take care of him. In those trying days within those moments he finally knew what real love was. It was sticking by the person you love through thick and thin, never once judging them for their actions. You see them for who they really are and what they can be. They see something within you when no one else bothered to look.

She walked over to him and took his hand, 'I know that wasn't you. It was the withdrawal symptoms. '

He lightly grazed her neck with the tip of his finger, 'I hurt ya.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, ya didn't. _YOU _didn't do that. Do ya understand me, Jon?'

When he gets this way, she has to talk to him like a child. Her voice is soft and her words are simple, but they clearly say what she's trying to convey. He always seems to understand.

Jon nodded his head, 'I'm better now. I just wanna let ya know that.' He shrugged, 'I mean I go to the bar and have a couple beers, but nothing like before. I haven't touched a Perc or Xanax since...that night. '

She smiled and nodded, 'You don't have to explain yourself, Jon.' She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, 'I can see that for myself.'

He returned her smile, 'So...ya staying?'

Mary shrugged, 'I guess I could stay for a little while. My villa in France is getting renovated this Summer. I guess I'll just have to slum it in Ohio.'

Jon chuckled. She had this ability to make him feel completely miserable and happy right in the span of minutes. He was always a miserable bastard, but at least he didn't have to be miserable alone. Not anymore.

'But I'm still buying groceries, okay?" She said to him with her hands on her hips. He knew when she stood like that she meant business.

He lifted his hands up in defeat, 'Okay okay, sheesh. Ya drive a hard bargain, baby.'

Mary lightly shoved him, 'Ya better believe it. Now leave me be. I have girly stuff to take care of.'

Jon nodded and chuckled, 'Have fun with that. I was thinking we could go get something to eat. Ya hungry?'

She nodded, 'I could eat.'

He smirked when he heard those familiar words come out of her mouth. It took him back to the old times they shared, reminding him of the moments that made him fall in love with her.. Judging by the grin upon her face, she was thinking along the same lines.

Jon walked over to the door and pointed toward the living room,' I'm gonna go and watch some Sportscenter or something. Ya just let me know when you're ready'

Mary smiled and nodded her head, 'Yeah, sure. I'm just gonna go get a quick shower and change.'

He nodded and forced a smile upon his face. He didn't need the image of her in the shower inside of his head. It was bad enough her room was right across from his, but the thought of her naked only a few feet away from him was too much to comprehend. Maybe he really hadn't thought this living arrangement through. It was going to be a really long three months, He just hopes his heart and sanity can make it that long.

Jon gave her a wink and closed the door. When he was out in the hallway he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He was really starting to rethink being sober all the time. That woman would drive any damn man to drink.

TBC...Mary has a surprise in store for Jon...get your minds out of the gutter hahaha!

Also, in the next chappy ROAD TRIP.

Mary and Jon on the beach at night ;)

Until Next Time...

Thanks for reading my beautiful people. Hope ya enjoyed the installment. More to come...


	14. Chapter 14

The next month seemed to fly by without them even realizing it. They were far too preoccupied with their lives to notice time was quickly passing them by. Mary was busy with work while Jon was busy managing the gym for Cody who was on the road competing in matches. It was a good thing they worked at the same place or they would hardly see each other.

They have adapted to living together these past four weeks. Surprisingly, Jon made the transition of living with a woman fairly easy. Then again Mary was no ordinary woman. This was someone he actually wanted around on a daily basis.

The two of them fell into somewhat of a routine. After work they would go home together and she would cook dinner while he helped her with the dishes. They would settle onto the couch and watch a movie or play video games. His male pride was wounded when she beat him at Call of Duty a few times, but he handled it like a gentleman. Okay, so he threw the controller down on the floor and swore up and down she was cheating, but she just laughed and told him to suck it up. She especially liked the times where she would be sitting on the couch reading a book while he would be watching whatever sports game was on at the time. They didn't even have to say a word. They were content to just enjoy the silence and comfort in knowing they were together.

Jon and Mary liked the comfort of sharing a home together. After the day was over and the chaos ceased they could go back to their apartment and just enjoy being together. They never had a place where they felt as if they belonged. They never had anyone to come home to. This was the first real home they've ever had because they were together. Wherever the two of them where, as long as they were together; that's home to them.

It was a Saturday morning and Jon was out on another one of his fishing excursions. He had asked if she wanted to tag along, but she declined. She didn't feel right intruding upon his personal time. She knew he cherished this time alone, no matter how much he may try to deny it. She wanted him to have something that was his and his alone. It wasn't healthy for them to spend every single waking moment together. They lived together. It's bad enough they worked together. It's a wonder they haven't killed each other by now, which is why she always made sure they gave each other space. She had her own hobbies and he had his and they met in the middle.

Mary was thankful he was out of the apartment. It not only gave her time to clean up around the house, but it also gave her the opportunity to finalize the big surprise she had in store for Jon. This is something she's been working upon for almost a year now. She could not believe after all this time it was finally happening. She had to admit, she was afraid of his reaction. This would be something which would inevitably change the rest of his life. It's not something she's taking lightly. She just hoped he would understand why she was doing this. She would not be able to forgive herself if it was a mistake. The man's had so much disappointment in his life. She didn't want her surprise to be one of them.

She was on the phone making arrangements for his surprise when she heard the door being opened. She quickly cut the conversation short and put her cellular phone back in her pocket. She hated sneaking around on him. It cheapened the meaning behind her actions. She didn't feel right lying to him, but she had the best intentions. She was doing this for his own good. She knew he wouldn't agree to this otherwise. He was a stubborn and hardheaded son of a bitch, just like herself. By keeping him in the dark she was not only protecting herself, but him as well. She just hoped to God none of this blew up in her face.

Jon walked through the door and put his fishing gear by the door. He never brought any of the fish he caught home. After he hooked them he would throw them right back into the water. He didn't do it for the food. He loved just sitting in the boat, enjoying a few beers and idly watching the fish slyly avoid his pole.

Mary smiled as she looked at him. He was wearing a pair of jeans, flip flops and an orange t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. His head was covered with his beat up army fatigue hat he always liked to wear. Sweat was pouring off of him from the heat and his skin was flushed, indicating to her he was either overheated or forgot to put on sunscreen. She would bet her life upon the latter. She always made sure to put it in his knapsack before he went out, but he never used it. He always said it was for pussies, but she was always the one whom had to deal with him whining about how bad his sunburn was itching. Men are such fucking babies.

Jon smiled at her, 'Hey, what's going on?"

Mary shrugged, 'Nothing much, just got done cleaning up.'

He nodded, 'Ya know ya don't have to clean up. You're not the maid.'

She nodded her head, 'I know that, but this is my place too.' She scoffed, 'Besides, if I didn't clean up this place would be a pig sty.'

Jon chuckled, 'Ya know that's the fucking truth.'

Mary handed him a bottle of water. He smiled gratefully, 'Thanks.'

She nodded, 'No problem. How was it out there today? Ya catch a lot of fish?'

He shrugged,'Nah, it was pretty quiet out there today. It's the season where everyone fucking likes going out there. I just enjoy the peace, ya know?'

Mary smiled, 'I do.'

She could not get over how much he has changed these last seven months. He was more laid back and calm. He didn't let things get to him as much as he used to. He goes with the flow and takes things as they come along. Sure, he still has his temper. That will never change. A zebra just doesn't change his stripes. He just doesn't get angry over the the things that are out of his control. He's grown so much as a person. He seems happier and more relaxed. He was slowly but surely becoming the man she knew he could be.

Jon was standing in the kitchen looking at her, wondering how in the hell he got so lucky. Even after a month of living with her, he still could not wrap his psyche around the fact she was here. He couldn't understand why someone like her wanted to live with a fuck up such as himself.

Everyday after work she comes up to him and tells him she's ready to go home. He always feels like pinching himself when he hears those words. He never thought he would ever have that, someone whom he could share every aspect of himself with.

Living with her has given him moments he would treasure for the rest of his life. She actually gave him something no one else ever could...a home. She accepted him for he was and didn't judge him for it. She took care of his sorry ass. He needed someone like her to keep him in line. He doesn't know how the hell he had survived without her all these years. Shit, he almost didn't.

Every time he walked through the door and saw her here he was unable to believe this was his reality. He would not be surprised if this was all some hallucination brought on by his drug addled mind. He was always expecting to one day wake up and realize he was all alone in that shithole apartment he used to live in. He was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was waiting for the day when she would smarten up and come to the realization that she was wasting her time on a screw up such as himself. She would realize she was better than him and could find someone who actually had his shit together.

Jon never liked to get his hopes up. No matter how much he wanted something. He was always prepared for the disappointment. He would never be able to deal with her rejecting him, which is why he never put himself out there. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing that pity in her eyes. He would rather shove everything deep down inside than risk the chance of losing her. Besides, she didn't see him that way. She never once gave him any indication she felt the same as he did. She thought of him as the big brother she never had.

There was once a time when he was content in that role, but now he wanted more. He wanted things from her he knew she wasn't willing or ready to give. Sure, living with her has been great, but it was also pure torture. Every single time she would shyly look at him or do something as simple as touch his arm, he wanted to throw her up against the wall and fuck the living daylights out of her. He would lie in bed in the middle of the night and think about her in the next room. It took all of the insurmountable strength within him not to go to her and finally make her his. It was dangerous thoughts such as that which drive him to the gym in the middle of the night to beat the shit out of a punching bag just to let off some steam.

As he looked at her standing in the kitchen, he felt that all too familiar ache in the pit of his stomach he only associated with her. She was wearing a pair of drawstring pants and a baggy black tee shirt. Her hair was in a messy bun. She wasn't wearing makeup. He could tell she just got out of bed because her eyes were still glassy from sleep and she appeared to be a little groggy. She never looked more beautiful to him. He always liked her this way. She was stripped bare. Gone was the strong facade she maintained around others. It was rare people got to see her like this, exposed and vulnerable. It made him happy she was comfortable enough around him to be herself.

Whenever he looked at her got this piercing ache within his chest that made him feel as if he were internally suffocating. She made his fucking blood boil without having to do anything. Even a simple gesture ignited the flame inside of him. He wanted her all the time. It was all he could think about. It was this sick and twisted obsession that could never be satiated. Sometimes the need is so bad he feels like he's going mad and buckle under the weight of it. He's never wanted anything in his life as much as he wants her, not even wrestling. It made him feel weak and powerless. These are two things he was rarely used to feeling.

If he was the same old person he was before he would hate her for this. He would push her away and do everything in his power to make sure she would never want to see him again. But he couldn't do that. That's something the 'old him' would do. He wasn't that same person anymore and never wanted to be again. She had a hand in shaping the man he is today. He had been a fool to let her walk out of his life once. He would not make the same mistake again. As he has said before, he would much rather have her in his life as a friend than not have her at all.

Jon needed to get out of this kitchen with her or he was going to do something he would most likely regret. All he needed was a cold shower. He's been taking a lot of those in the past month.

He finished the water bottle in one big gulp and threw it in the trash, 'I'm gonna go get changed.'

Mary nodded, 'Okay.' She took a moment of deliberation to gather her thoughts, 'I...uh...have something to ask you.'

Jon crossed his arms over his chest, bracing himself for whatever she had to say, 'Yeah sure...shoot.'

She heaved a laborious sigh, 'I planned a little trip for us.'

His eyes widened in surprise, 'What kinda trip?"

Mary shrugged, 'Nothing big really. I just have some people I would like ya to meet in...Kentucky.'

Jon shook his head in bafflement, 'Kentucky? What the fuck's there? Ya have family there or somethin'

She shook her head, 'No...I don't. 'She sighed, 'Look, I can't really explain everything right now. All I'm asking for you to do is trust me. Can ya do that?'

He looked at her wearily and tentatively nodded his head, 'Yeah, I can.'

He was being truthful. He did trust her. He trusted her with everything he had in him, which is what scared him the most. He had no idea what she had in mind once they got there, but he had complete faith in her she would not do anything to maliciously hurt him. At least he hoped so anyway.

'Who's gonna watch the gym while we're gone? Cody's in Texas for an event.'

She waved her hand in the air, 'Eh, don't worry about it. I have it all taken care of. Kasey and Clint are gonna keep an eye on things while we're gone.' She smiled, 'Don't worry about it. I have it all under control. You go and get changed and I'll get all our shit together.'

Jon nodded, 'Should I bring clothes? How long we stayin?"

She shrugged and smiled sheepishly, 'I don't know. Honestly, I haven't planned that far out yet. Now go get your shower buddy cause you smell like fish and sweat.' She scrunched her nose, 'And burn those clothes please.'

He chuckled and nodded, 'Okay.' He shook his head, 'Shit, you're such a fuckin drill sergeant. Maybe we should get you to run the drills at the gym.'

Mary laughed, 'Somebody gotta keep ya in line.'

Jon nodded his head and smiled. He couldn't agree more. He just didn't need anybody though. He needed her.

As they were driving down the highway, Jon was sitting in the passenger seat while Mary was driving. They figured it was logical for her to drive considering she knew where they were going.

Jon was lounging back in the seat with his feet propped upon the dashboard. He was smoking a cigarette as he bobbed his head along to The Deftones playing on the cd player. This music really wasn't her style, but it was his favorite band. He even used a couple of their songs as his entrance music. She figured since he was blindly trusting her she could put up with his sorry excuse for music.

Mary quickly glanced over at him and smiled. His eyes were closed as he was relaxing just sitting back and enjoying the music. She was happy he had agreed to come with her. She honestly doesn't know what she would have done if he hadn't. All that hard work she had put in the last year would have been pointless. It warmed her heart that he would put this much faith and trust in her without even knowing the details. He was not a man whom easily trusted and for good reason. She felt honored to be one of the lucky few who he let his guard down with.

She had also slyly asked him to dress up a bit. She didn't ask for him to wear a suit and tie or anything like that. It was far too damn hot anyway. She had asked him to dress casual yet neat looking. Surprisingly he had done a very good job. He was wearing khaki shorts with a brown leather belt and a gray polo. His hair was still wild and messy, but at least it was clean. His face was still covered in three day old stubble, but he pulled it off. He cleaned up really well. Any girl would be damn proud to be on his arm.

These past few months have treated him well. He looked so young. He had more of positive outlook on life. He was still an asshole though. Some things will never change.

Jon broke her train of thought by asking her, 'So, how far is it to Kentucky?'

Mary shrugged keeping her eyes on the road, 'I don't know, like three,four hours tops.' She smiled, 'Why getting antsy all ready?'

He shook his head, 'Nah, just askin. Ya still not gonna tell me where we goin?"

She grinned, shaking her head, 'Nope.'

Jon chuckled and nodded, 'Okay, be like that. I guess this is your way of getting me back for moving your things in my place without asking, isn't it?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, I'm doing this cause I want to.' She turned to him and met his gaze directly, 'Cause you deserve it.'

He looked out the window, avoiding her gaze, 'I doubt that, Mary.'

Jon had spoke his words so low she could barely hear him over the wind. She wondered if he did this on purpose. He knew she didn't like hearing him put himself down. He was his own worst enemy at times. He gave himself a hard time about everything. He was never satisfied. He was always blaming his shortcomings on reasons why he didn't succeed. Ever since she met him she made it her life's duty to show him he was more than the sum of his parts. He was more than a brawler from the wrong side of the tracks. He was an extraordinary man who had so much to offer to the world, to himself.

Mary hoped this surprise she had for him would clear his mind about any doubts of her intentions. She wanted him to see that there was someone who loved him and wanted to make sure he was happy. He deserved nothing less.

'Ya hungry?' She asked him.

Jon shrugged and grinned, 'I could eat.'

Mary chuckled, 'Hey that's my line. No, but really though. Are ya hungry? Cause there's a gas station coming up that probably has a convenience store. I need to fill up on gas and I'm fuckin starving.'

He shook his head, 'You're always hungry. I don't even know where you put it.'

She scoffed, 'Have ya seen my ass lately?"

Jon looked over at her with an intense look in his eyes, 'Yeah...I have.'

She didn't even have to turn her head. She could feel his stare boring into her, fleshing Goosebumps upon her skin. She regretted her words as soon as she said them. She meant for them to be a lighthearted comment, but the way he was looking at her was anything but. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks brought on by his response. She wished his air conditioning was still working. It was really starting to become hot. She could feel the sweat pooling between her legs making her feel uncomfortable under the rough leather seats.

Mary rubbed her legs together, trying to squelch the pulsating aching throb between her legs. The friction in her legs only seemed to make things worse. This feeling has been happening to her ever since she moved in with Jon. She couldn't explain why she felt this way. It happened at the most inopportune times. All he had to do was look at her or brush up against her and she would could feel the heat in the pit of her belly and the wetness on her panties. She wasn't stupid nor naive. She knew it was arousal. She was a nineteen year hormonal girl in the prime of her life. It was normal for her to feel these things. She was anything but normal. Her right to choose was stolen from her. Her innocence was savagely and cruelly taken from her at such an early age.

It's a funny thing though. Jon is the only man who makes her feel this way. He stimulates not just her body, but her mind and soul as well. She wanted to belong to him. Never did she think she would say that.

Regardless of what may happened to her in the past, she is still a virgin in her heart. She doesn't consider what Slim did to her to be something that defines her. It took a long time for her to finally realize that. Through healing she could start anew and from a clean slate. She vowed to herself that whomever she chose to give her body to would be someone she loved. Most importantly, it's someone whom _she _chooses. As she sat there coyly looking over at Jon, she knew she had found the one to give herself to. It's just a shame he didn't want what she was offering to him.

Jon hadn't meant to be so honest with her, but he couldn't help himself. Being stuck in a car with her for three hours was really breaking his calm, especially with her wearing that dress. She had taken off her denim jacket, revealing the spaghetti straps underneath. The material of the floral dress was thin and he was pretty sure she wasn't wearing a bra. He wished he remembered to bring his sunglasses. He didn't want her catching him ogling her the entire car ride. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head and tendrils of curls were framing her face. His hands balled into tight fists to keep himself from reaching up and touching those curls and twirling them in his fingers..

This girl was a test to the small amount of sanity he had left. She challenged his self-control and made him think things that scared even him. His want for her bordered upon desperation. It was times such as this in which he missed the drugs the most. For a small amount of time he could forget about the want, the need and the ache for her. Most importantly, his love for her.

When they pulled into the gas station, they both got out to stretch their legs. They looked around the surrounding area and frowned. There was nothing but farmland for miles. The gas station was the only establishment along the long stretch of road. It looked to be just a stop solely for people who were just passing through. It didn't looked as if anybody lived here at all. As if they would want to.

'Ya want me to pump the gas?" Jon asked her.

Mary shook her head, 'Nah, I'll do it. Just because I'm a girl it doesn't mean I can't pump my own gas.'

He curtly nodded his head and grinned, 'Yeah okay, smartass.' He handed her his wallet, 'Here, my credit card's in there me a bottle of water and some protein bar.'

She nodded, 'Okay, but this place doesn't look like anybody here can spell protein let alone have food like that.'

Jon rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Then beef jerky. I don't care. Just as long it's not junk food. I don't eat like you. I swear you fuckin crunch Cheetos and snort them.'

Mary punched him in the shoulder playfully, 'Fuck you. I like Cheetos.' She shrugged, 'Who cares? I work out and run everyday. I will never ever in a million years give up Cheetos. Not even for you.'

He shook his head in amusement, 'Whatever. Ya gonna fuckin pump the gas or are ya expecting it to pump itself?'

She said not a word to him. She rolled her eyes and walked away, making sure to give him the middle finger.

Jon shook his and chuckled as he sat got back in the car and waited for her to come back.

Thankfully they had Power Bars. She didn't feel like hearing him bitch and moan about being hungry the whole ride to Kentucky. No one would believe her that the infamous Jon Moxley was a whiner, but he always, especially when he wanted something. In other words, he was like every typical male in the world.

Mary brought her snacks over the cash register and looked out at Jon. She smiled when she saw him sitting in the passenger seat, headbanging to the heavy metal music which was blasting from the speakers. It was so loud she could hear it from where she was standing. He seemed to be having a good time by himself. He was banging his hands against the dashboard as he sang along to the words. Leave it up to her to forget her camera at home. This was a moment that needed to be captured forever. It would be hell of blackmail pawn that's for sure.

The cashier rung her up and she opened up his wallet to get out his credit card. Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a small gasp of surprise when she came upon a photo of herself. She took it out and studied it carefully. She didn't recognize the picture, but she knew it was taken on New Years Eve because of what she was wearing. She doesn't remember anybody taking her picture that night. She definitely would have remembered that. She didn't like her picture taken. It was unnerving to see yourself staring back at you. It made you realize your flaws and how everyone else perceives you.

Her mother didn't have pictures of her. Her mom was more worried about getting high and selling her ass than she did about taking photos of her own child. The only pictures she had were from her grandmother. When she died she had taken her photo album. It was the only memento she had of the better part of her childhood. It was the moments in her childhood she actually reflected upon in a positive way.

Mary could not believe he had this photo after all this time. She was curious as to whom had given it to him. She knew he didn't take it. Taking pictures was never his thing. It looked to be professionally shot. Someone at the party must have given to him, but whom was unclear to her at the moment. She thought about the significance of this photo and what it meant to him. It obviously meant something to him because he was carrying it around in his wallet. The edges of the photo were frayed and worn, almost as if someone had been frequently holding it.

Tears filled her eyes as she came to the realization of what this meant. Jon was not the kind of man who would just walk around with a person's photo and it not mean anything. He even still had a picture of his little cousin in his wallet. He wanted these pictures tucked away for safekeeping. Maybe she wasn't as alone in this as she thought.

She was ripped out of her reverie by the cashier calling out to her, 'Miss? Miss?"

Mary shook her head, clearing it out of its haze. She chuckled nervously, 'Sorry, I've been driving a long time.' She handed him over the credit card, hoping to God the cashier didn't notice her tears.

After paying for the food and gas, she went back out to the car. The short walk back to the car felt like the longest walk of her life. She didn't know how to face him with this new information. She wouldn't be able to look at him the same way again. Seeing that photo shed light on a lot of gray areas for her. It put so much shit into perspective. Shit that she's been denying to herself for way too long.

When he saw her, he turned the music down and stuck his head out the window, 'What ya get me?"

Mary took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. She didn't want to let on that something was up. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass him or herself for that matter.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, 'Well, they were all out of new attitudes, but I got ya a bottle of water and a Power Bar.'

Jon nodded, 'That'll do."

Mary threw him the bag along with his wallet onto his lap while she went to go pump the gas. It was best to not just mention it at all. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone kept pictures of people who meant something to them. But with a guy like Jon it meant so much.

No more than three hours later they finally reached the Kentucky state lines.

Jon stuck his head out the window with a cigarette clenched in between his teeth. He closed his eyes as he felt the wind hitting him. Almost the whole upper part of his body was out the window and he was holding onto the door for leverage.

Mary grabbed onto his leg to get his attention while keeping her eyes on the road, 'Yo, doofus. Can ya not fucking do that? You're gonna make me crash or get yourself killed. Or worse I could get a fucking ticket. I already have one unpaid parking ticket. I can't afford another one.'

He slid back into the car and laughed, 'All ya fuckin do is worry all the time. Don't ya ever live on the edge?.'

She quickly glanced over at him and grinned, 'I live with you don't I?"

Jon nodded his head and chuckled, 'Fair enough.' He sighed, 'So now that we're fuckin in this shithole. How far til we get to...what's the name of the place again?"

Mary smiled, 'Wilder and if my GPS is correct then we're about twenty minutes away.'

He was drumming his hands impatiently upon his legs as he curtly nodded his head, 'So ya still not gonna tell me what we're doing here?'

She shook her head and smirked, 'You'll find out soon enough. ' She scoffed, 'You boys are so impatient. And men say women are bad.'

Jon huffed, 'Shit, women are the reason why beer was invented.'

Mary rolled her eyes and smiled, choosing to remain silent. She had a comeback, but didn't want to get him started. Once you got him rolling there was no stopping him. She didn't have the time to argue with him over his chauvinistic views. She had far more important things to worry about, such as how Jon was going to handle everything.

The whole ride here she has been anxious and apprehensive about the whole thing. It took everything within her not to turn around and go back home, but she stopped herself. She was doing the right thing. He needed to do this or he could never move forward in the future. He was always living in the past, punishing himself for his mistakes. She had to make him see that life was worth living. He could never fully heal unless he did this. He may not understand her reasoning, but he would thank her in the end. That's what she hoped at least.

His eyes widened when Mary drove into what appeared to be a townhome community of some kind. All of the ranch homes seemed to be newly built. The private road was neatly swept and the lawns outside were groomed and well maintained. Everything was so bright and shiny. It reminded him of the Stepford Wives movie Cody made him watch on the road one time..

Jon shook his head in bafflement, 'What the fuck are we doin here? This ain't our kind of place, baby. Ya win the lottery or some shit?'

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'No, I told you. There's some people I want ya to meet here.'

He nodded, 'Ya keep saying that, but I don't know what's goin on. I don't like being kept in the dark, Mary. Makes me fucking edgy ya know?'

She heaved a laborious sigh and nodded her head, 'Believe me, I know. Which is why I would never do anything to hurt you. Ya know that right?'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...I do.'

Mary smiled softly and parked the car in front of one of the homes. She turned off the ignition and looked up at the home. Now that she was here she was beginning to have second thoughts, but it was too late to turn back now. They mine as well just bite the bullet and get it over with.

'Ya ready?" She asked him.

He shrugged, 'I guess. Wish I knew what the hell I was ready for.'

Mary ignored his words and got out of the car.

Before they walked up to the home, Mary turned to him and stood upon her tiptoes to put her hands upon his shoulders.

She met his gaze directly as she said, 'Just remember that I'm doing this because I care for you, okay? I want to see you happy. This is for your own good. Do ya got me?'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah, I got ya.'

Mary smiled, 'Good.' She straightened up the collar of his polo and took his hand, 'Come on, lets get this over with.'

He sighed as he led her take the lead, for once in their relationship.

She rang the doorbell a few times and waited for someone to answer. She had exchanged text messages with the woman making sure everything was all good. She just hoped the woman didn't back down. She doesn't know what she would do if she had second thoughts. Not after all she had to do to make this happen. She knew someone must be home because there was a Ford Explorer and an SUV parked in the driveway. She knew these people had money. She always felt uncomfortable around rich people. Judging by the look on John's face, he was just as unnerved as she was.

Thankfully, the door opened to reveal a woman standing there. She was petite standing at about five foot four. Her sunny blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing khaki pants and a pink v-neck shirt. She was a considerably pretty woman for her age and looked to be in her late thirties to early forties. Just looking at this woman screamed money. She had WASP written all over her.

The woman averted her eyes back and forth between them wearily, as if wondering who they were.

Mary smiled at the woman and took the lead, 'Hi, I'm Mary Ambrose. We talked on the phone.'

The woman's eyes widened with recognition, 'Oh yes. Mary of course. ' She extended her hand outward, 'It's so nice to finally meet you.'

Mary shook her hand and nodded, 'You as well.' She turned her attention toward Jon, 'This is...Jonathan Good. The...man I was telling you about.'

The woman nodded, 'Yes, Jon.' She extended her hand out in greeting to him.

Jon looked at her hand wearily, not knowing what to do. He always felt uncomfortable in these kinds of situations. You know social interactions...not really his forte. The only time he ever felt normal was inside of a wrestling ring.

He slowly and cautiously shook her hand, 'Wanna tell me who you are?"

The woman nodded and smiled, 'I'm Deborah. An acquaintance of Mary's.'

Jon averted his eyes between the two women. He shook his head in bafflement, 'I'm pretty sure Mary didn't drive for three hours just so I could meet an acquaintance. What the hell's goin on?'

He hadn't meant to speak so out of line, but he didn't like to be kept in the dark for long. He liked to know what he was getting into, especially if it pertained to him. He didn't like secrets and he most certainly didn't like to be manipulated. He was on edge and anxious. He had this sense of dread that he just couldn't shake. He just hoped his fears weren't warranted.

The two women shared a knowing look.

Deborah opened the door wider, 'Why don't ya two come inside.'

Mary looked at Jon, silently asking for his permission. He curtly nodded his head. He also could not help but notice she held onto his hand the entire time. It let him know she wasn't going anywhere, that she was going to stick by him no matter what.

Jon looked around at the home. It was gorgeous inside. All the furniture was beige and looked really expensive. He wondered if anyone even used it. There was art deco aligning the walls along with fancy throw rugs and statues of shit he didn't care to know about. Everything was so fancy. The living room looked like something out of a magazine. Shit, even the curtains were color coordinated with everything. The entire room was pristine and looked untouched. He wondered if anyone really lived here. It looked like something out of a movie set.

'Can I get you two anything to drink?" Deborah asked them.

They both declined her offer.

Deborah sighed, 'Sorry my husband couldn't be here to meet you. He's away on business. He's an assets attorney so he's away a lot.'

Mary nodded her head, 'That's fine. So can we...?'

Deborah nodded, 'Oh yes. Sure. She's right out back. Come with me.'

Jon's eyes squinted in confusion. He wondered who in the hell they were talking about. His heart began racing as they made their way through the long corridor and entered the kitchen.

Deborah stopped in front of two sliding glass doors that seemed to lead out onto the backyard. The yard was large enough to fit an inground pool and a swing set. He's never been inside a house this nice before. He didn't feel like he belonged here. Maybe it's due to the fact that he didn't.

Deborah pointed outside through the glass, 'She's on the patio having lunch. I talked to her about why you're here.' She averted her attention to Jon, 'Do you want to go say hi to her?'

Jon let go of Mary's hand to look out the window. His eyes widened and he gasped aloud by whom he saw. He was so shocked he stumbled back a few steps. He blinked his eyes rapidly, unable to believe what he was seeing. She may have been a bit older, but there's no mistaking it. It was Olivia. His little cousin. Never did he think he would ever see her again. He thought she was lost to him forever.

He shook his head in astonishment as tears filled his eyes. When he finally gained the strength to speak, he said, 'How did you...?' He was unable to finish his sentence for he was so shocked.

Mary laid her hand upon his back to comfort him, 'Remember when I told ya that I got that internship at the adoption center?"

Jon nodded his head, urging her with his eyes to continue, 'Well, I did some research and found the social worker that originally handled the case. I talked to her and told her who I was and explained to her everything. At first she was hesitant, but I was consistent and she finally sent me over a name...Deborah's. I called her and here we are.'

Deborah nodded, 'I'll admit I was a little scared at first, but I remembered you.' She smiled, 'I know how hard you tried to fight for her. I saw you in the courtroom every day. It broke my heart to see you in those circumstances. I wanted to take you home too, but my husband wouldn't let me. ' Tears filled her eyes as she let out a shaky sigh, 'I just wanna let you know. I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't trying to be cruel. I just wanted a child of my own. I always wanted a child but couldn't conceive on my own. When I saw Olivia and learned of her circumstances, I knew this was God's way of telling me this was meant to be.'

He stood there silently, listening to her words. For so many years he has held so much anger inside of him. He vowed vengeance on the people who took Olivia away from him. But as he stood here now in this moment he realized how much of a fucking idiot he had been. He had been so blinded by his hatred and anger he never once stopped and thought she was better off without him. It was obvious she was loved. Deborah seemed like a very nice lady. He has always been very good at reading people. In the neighborhood he lived in it was a very resourceful ability to have. They had money and structure. This was a good place for her. She looked happy sitting outside enjoying her lunch.

For so many years he had wondered where she was or what she was doing. He always thought the worst, that she was lying dead in some crack house somewhere. He had been beating himself up for nothing. Fuck, he envied the life she had. If she had stayed with him there's no telling what she would have become. It was too scary for him to even think about it. She probably would have ended up just like her mother, lying dead in an alley from a meth overdose..

'Can I see her?" Jon asked her.

Deborah nodded, 'Of course. She's expecting you. I didn't change her name. I wanted ya to know that. I thought it was a fitting name for her.'

He nodded his head and looked to Mary, drawing upon her strength in this moment.

Mary smiled soft and met his gaze, 'I'm going to stay here with Deborah. Ya go on out there. You two have a lot to catch up on.'

Jon nodded his head. He was too rendered speechless to say a word. He opened the sliding glass door and slowly walked out onto the patio.

Olivia was alerted to his presence. Her eyes widened as she looked upon him. She sat there as if sizing him up. He looked into her eyes, hoping to see any recognition. She was only five years old when she was taken from him. A lot of years have passed. He didn't blame her if she didn't remember him.

He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and smiled, 'Hey.'

A small smile formed upon her face, 'Hi. So mom tells me you're my cousin?"

Jon nodded, 'That's right. '

He could not get over how much she's grown up. She was twelve years old. Time goes by so fast without us even noticing. We take for granted the things we have in our lives. It's only when they're taking from us do we really appreciate the value they have to our lives.

Olivia was such a beautiful little girl, but always has been. She also spoke very well. She was always smart as a whip. She had long reddish blonde hair, much like his own and was fair skinned. She seemed to be tall for her age as well. Height was one thing that was common in their family. Almost everyone was tall, including the girls. This was her alright. He could not fucking believe it.

Jon took a seat next to her and asked, 'Ya remember me at all?'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'Kinda. I do remember you taking me to the park and pushing me really high on the swing.'

He chuckled, 'Yeah, ya would make me push ya so high. I thought ya were gonna fall off, but ya loved it.'

Olivia smiled shyly, 'Yeah."

The tears that have been threatening to fall from his eyes were finally spilled. He could not hold them in any longer. He quickly wiped them away and took a few deep breaths to get his emotions under control. He was acting more like the twelve year old little girl than she was. He was just so overwhelmed with emotions. This had to be the happiest day of his life...hands down. So forgive him if he gets a little emotional.

Olivia sighed, 'So, how's grandma?'

Jon shook his head and forced a smile, 'She's doing...good.'

He hated lying to the girl, but it was not as if he could tell her the truth. His mom was good alright. She was a good for nothing crack head who made her money whoring around town. He couldn't very well tell her the reason why she was taken from him is because his mother was a loser. He wanted her to only remember the good parts. He didn't want her to live with the same kind of memories that haunt him.

Olivia smiled, 'So, mom tells me you wrestle? Are you like John Cena.'

Jon shook his head and chuckled, 'I hope not.' He nodded his head, 'But I do wrestle...or did. I kinda took a break for a while.'

Olivia nodded, 'That's cool. I don't really like wrestling but all the boys in my school do.' She rolled her eyes, 'That's all they talk about.'

He laughed, 'Yeah well. It's not for everybody. What about ya? What do you like?'

Olivia shrugged, 'I like playing soccer..'

'Ya on any teams?" Jon asked her.

She frowned, shaking her head, 'No, not yet. But when I go to high school that's when I'll play. If I'm still into it, ya know?'

He smiled and nodded his head, 'Yeah.'

She seemed to be really happy here. She was a perfectly normal well rounded twelve year old little girl. This is what a real child looks like. This is a child whom was raised in a nurturing, stable and loving home. This was the life she deserved. He couldn't have given her this life. Not even if he tried. Seeing her gave him a big dose of reality. It made him realize that he had been worrying for nothing.

Jon could finally stop living in the past and move forward with his life. There was only one person he had to thank for this. And he never loved her more than he did in this moment. He was finally going to swallow his goddamn pride for once and show her. He vowed in this moment he would never let her go. For once he actually had something good in his life and he wasn't going to waste anymore time by being scared.

Life happens when you least expect it. You have to hold onto the moments for as long as you can. You never know when they might come around again.

After Olivia and Jon got reacquainted they joined Deborah and Mary in the living room. Deborah showed them pictures of Olivia throughout the years and told them stories of her childhood. She even showed them a video of one of her dance recitals. No one could ever imagine a man like Jon sitting through a taped recital of Swan Lake, but he sat there engrossed in every moment. Sure, he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He was mainly interested in watching Olivia. He felt as if he missed out on so much of her life. He wanted to catch up. It has been such a long time since he has seen her. He never thought he would ever get this opportunity and he didn't want to waste a second.

After having dinner, Mary and Jon said their goodbyes. Deborah invited them back at any time, letting Jon know her door was always open to him. She even gave him Olivia's cellphone number and the house number so they could talk every once and awhile.

When they got outside, Mary turned to him and smiled, 'So...good surprise?'

Jon shook his head and let out a small laugh, 'I'll fuckin say.'

She smiled, 'Good, I'm glad. Lets get on the road. I wanna get back before it's too late.'

Mary was walking down the pathway when Jon grabbed her hand, stopping her dead in her tracks. She turned around and looked at him questioningly.

He surprised her by pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. She let out a small 'eep' as he squeezed her tightly. She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, lying her head against his chest. In all the years they have know one another this is the first time he's ever hugged her. Usually she is the one who initiates contact. She was surprised by his actions. All she could was stand there, letting him hold her.

Jon cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead, whispering to her, 'Thank you, Mary.'

She could hear the emotion in his voice and could feel the tears upon her forehead which were falling from his eyes. Tears started to form in her own eyes as she looked up at and smiled, 'Hey, you do know how to say thank you.'

He smiled through his tears, 'I can never thank ya for what ya just did. I just wanna say that...I...' He groaned aloud in frustration. He was so fucking awkward when it comes to social interactions.

John knew what he wanted to say in his mind, but could never seem to find the words. It's one of the reasons why he loved cutting promos so much. He could be anybody and say anything he wanted. None of it mattered anyway. The character he had created pleased the masses. They took him at face value, never really taking him seriously. She's the only one who saw the real him. She's the only one he wanted ever to see him like this.

Mary put her finger upon his lips to silence him, 'It's okay. I understand. I wanted to do it.'She cupped his face in her hands, 'I wanted ya to see that none of this was your fault. She's happy. There's nothing else for you to worry about. You can move on. You can live your life now, Jon. You can be happy.'

'With you?" Jon asked her.

She smiled and nodded her head, 'Of course. Who else would put up with you, right?'

He chuckled and nodded his head, 'Yeah.'

Mary grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her, 'Come on, lets hit the road.' She threw him the keys, 'You're driving back. And we're listening to my music on the way back.'

Jon groaned and rolled his eyes, 'Fuck, not that whiny acoustic shit. I'd like to get back to Ohio with my manhood intact.'

She laughed aloud, 'If you don't shut up your manhood won't be intact alright, but he won't be by my taste in music. It will be my foot connecting to your balls.'

He shook his head and laughed as she winked at him and got into the car. She was just as crazy and brash as him. He really fucking loved this girl.

They were driving down the road when Mary saw what appeared to be a lake of some kind. It really caught her eye. It looked soft beautiful and majestic under the light of the moon. She looked over at Jon and got a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

'Stop the car.' Mary said to him.

Jon laughed, 'Why? Ya fuckin gotta pee again?'

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, 'No, there's a park I wanna stop at.'

He shook his head, 'Why?' He grinned, 'Ya gotta take a shit?"

Mary huffed, 'Fuck you. Look just pull over, will ya? I wanna get out and walk around a bit.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Alright.'

He pulled the car into the parking lot that belonged to the park. It was late in the night so they were the only ones there. They kind of liked it that way. They got the lake and park all to themselves.

Mary took off her slip on shoes and carried them in her hand as they walked along the lake. The warm Summer air felt good upon their skin. It was so hot and stuffy in the car. It felt good to stretch their legs.

Jon looked over at Mary. She put her denim jacket back on, but let her hair down. It was messy and wild, falling down her shoulders in waves. His fingers itched to tuck the wayward strands behind her ear, but he held himself back. She wasn't his to touch. At least not yet anyway.

She closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh, 'It's beautiful here.'

He shook his head, 'You're beautiful.'

Mary opened her eyes and smiled at him, 'Thanks. You're not so bad yourself, buddy.'

Jon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He kissed the top of her head as they continued walking along the lake. Something shifted in their relationship tonight, they could feel it. It was something good and perfect. Something that would change the rest of their lives for the better.

Words and beautiful phrases, they sound great, but that's all they are. They didn't need words to express how they felt. Their actions speak far louder than their words ever could. They needed one another. They knew that now. There was no denying it any longer.

Nothing he has done in his godforsaken no good life has ever felt more right. This is what he wanted, more than anything in this entire world. He wanted Mary to be his and he wanted to be hers. He wanted their souls bounded together for eternity. As if they already were not.

They are connected in a way that goes beyond romance, beyond friendship, beyond what they've ever had before. It will defy time and changes in themselves and in their lives. It has defied every explanation except one, purely and simply: they're soul mates. He can't explain it. He just feels it. It's there in the way his spirit subtly lifts whenever they talk; how the sound of her voice brings him home in a way he can't explain. It's in the delight he feels when they laugh at exactly the same things. When he's with her, it's like a tiny part of the universe shifts into the place it's supposed to be - and all is right with the world.

When they got back to their apartment it was almost two in the morning. They had spent almost an hour at the park, just walking around and enjoying the peace and quiet together. Mary had fallen asleep on the ride back and was still a little groggy.

They walked into the apartment and Jon asked her, 'Ya hungry?'

Mary shook her head and bit her lip. She looked him directly into his eyes and whispered, 'I'm hungry, but not for food.'

His eyes widened in shock for he knew exactly what she was referring to.

She slowly walked over to him and cupped his face in her hands. Leaning up on her tiptoes she placed her lips upon his own. He was frozen for a few moments, unable to process what was happening. While it was true they have kissed before, he knew this was different. By kissing it would only solidify their union. There was no going back from this. As soon as they took that final step they would belong to one another in every sense of the word. As if they weren't already.

Jon slowly returned her kiss with equal fervor. Quickly the kiss became heated. His tongue wildly mated with hers. They alternated between sucking and biting each other's lips. They drank each other in savoring the feel, smell and taste of one another. He tightly gripped her hips, bunching her summer dress in his tight closed fists. She gently gripped the front of his shirt with her hands, wanting him even closer to her than he already was.

He reluctantly pulled away from her and took a few steps back. He needed a few moments to collect his thoughts. He needed to stop this before things progressed even further. Just being near her was enough for him to lose all control, but he couldn't do that. He didn't want to take advantage of her like so many others that came before him.

Her eyes were hazed over with lust. Her hair was wild from him running his hands through it. Her lips were swollen and bruised from his kisses. Her entire body was flush. Her dress was rumpled and her jacket was off her shoulders from his ministrations. She looked so fucking gorgeous standing there he could barely think straight. She was making it increasingly harder for him to resist her, but he had to be strong. For the both of them.

Mary reached out to touch his cheeks again, 'What's the matter, Jon? Don't you want this?"

Jon shook his head and heaved an anguished sigh, 'Mary, baby. I want nothing more than to take ya to my bed right now.'

She shook her head, 'Then what's the problem.?'

He ran shaky hands through his hair, 'Look, it's tired. I think we should just go to our rooms and get some sleep. It's been a long day.'

Mary could not believe she was hearing this. He was actually turning her down. The man infamously known for his womanizing ways was turning down sex. Maybe he just didn't want it from her, but she refused to believe that. She knew he wanted this just as much as she did. She could see it in his eyes and feel it in the way he kissed her.

She smiled and took a few steps closer to him. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look directly into her eyes, 'I want this, Jon. More than anything. I want you to be my first...' She scoffed, 'Well, the first that counts anyway. It's always been you. You're the only one I ever wanted like this.'

He swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat and stared directly into her eyes, whispering,' Ya don't want me, Mary. I'm not a good man. Ya deserve better than a fuck up like me. I'll just bring ya down.' I'm not a honorable guy.'

Mary smiled softly and shook her head, 'I'm not asking you to be. I don't want you to change who you are for me. I just want to know I'm not alone in this. Look me in the eyes and tell me it's only me that feels like this. That you didn't curse whoever the fuck it was for bringing us together. That every time my skin brushes against yours you don't want more. Tell me that you didn't feel anything when we kissed. Say it and I'll believe you.'

Something seemed to snap behind his blue eyes as he looked at her, but he didn't say a word. He just sighed deeply and bowed his head, looking down at his feet.

Mary smiled softly and whispered, 'If ya can't tell me. Then show me."

Jon lifted his head up to look at her in wide-eyed shock, unable to believe what she saying. Or what she wanted for that matter.. She tugged upon his hand, motioning for him to follow her, which he did. He didn't have to ask her where they were headed for he knew exactly where they were going. He wasn't stupid. He just hoped he could live up to her expectations of him. He had no fucking idea what to do here, but he was going to try his best. Sure, he has had sex before this many many times, but this was completely different. This wasn't just sex they were about to have. This actually meant something. They were going to make love.

They both stood in the middle of the bedroom coveted in darkness, the moonlight being their only source of light illuminating through her window, casting them in a soft glow.

Jon's heart was racing at a palpitating speed, his palms were sweaty and slight trembles were wracking through his body. He has never been so nervous in his entire life. It was so fucking hard to comprehend, he has had sex so many times before, but this was different. This was not just about the act itself. There was meaning behind it, real feeling and emotion. He did not want to fuck this up like everything else he had done in his life. He could and would get through this with dignity, like a man.

She cupped his cheek and looked directly into his eyes. She had a very serious look upon her face as she put her hands under his jacket and slowly began pulling it off of him, never taking her eyes away from him. He kept his arms to his sides, letting her remove his jacket. It fell to the floor at the bottom of their feet. She then took off his shirt, letting it too fall to the floor. He couldn't move. It was as if he were immobilized. He wanted this woman before him with such a want and need it bordered upon insanity. He knew once he started touching her, he wouldn't be able to stop. For once in his life he wasn't going to be selfish. He was going to let her take the lead. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her or make her nervous.

This was such a test for his self-control. Everything within him at that moment wanted to throw her up against the wall, pull her dress up and start fucking the living daylights out of her, but he knew he couldn't do that. He had to remind himself this wasn't just any other slutty wrestling groupie. This was a girl who actually meant something to him.

Jon looked down at her and whispered in a gruff tone, 'Are ya sure bout this? Is this what ya really want? Cause once we start I'm not gonna be able to stop. I'm not built that way.'

Mary smiled softly and gave him the loving look that he deserved. 'After all we've been through these last few years, of course this is what I want. I don't bring just anyone to my bed, Jon.' She bowed her head shyly and let out a shaky sigh, 'You're the first guy I've been with since... 'She didn't finish the sentence. There wasn't a need to. He understood her completely, he always did. She took a deep breath, cupped his face in her hands and willed her voice not to crack. She tried to put her heart in her eyes, and laid it out. 'I want to be your lover, Jon. I want to spend the night with you in this bed and know what it feels like to have you inside me.'

It was like a fire was lit behind Jon's blue eyes, and he groaned her name brokenly, before his mouth slammed down onto hers.

Mary moaned, holding onto him even more tightly as her knees turned liquid. His tongue slid along her lips, and she eagerly parted them to welcome him inside. As their tongues mated, she could feel his hands slide under her dress, his touch like a brand on her bare back and she mentally urged with her eyes for him to pull the garment off. He began pulling away only far enough that the fabric slid over her head unimpeded. The look in his eyes as he took in her naked breasts went a long way to reassure her the craving that made her insides twist wasn't one-sided.

She tore her mouth away from his, looking directly into his eyes.

Their weren't any words that needed to be said, no heartfelt confessions that needed to be made. It was all about the two of them and what they felt when they touched each other. That was enough for them. It had to be. They had been fighting against it for so damn long. It was finally time for them to surrender and succumb to the desires, wants and needs in which they've been depriving themselves of for so long. So damn long.

In one smooth movement, he spun them around, gripped her hips and lifted, boosting her to lean against the wall. Mary eagerly parted her legs, and reached for the belt loops of his pants to pull him as close to her as possible. She could feel her heart racing as she helped him pull his under shirt over his head, slowly growing more and more convinced that this wasn't another dream where she woke up sweaty and shaking.

Jon wrapped his arms around her torso, bringing her bare breasts against his bare chest, and they both moaned with the contact. As she slid her arms around his strong shoulders, she lifted her face to his, but he lowered his mouth to her neck, instead, planting searing kisses up and down the column of her throat. As she wrapped her legs around his waist, his teeth grazed the skin, making her hiss and rock her hips, bringing the empty space between her legs that ached for him, smacking up against the hard bulge behind his zipper. She moaned again, sounding so needy she vaguely shocked herself.

He abruptly halted his movements and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her chest, listening to the erratic beat of her heart.

Mary could feel his warm breath coming out in ragged harsh gasps, fleshing out Goosebumps upon her skin. He was breathing so heavily it sounded as if he were internally suffocating.

She laid a hand on his back, 'Are you okay?'

Jon nodded, 'Yeah...it's just...we're going too fast..it's too much. I don't wanna hurt ya, Mary. I'm...'. He bowed his head and growled in frustration.

Mary nodded, 'Do you wanna stop?'

He shook his head and looked up at her, 'Do ya?'

She shook her head, 'No, I want this more than anything.'

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. He was so nervous, he couldn't even look at her. She paused to consider her next move. Before she said the words herself. Before she went and stepped over that line on her own, she needed to make sure that he wanted this as much as she did. That he was ready for this. That he trusted her to take care of him, to never hurt him. To 'love' him.

'Do you trust me Jon?' she asked intently gazing at him.

'Ya know I do.' he responded, barely getting the words out.

He hadn't meant to be so honest, but he just couldn't help it. The way she was looking at him, fuck he would admit to damn near anything. He did trust her. More than anyone else he has ever met within his life. God fucking help him, but he did.

'Mary' He sighed her name again, reaching for her, squeezing her arms this time.

Her hands held onto his arms, running her fingers over his skin. He made no move to stop her until she wrapped her arms around his stomach.

_How the hell did she fuckin expect me to form rational thoughts with her looking at me like 'that'_? He wondered.

He felt like his body was ready to implode at the gaze she was pinning him with.

A bright smile crossed her face, lightening her countenance. Looking at her, he saw in her everything he'd ever hoped to find. Acceptance, loyalty and trust. And cementing all of it, he saw something that nearly dropped him to his knees before her. He saw 'love' in her eyes and in her face and it was all directed at him.

'With your life?' she asked simply.

'What the hell ya gettin' at here?' he returned, curious as to where this was leading.

Mary ignored his question and took his hands within her own, softly asking him, 'With your integrity?'

'What integrity?', he responded, trying to somewhat lighten the mood, but was failing miserably. There was a catch audible in his voice. One that didn't go unnoticed.

The room was getting a bit warm, and Jon was beginning to feel the heat. Somehow she had known what he'd wanted to say to her.

Energized with the certainty that she was right in her observations, Mary reached up and wound her arms around his neck tightly, pulling him even closer to her than he already was.

'With your heart?' she whispered in a seductive tone he had only dreamed about.

His heart leaped into his throat at her words, her actions. Now he understood. She'd been waiting for him. Letting him take the time to decide that he could fully trust her with his heart. To let him choose when he was ready to take the chance to pursue this relationship further. She hadn't pushed him into something, instead she'd waited until he was emotionally ready to commit to this path. To wholeheartedly commit to them.

Now that they were both ready and wanted to explore this side of their relationship, she was taking the lead. Showing him how much she cared for him. And he felt for her all the more for it.

The smile she gave him was blinding, and he nearly had to close his eyes. But instead he focused on her smoky brown eyes. Except they weren't brown anymore. The passion he saw there had darkened them to an almost inky black color.

She smiled, saying in a matter-of-fact tone, 'I know.'

They were two simple words, but they rocked him more powerfully than he'd ever imagined words could. But he suddenly realized that he was exposed, while she was still cloaked in her mystery. The 'enigmatic' Mary. His Mary.

She met his eyes and gave him a coy shy smile as she got down on her knees before him. He stared down at her and bit his bottom lip. He could not believe this was happening. It was like something out of his fantasy.

Just as she was about to unbuckle his belt, he grasped her hand halting her movements.

Mary looked up at him, her eyes wide as saucers, 'What?'

Jon shook his head, 'I don't ever want ya fuckin down on your knees for me, ya got that? You're better than that. Come on up here, baby.'

She nodded and slowly got up from the floor. He wrapped his arms around her once again and cupped the back of her head as he lightly chewed upon her neck.

This was something they were going to share that was his and his alone. No one could take this moment away from him. Not even if they tried. It was something he was not ready for, but wanted all the same. Regardless of any doubts he had about them, he was not going to deny himself of this moment. He had spent far too many years of his life denying himself of the simple pleasures in life. By accepting her into his life, he had actually taken the first step. He had finally admitted he needed someone. Not just anyone someone. He needed her. For she made him feel things no other ever has. He would be damned if he walked away now. She had done something to him no other person ever could...she made him human.

The tension that flooded his body was due to more than just his increasing arousal. It had to do with his easily broken heart.

'Do you 'trust' me'? she asked again, bringing him back to reality.

Right then and there, he knew what she was asking. She wanted irrefutable proof of his trust. To demonstrate to him her own trustworthiness. The idea of giving himself over to her totally thrilled and aroused him. There was no fear any longer. Only desire and anticipation.

'Ya' He said without hesitance. Did she even have to ask? He trusted her more than anyone else in this entire world.

His eyes dropped to her lips. They were swollen and red. He risked looking back up at her eyes.

God, he wanted to kiss her again.

Jon's breathing quickened when he saw her dilated pupils. He felt more blood rush south and he fully hardened against her. She gave a little gasp in the back of her throat. He knew she felt it. He closed his eyes briefly and slowly raised his hands to her head, cupping it and pushing his fingers into her hair.

She was panting gently, her eyes fixed on his face. She blinked again and he opened his mouth, breathing warm, moist air onto her lips. It was an invitation. Would she accept? He whispered as it seemed the thing to keep doing. 'Do you want what I want?'

Mary whimpered a little and the sound made his cock throb in response. He lifted his hips without thinking, responding to a primal urge. She mewled again and he knew she felt the hard length of him pressing into her stomach. 'What ... what do you want?' she asked.

Jon breathed onto her lips again and felt her shiver. 'I want ya, Mary.'

'Oh God,' she nearly whined.

'Do ya want me?' He cupped her cheeks and forced her to meet his gaze. His whispered raggedly, 'I need to hear ya say it.'

'Oh God,' she said again. He could see panic rising in her face.

He brushed his lips gently over her cheek and she hummed in the back of her throat. He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, 'Don't be scared. I would never ever do anythin to hurt ya' He looked directly into her eyes, wanting her to see how much he felt for her even if he couldn't say the words aloud. She had asked him to show her and that's exactly what he intended to do.

His blue eyes were darkened over with what could only be described as pure and unabashed want as he looked at her, whispering fiercely, 'I don't know if I can be gentle. I don't even know if I fuckin have it in me. '

Mary smiled softly and nodded her head, whispering to him, 'That's okay. I won't break.'

His hands trapped Mary between his legs and her arms fell away as he inched his face closer. She looks back and forth between his eyes and she sees there the heaviness that consumed him.

'I don't beg, Mary.'

She doesn't hide from the scalding heat in his darkened eyes. Her eyes only drop briefly as she tilts to see his hands roam up the outside of her thighs. 'You don't ask, either. It's okay, Jon. I...trust you.'she whispered against his lips.

He did believe. He had total and utter faith and trust in them and what they shared. It was the realest and purest thing he has ever known. It was the best thing that has happened to someone such as himself.

Mary splayed her hands across his abdomen and asked him, 'Ya okay?'

Jon looked down at the floor and answered, 'I haven't been with anyone since ya left. In fact, a little longer that that. Probably since that night ya came to see me. I just wanna let ya know that.'

She smiled then. It made her feel better knowing she was not alone in this. This was just as special to him as it was to her.

Mary cupped his face in her hands, whispering to him, 'Make love to me.'

He clamped his mouth shut and held his breath. He felt his equilibrium return and focused on her face. It was etched with concern. He must have gone pale. He couldn't keep looking into her eyes at that moment. It was just too intense. He tipped her head to the side and brought his lips to her ear. He breathed on her ear and she shivered again against him. His hips rolled again instinctively and she gasped. How long was he going to pussyfoot around this? He was such a coward. His hands were still trembling but at least he wasn't about to pass out.

Jon gathered his courage and felt his body go stiff and still. She felt it and he could sense her getting tense. As he released his tension, he breathed into her ear, 'I want ya so fuckin much. I gotta have ya now.'

She nodded against his cheek and smiled as tears began falling from her eyes. He met her gaze directly once again. If he had seen her crying, he didn't call her out on it, which she was glad for. She didn't want anything to ruin this perfect moment between them. He couldn't stop, she needed this just as much as he did, maybe more. Most of all she needed him.

He said in a ragged whisper, 'Are ya sure bout this? This is the last time I'm gonna ask ya.'

Jon had to ask her that question. He needed to know this is what she wanted. That she wanted and accepted him for what he really was. It was not just for her own security, but for his own as well. He needed some validation. He needed to know he was what she wanted. Not that she needed someone, but that she needed him.

He moaned, obediently parting his lips as she kissed him, letting himself be pushed back to the bed, her tongue stroking against his in a way that had him trembling in desire. Trailing down his jaw and neck in heated kisses, she worked at the button and fly to his pants, pushing the material down his hips, drawing from him a guttural groan as she pushed her hand into his boxer-briefs and curled her fingers around the hard flesh of his arousal.

He was lost in her. Her body called to his and the game they played was one of mutual attraction, strong enough to overcome their mis-fortunate beginning. This was what they were meant for.

Jon wrapped his arm around her waist and in one swift movement, he rolled Mary upon her back with him lying on top of her.

Her eyes met his, and with the smallest of smiles she licked her lower lip and brought his head down to hers. With lips meeting, she whispered into his mouth. 'I want you to make me yours, Jon.'

And so he will.

Jon cupped her face in his hands and whispered fiercely, 'I'm gonna make ya feel so good, baby.'

Mary flinched slightly when the tips of his fingers softly touched her cheek. Then she leaned her head towards him and relaxed into the most welcomed sensation of his warm hand as it caressed her cool skin.

He hesitated a little, waiting for her response. Then he continued to follow her jaw line, past her chin, and down along her neck, creating goosebumps along the path. His rough calloused hands fleshed out Goosebumps upon her skin. He rubbed his cheek against her bare thigh. The hair from his two day old stubble left a burning sensation upon her skin, making it feel as if it were on fire.

Her whole body went stiff in an ache that wanted to be healed; that wanted to seek salvation in his touch, to sink into the oblivion of belonging. Stretching her neck, she gave him better access to the vulnerability of her throat.

Jon turned toward her and let his hand, painfully slowly, continue down the front of her chest, just touching one of her nipples before resting on her belly, his warmth radiating throughout her entire body.

Her skin was flushed and damp, her breath coming in short, frantic gasps. Then she locked eyes with him and said his name in a soft, hoarse moan, and he knew, in an instant, that he was a goner. No matter what else their future held, he was hers.

He met her gaze and whispered huskily, 'This is the last time I'm gonna ask ya. Are ya sure?'

Mary nodded slowly, afraid to hesitate at all. 'I am.' She shivered as his hand traced her hip. 'More sure than I've been about anything.' She didn't want to give him any more room to run away, either. There had been enough of that.

'Okay.' Jon curtly nodded, whispering gruffly.

She seemed to glow in the light that filtered through the blinds from the moonlight, a vision made of starlight. And she wanted him. He hooked his thumbs under her panties and pulled them down. She lifted her legs to help him and pushed them off with her feet the rest of the way. He never took his eyes away from her as pulled them down her body, inch by inch. He slipped them off quickly, leaving them wherever they fell. He looked at her naked body laid out before him. He licked his lips in anticipation as his eyes eagerly devoured her body. He couldn't wait. He could not fucking wait to get himself inside of her.

It took all of the strength he had within him not to pounce on her and push himself so deep inside of her he didn't know where he ended and she began. He knew he must be patient, but holding out was never one of his strong points, especially when it came to sex. He kept reminding himself this wasn't just sex though. He wanted to take his time with her, so he held back. He had to. He could not let her down. Not now. Not after they had gotten this far.

Jon wanted to see her, but there was too much already, to feel her, smell her, oh god, to taste her that he could barely stand it now. He kissed her again, and then began to explore her with his mouth, down her neck, along her collarbone. He couldn't touch her enough, loving how she'd shiver or gasp when he'd find a sensitive spot, and then how she'd really moan when he'd go back to that place with his fingers or his mouth. He didn't have to remind himself to be gentle with her, either. It seemed to be the only way he could touch her at all. It was funny. He never thought a man such as himself was capable of gentleness. Then again, she brought out a lot of things within him he never knew he could possess.

Mary moaned in frustration, but fell silent immediately when he kissed her, one hand cupping her cheek while the other moved down her body, lingering over her stomach, tickling her lightly before slipping between her thighs.

Jon groaned against her lips when he felt how wet she was, knowing that it was for him. He pulled back to watch her face as his fingertips lightly circled her entrance. She gasped, moving her hips against his hand until he finally relented and slid two fingers inside her.

'Oh!' The startled exclamation was the only coherent sound she could manage. Her whole body jerked against his, her vision blurring and breathing becoming increasingly difficult. She was so pent up from his teasing that she could already feel a powerful orgasm building low in her belly, and she thrashed under him, desperate to feel that relief.

Feeling her core start to grow tighter, Jon kept working his fingers inside her and moved down her body swiftly. He buried his face between her parted thighs, licking around where his fingers were buried before taking her clit in between his lips, sucking lightly.

His lips made their way to her juncture and he kissed her folds gently, then licked her from bottom to top. She moaned, a low sultry sound. He felt his erection throb in response. He rubbed his pants clad cock onto her knee to relieve some of the pressure.

Jon couldn't get enough of hearing her moan. He wanted to make her moan so much she has a sore throat tomorrow. His tongue dived into her on auto- pilot, swirling around to find her walls, to taste them. He buried his nose as far inside of her as it could go. The musky smell of her surrounding him, making him light headed.

_Fuck, she tastes great. _He thought to himself as he looked up at her in awe.

Her juices are thick, with a slight tang that makes his taste buds sit up and take notice, cringing slightly like when you take your first suck off a sweet tart. That's it, like a sweet tart.

Mary buried her fingers in his hair and grasped it tightly, needing something to hold onto. She felt as if she were floating through mid-air. She just hoped he was there to catch her when she fell.

One hand anchors her hips as she begins to squirm after raising her feet to the bed for better leverage. He had to admit. He had no idea what he was doing here. He had never pleasured a woman before. Sure, many women have pleasured him over the years, but never had he given it in return. He always felt as if the act was too intimate. Besides, most of the women he messed around with were not exactly the classiest women in the world. He didn't want to take his never met a woman he wanted to do this to, until now that is. He was just basically making things up as he went along. Judging by her reactions, he was doing a damn fine job. He was always a fast learner.

After about a minute of licking and nipping and sucking up her juices with his lips and tongue, she is whimpering and he decided it's time to get serious. Enough savoring. He pushes his fingers, holding her lips apart inside and begins rubbing the front wall of her tunnel experimentally. She is so hot and slick. He can feel her walls pulsing around his fingers. His lips go to her little bundle of nerves peeking out of her dark brown curls. His free fingers gently pull the hood off her erect little nub, now red and swollen with her excitement. He rolls it between his lips firmly and then begins to suck and lick.

Every movement was pulling at her, dragging her closer. Every shift gave a breathtaking hint of mindless ecstasy that seemed to grow with each second. She shuddered and clutched his shoulders for strength, losing herself with each thrust of his tongue.

_She's fuckin going wild_. He thought to himself as he looked up at her in wonder.

Jon felt this feral sense of claim upon her at that moment. It made him feel so fucking good, knowing he could make her feel this way. It was funny. Never had he done this to a woman. He never even thought about. All he cared about was getting in, getting off and getting out. It was a simple as that. There were no complications. It was just sex. Merely him releasing pent up sexual frustration. This wasn't anything like that. This wasn't about sexual gratification. Not really anyway. It was about two people coming together, sharing their need for one another. It was not just their bodies that were connecting in this moment, it was their souls as well.

Her hands slapped the bed, grabbing up the bedclothes into her fists as her back arched and she let out a shriek of surprise. Then her hips bucked violently into his mouth and her spasms began. Her shriek of surprise at the touch of his lips on her center of pleasure turned into a low groan. The first spasm brought a wail. He grabbed her hips, bringing her closer to his face and sucked harder .

He was straining his eyes to the side to see her face.

Moments later, her entire body tensed, then relaxed, shaking as she cried out his name and her muscles spasmed around his hand. He kept moving his fingers and flicking his tongue against her, bringing her down slowly, until she finally collapsed with one last hoarse moan. She screamed his name as her orgasm continued, throwing her head back, her chest flushing red, her nipples hard.

Jon rode it out with her, lapping her gently as she returned to him. She lay limp and panting on the bed, as he slowly removed his tongue from her, causing her to moan. He sucked her taste off his fingers and closed his eyes, savoring the taste of her. Her eyes were closed. He wasn't even sure if she knew he wasn't touching her anymore. Whatever lingering insecurities he had about this just went flying out the window with her orgasm.

'Jon' Mary whimpered, her breath still coming in short, shaking gasps. When she managed to open her eyes and focus on him, he was leaning over her, watching her almost as if in awe. 'What?'

'Do ya fuckin know how beautiful ya are?' He asked, stroking her flushed cheek with one hand. She could only smile at him in return, then watch as he pulled back and finally removed his pants and underwear. Her eyes took in every inch of his body, and she licked her lips and moaned at the sight of him.

He slowly climbed up her body and settled himself between her legs.

Mary relaxed in his arms, kissing him, forgetting everything, every worry or fear she had. None of it mattered right now. It was just the two of them, in the dark and she wanted him close to her, as close as he could get and she rolled onto her back, pulling him on top of her. Mary sucked and bit at his neck and he grunted because of it. He let her mark him for he will inevitably take a part of her soon, she needs to physically lay claim to his body as well.

Jon let out a shaky sigh and muttered a curse word under his breath, 'I don't have any condoms.' He shrugged sheepishly, 'Haven't had a need for em'

She shook her head and smiled softly, 'That's okay. I'm...covered. Been since I was...thirteen. Wanted to protect myself from...'

He nodded his head, completely understanding what she was trying to say. There wasn't a need for her to elaborate any further. They didn't want to ruin this moment by bringing up old memories. This was the time to start making good memories, together.

Mary reached up and cupped his cheek, 'I don't want anything between us. Not the first time. I wanna feel...you.'

Jon nodded his head. He didn't ask if she was sure, or if she was ready, but slowly, Jon lifted himself up, and kissed her from her neck to her belly button, and then back up to her mouth, letting her open her legs just enough to take his whole weight off her. There wasn't really any need to talk anymore, and they both knew it.

She opened her legs wider and he moved as carefully as he could, entering her slowly and she bit down on her lip, afraid to cry out. But, he didn't hurt her at all, and when she realized that, she reached up and kissed him, pulling him lower.

Her tight walls were slick and pulsing around him as he pushed them aside with the most rigid hard on he'd ever had and slowly and cautiously slipped inside. It was the most exquisite feeling he'd ever had. As good as his imagination is, there is no substitute for the real thing.

He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, 'Ya feel so good. Always knew ya would feel this way. Never knew it would be...' He shook his head and sighed. He couldn't finish his sentence. He was so overcome with the sensation of her he could hardly think straight.

Jon concluded that the first push into a woman was unlike any other pleasure in the world. He truly never took the time to think about that until now. He tightly closed his eyes and shuddered once he was embedded to the hilt, pushing against the entrance of her womb. She was so hot and so incredibly snug around him. She seemed to fit him perfectly, as if she were meant for him.

They stayed still for long moments, just enjoying the feeling of that first penetration.

Good thing, or he probably would have embarrassed himself.

What followed, as he began to move inside her, was the feeling she had been waiting for, being as close as possible to him, there was nothing separating them anymore. Not like all the songs that talked about being complete, or being whole with someone, but something else, something more than that, Mary realized.

As with all of the night's earlier events, there is no preamble, no foreplay. She arched into him and his mouth traps her breath, his body engulfing. They are raw actions, bone deep desires, and tightly coiled impulses.

He grinds into her, savoring the way she stretches for him.

It's not about being rough or gentle, but about meaning it every time he sinks into her. It's painful and intoxicating and pulsing all at once. He doesn't need to hold back or be tentative. She has always been able to withstand his heat. She pushes, pulls, and demands right back.

Jon rest his hand under her head and gently grabs a handful of her hair. He gently tugs upon it as he slowly rides her, wanting to make this last for as long as he can.

He licks the sweat off of her that's pouring down her neck and whispers in her ear, 'You're so tight, baby. Ya know what you feel like?"

Mary bites her bottom lip and shakes her head, not having the strength to speak.

Jon grins and whispers, 'Ya feel like suffocation, baby.'

She smiles and groans aloud in response. He watches as she licks her dry lips. He catches her tongue between his teeth and sucks on it for a few moments before resting his head within the crook of her neck.

So many years, people have come into his life and betrayed him, misused his trust and broke his heart. He vowed to himself that never would he entrust himself with anyone ever again. Then Mary came along and challenged every one of his convictions. In such a short expansive amount of time she had broken down all the barriers he had spent years building.

Jon knew that they were meant for each other in every way imaginable.

He took a deep breath and began moving in and out of her in a slowly agonizing rhythm. She cried out, even as her legs came up around him. He felt enclosed and cherished. This was what it was about, this fumbling, naked, precious acceptance. Her whole body embraced his, and he arched even more deeply into her. She made him whole in a panting rhythm older than life, the little death that led to rebirth.

Mary closed her eyes and bit her lip, softly groaning. She splayed her hands upon his back, gently digging her nails into his sweat slicked skin. She gave him open-mouthed kisses upon his throat and gently bit the cartilage of his ear, causing him to growl out in pleasure. She kissed his chest, paying extra attention to his many scars he got from wrestling. She dipped her tongue within the indent of the large scar upon his chest, tracing the length of it. She wanted him to know she accepted every part of him, scars and all.

Even in the darkness he can see her brown eyes staring. He pushes harder and she moans, her mouth open in desired ache, her grip on his biceps tightening. She needs this. They both do.

Jon works into her, his hands in her hair, his mouth trailing her neck. He's close to the edge, and he can tell she is too by the way her breath expels in ragged bouts. He knows neither want it to end and so he begins to slow down, but Mary refuses. Her nails claw, her eyes promise, her body pleads.

Mary can handle him, she always has.

Something very much like an ache began to build in her, a slow and agonizing sweet ache that pushed tears from her eyes, forcing a ragged and surprised, 'Jon!' from her lips as he kissed her again, needing that extra bit of connection with her. He lifted himself up a little and let out a guttural groan, shouting out her name. Euphoric and shaking with excruciating pleasure, he poured himself into her, then collapsed in her arms.

She could see on his face that he was feeling what she had just minutes before as she looked up at him in awe.. Breathing hard, he looked down at her and she reached up to touch his face, smiling.

He rested his forehead against hers and cupped her face, swiping the pads of his thumbs upon her full bottom lip and kissed her forehead softly. He was trembling so violently that the bed was slightly shaking.

Mary cupped his cheek, softly beseeching of him, 'Are you alright?'

He nodded, not having the strength to form a coherent sentence at the moment.

'Are ya okay?' Jon asked when he finally gained the strength to speak. His heart was beating so fast he could barely talk.

She nodded and he reluctantly withdrew. She pulled the covers over them and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. She cuddled up close and he could feel her breathing. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her, things that might sound odd to her now, but decided to wait. 'Mary?'

'Yeah?' She turned to face him, so beautiful that he could barely speak the two words he wanted to get out.

'Why me?' The question had been on his mind from the minute she'd told him earlier what she wanted. 'Of everyone in the world, anyone who'd be richer, smarter, better..?'

'Because when I'm with you, I feel special.' She said softly, gently cupping his chin and running her fingers through the course hair there. 'When I'm close to you, I feel safe, and I like it. That's why. That's how I knew.'

With that, the space that existed between them was filled with something neither of them was ready to name, but there would be plenty of time for putting the labels on their relationship later.

Mary bowed her head shyly to ask him, 'Are you sleeping here tonight?'

She didn't want to force him into anything. If he wanted to leave, she wasn't going to beg him to stay. As much as it would pain her to see him go, she would let him . She wasn't going to force him into anything. She wasn't that desperate...even for him.

He doesn't say anything.

The corner of his lips quirk upward, and he tentatively leans in. He presses his lips against her lips and when she opens her mouth to him, he inches closer. He kisses her slowly, nipping languorously at her lips, suckling her tongue. His left hand stretches across her neck, briefly massaging her shoulder before running down to her breasts. She sighs into his mouth and unlike before, there is no need to rush. The fire is still there between them but it doesn't burn, it isn't painful yet.

Mary realized at that moment he had answered her question in the only way he knew how without even saying wasn't going anywhere. At least not tonight anyway.

He carefully grasped her wrists and pulled her arms up over her head, exposing her completely. She was so beautiful, so close to perfection. Her skin was smooth, almost totally flawless. Just thinking about the way it felt to be inside her a few moments ago made him groan.

Her breathing sped up when she heard the sound, so similar to the ones she had just heard. As his eyes roamed over her, she did some looking of her own. Just looking at him was amazing. Not even his scars marred his beauty. They were apart of him. She loved them. She followed the lines of his beautifully defined chest and abs, her eyes then casting downward, licking her lips as her gaze settled on his cock.

She licked her lips and tried to pull her wrists out of his grasp.'Jon.'

'What is it, baby?' Jon asked, leaning down to kiss her softly. 'Tell me what ya want.'

'Let me touch you.' Mary whispered, looking up at him with pleading eyes. The thought suddenly occurred to her that not once did she touch him. She wanted to make him feel just as good as he made her feel. She wasn't some woman that wanted him just because he was good in the ring. All the women wanted was Jon Moxley. She got the real man, Jonathan wanted to give him real pleasure without any other ulterior motive behind it. She simply wanted to do it because she cared about him.

He kissed her again and nodded, releasing her wrists. Her hand shook a little as she reached down and wrapped her hand around his length, marveling at the heat and size of him. She watched his face, feeling an overwhelming rush of power when his eyes closed and he said her name in a hoarse, stunted whisper. His response made her bolder, and she tightened her grip on him slightly, moving her hand up and down a little faster.

He rested his head upon her shoulder and whispered, 'Just like that, baby. Just like that. Fuck yes.' He hissed when she started moving her hand faster, making his groans sound more like whimpers.

Jon couldn't feel her soft hand on him and not want to give her pleasure in return. He brought his hands up to cup her breasts, leaning down to take one nipple in his mouth, then the other. Slowly, so slowly, he trailed one hand down her body. He circled her clit with his thumb as he pushed two fingers inside her. She briefly bit her lower lip and brought his mouth closer to bite instead.

A primitive urge swept through him then, some dominating part of his nature. His lips were biting, pulling against hers. Mary's tongue was quickly losing their duel as he overpowered her, using his grip in her hair to guide her head movements. The two fingers inside of her had been stroking in and out of her at a steady pace. His hand began to thrust into her more aggressively, until his palm was slamming against her pubic bone, bruising her fiercely. His fingers sank deeper and curled as she gasped suffocatingly into his mouth.

Jon stuck out his tongue and she boldly met her tongue with his own. His hands grabbed handfuls of her hair in his tight closed fists. His kisses were gentle yet demanding. He pulled her hair a little harder eliciting a groan from her. His girl seemed to like it a little rough, which was good because so did he. He always knew he had found his equal. He just knew there was this passionate and wild side of her waiting to be unleashed. He felt honored to be the one to experience it.

There was so much he wanted to do with her. He wanted to taste her wetness again. He wanted to come in her hot, sweet little mouth. He realized she hadn't done that for him yet and he didn't want to rush her into anything. Besides, at that moment he wanted nothing more than to be inside of her again.

He needs her. He thought that after giving into his desire and having her the way he wanted, what he felt would vanish. How wrong he was. If anything, the ache had gotten stronger by nourishing it with actions. The curiosity is still there. He now wants to explore all the possibilities sex with Mary could bring.

He slipped his fingers out of her and placed his hand over hers, stilling her movements. Placing his hands on her hips, he tilted her pelvis up and watched her face as he slowly eased into her.

Mary bit her lip as she groaned, crying out, 'Oh God.'

His eyes closed for a moment, feeling her core stretch around him. She was so incredibly tight that it made his head spin.

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, writhing under him. She clutched at his shoulders, digging her nails in and drawing blood as he began moving within her in slow agonizing circles. She kissed his chin, his neck, any spot on him that she could reach, overwhelmed by how natural it felt to be with him like this. It was even better than she remembered, only a few minutes after their first time. 'Jon, please...I need...' She wasn't even sure what she was asking for.

Jon seemed to understand anyway. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and rolled over, settling her on top of him. Her body clenched around his cock as the movement pressed him even deeper into her. He grasped her hips and began guiding her, thrusting up into her tight, wet heat. He was clutching at her hips so tightly she knew she would most likely have bruises in the morning, but she didn't care. All she could think about what was what he was doing to her and how it made her feel. Her breasts bounced enticingly, and he couldn't resist pulling her down to kiss and suckle them, just as she began to pick up his rhythm, bracing her hands on his shoulders.

He kneaded her breasts roughly in his hands, knowing she would probably have bruises in the morning. But he didn't care. He just needed her, he needed her to fill him up and make everything else go away.

Mary moaned loudly when he lowered his head to one breast and suckled her into his mouth as he continued kneading her other breast. She dug her fingers into the back of his neck, holding his mouth in place.

Holding her close, he stopped moving as she shook in his arms, kissing her and stroking her hair and back soothingly, gently gnawing on her ear. When she slumped against him bonelessly, he carefully turned her onto her back again and braced himself over her, thrusting deeply into her. She was still tight and hot from her orgasm.

'Watch me.' he whispered to her in a gruff and commanding tone. She kept her eyes on his as he pushed inside of her. The sweat slicked both of their bodies and her hands slid across the tight muscles of his back as she clawed at him. The scratches would be there in the morning but he didn't care as he closed his eyes, absorbing the new pain. It would just add to the many scars he had as evidence of his destructive nature. He didn't mind her scars. He gladly welcomed them. They were just a reminder of one of the happiest days of his life.

They groaned together and never took their eyes off of each other. He began to move quickly, desperately needing his release. He wanted to be so deep inside of her that he couldn't think or feel anything else. She opened her legs further and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper. She slid her hands around and pressed on his butt to pull him closer.

Jon groaned and gritted his teeth, leaning his forehead against her shoulder as he pushed into her. She lifted her hips up to meet him every time he thrusted so their bodies slammed into each other. Sweat beaded on both of their lips as they worked together. She felt herself tensing up as another orgasm built low in her belly. He watched her, fascinated by her beauty.

He broke his contact with her mouth, bringing his head down to swiftly catch the dusky nipple of the unattended breast. He latched on, swirling his tongue several times around her areola before sucking hard on her nipple. The scraping of her nails across his back increased in intensity.

Jon had already discovered her breasts were the most sensitive part of her body during sex and was prepared for the loud call of his name that resulted from his actions. She bit hard upon his neck, which caused him to let out a husky groan that sounded suspiciously like a drawn out 'Fuck'.

He slammed against her until she was crying out his name in a steady chorus. The sweat was dripping off of him, down onto her equally heated skin. The headboard was cracking sharply against the wall. He pulled her knees up against her chest to get even deeper than he already was. He was in her so far that he could feel the exquisite heat at the end of her canal.

He felt her whole body begin to tense and was prepared when her muscles clenched hard around him. She gasped as he removed one hand from her leg to place it between their conjoined bodies. It only took a couple rough swipes of his thumb over her clit before she was at the edge, her orgasm ripping through her as she gave out a scream. Whether it was of pain or pleasure, neither of them knew.

Jon followed her immediately, groaning her name loudly as he spilled himself deep inside of her. His back arched as he pressed completely into her one final time and then he collapsed on top of her, holding as much of his weight as he could on his elbows. His thrusts diminished quickly as she milked every last drop out of him. She could feel the new warmth of his seed deep within her and she smiled slightly at the thought. He still had her knees pulled up against her chest and she gently guided them back down.

Mary could already feel the burning in her thighs and knew that, come the next morning, walking was going to be quite difficult. He withdrew and allowed his weight to press down on top of her as his spent muscles shakily gave out on him.

The room reeked of the musky smells of sex and sweat. It was a comforting scent to the two, now completely exhausted with only one thought in mind. He slid off of her and, laying on his side, gathered her up until her back pressed against his stomach. With one hand, she grabbed the comforter and pulled it up over them once again.

It didn't even matter that both of them were sleeping in the wet spot, the sticky sweat still on their bodies just blended in with the rest. Jon wrapped his arms around the waist of the woman lying in front of him.

A woman needs to be held. Science has shown this. Even if its with someone she doesn't care about. Protective hormones are released, and the amount of hormones released depends on the degree to which she is held. The first and best is the complete surround. He wraps you in both arms, whispers how beautiful you are. Second best is the 'arm around.' He is next to you but with one arm around you. Third is he's just next to you on his elbow, but he rests his hand on your stomach and looks at you. Fourth is you snuggling up to him with your head on his chest, while he looks away into space. But when the first best happens, you feel completely, wonderfully like a woman.

Mary had never felt more like a woman than this moment.

Sleepily, she mumbled, 'I just need to know that you're okay Jon. You act big and bad, but I know... You know?'

Jon looked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and her face was content. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her temple. She smiled drowsily at his action. 'I'm okay' Her breathing immediately grew shallow and even, telling him that she had fallen asleep after hearing his words.

When he had been with her earlier, he had felt something dangerous inside of him threatening to corrupt him from the inside out. But now it was different. Somewhere along the line, she had rid him of his demons and instead replaced it with her own purifying calmness.

Jon closed his eyes, inhaling the lingering scents of her sweat and sex from her neck. He nuzzled his face into her thick hair and pulled her tighter to him. The combination of his earlier emotional explosion and the physical activity had left him exhausted.

There comes a time in your life when you must decide between what you feel and what you know. You must choose between your heart and your mind, between love and the truth. Sometimes, the love you feel will hide the truth from your mind; but seldom from your soul. The bond between your heart and your mind is the strongest and one will try and overpower the other at all times. But neither one, alone, or together, can overpower your soul, for they do not possess the ability, nor the strength. Only your soul can guide you, and when the time does come for you to make a decision, you must be prepared for an inner conflict between your heart and you mind, so painful it can only be overcome by the strength your soul can provide. This is when you must force yourself to realize that your heart and your mind are the only links to your soul; they are controlled by your soul, and can act as one when you allow your soul to guide you.


	15. Chapter 15

Things have been going considerably well for Jon and Mary this past month. Ever since their fateful night together they have spent these past fours weeks getting accustomed to their newfound relationship. Sure, they were best friends before they decided to take it to the next level, but this was a different ball game entirely. They had to learn to adapt to each other as lovers as well as friends.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard of a transition as they thought it would be. They still did everything they used to when they were just friends, but now there was sex involved. They didn't like putting a label on what they were to one another. They still considered themselves to be the best of friends, but there was just some added benefits. _A lot _of benefits.

There were some nights when they were all over each other, they couldn't get enough. It was a sick need they had for one another that needed to be satiated. It would happen at the most inopportune times. All they would have to do was share a look and they were feverishly all over each other. Sometimes they didn't even make it to the bed. They would just succumb to their desires wherever they fell.

Their relationship just wasn't about sex though. They actually did things together like any other normal couple. He would take her out on dates such as the movies and dinner, but nothing too fancy. All that high style shit was never for them. They felt much more comfortable eating at a diner just enjoying one another's company. There were even nights when they didn't even make love. They would just lie in bed together and talk about everything and nothing until they fell asleep in each other's arms. It was nights such as this which they treasured most of all. They never thought they would have something this beautiful, this perfect or pure. They were not naive enough to think it would last forever. They learned through experience nothing this good ever does, but they never dwelled upon that. For once they lived in the now and enjoyed what they had in the present rather than pondering the future.

Jon and Mary even started sharing a room. They didn't talk about it. He usually always slept in her bed anyway. Her room was bigger and her bed was large enough to accommodate them both so it just made sense. The transition happened little by little. He would start putting some of his stuff in her bureaus and closet. As time progressed more and more of his personal belongings started accumulating in her room beside her own stuff. They never talked about it nor did she ask him him to stay. It was something she accepted. She wanted him in every aspect of her life.

Mary just didn't think in terms of herself any longer. She thought of them as a cohesive unit. They were a team. Just as he had said to her many times before. They were in this together. It was them against those who seek to do them harm. They were much stronger when they were together. It took a hell of a long time for them to realize that. It was about damn time they get their heads out of their asses, huh?

There are times though when she has her moments. She has her bouts of weakness when she thinks it's all one huge mistake they're making. Sometimes when he gets in his maniacal moods and she doesn't think he's worth it. But deep down she knows he is. She knows there is something amazing about him waiting to be discovered. She just has to stick around to find it. They may crash and burn, but shes love him enough and is willing to try.

It was three in the morning and Jon was just getting home from his second job. He had started bouncing at a club a little over two weeks ago. He wasn't making enough money at the gym and the money he saved up from wrestling was evaporating fast. If he didn't get another job there's no way he could afford the apartment and take care of Mary. Of course she was stubborn and refused his help, but he gave it to her anyway. She was not only his best friend, she was his lover. It's only natural to want to provide for the one you love. He considered it his duty as her man to make sure her needs were met...in every way possible. He wanted to give her the world and then some.

In this past month she has given him more happiness than he had in his twenty-one years upon this Earth. He wanted to show her he could be that man she needed. He wanted to be that man. He could put it any plainer. She was too good for him. He was not stupid enough to think he deserved her. She was going to college making something of herself while he was toiling away as a bouncer in some rundown dingy bar. He knew it would be only a matter of time before she would realize they were polar opposites and run for the hills. For now he was content to enjoy the time they had together before shit hit the fan. He always was a selfish bastard.

When he walked into the apartment, the lights were off. Mary would usually lie on the couch and wait for him to come home. She would always fall asleep and he would pick her up in his arms and carry her to their bed. He would usually take a shower to wash the sweat, smoke and grime of the night off his body and slip into bed next to her. Sometimes he would wake her up with his mouth or hands on her body, but some nights he was content to just have her in his bed. It's still so surreal to think that she's his. Never did he think he would have someone as beautiful as she. She stimulates not just his body, but his soul as well. He doesn't know what he's done in his godforsaken life to deserve her, but he's going to make damn sure he doesn't screw this up. He would be damned if he fucked this up like everything else in his life.

Jon was surprised when he saw Mary sitting on the couch in the dark. She was clutching her knees to her chest and he could hear her sniffling. He immediately ran over to the couch and fell down upon his knees before her.

He cupped her cheek, whispering softly, 'Mary, baby. What's wrong?'

Mary shook her head and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, 'Nothing, I'm good.'

Jon tsked and took a seat next to her on the couch, 'Nah, Mary. Ya know better than to pull that shit with me. You're sitting here at fuckin three in the morning crying your eyes out. What's wrong?'

He hated seeing her like this. It's very rare she has these moments. She always tries to act tough all the time. She's had to develop thick skin over the years considering all the shit life has handed her over the years. She's not the type of girl who cries at the drop of a hat. It had to take something really fucked up to bother her so much.

Fear clutched his heart as he looked at her. She was wearing his old ECW sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her hair was in a sloppy bun. He could tell she's been crying for a while. Her cheeks were blotchy and she had tear tracks down her face. Even in such a disheveled state she looked so beautiful to him. She could become deformed in a freak accident and he would still find her the most beautiful woman in the world. For it's not her outward appearance that he is in love with. He loves her for the way she makes him feel when he's around her, like he can do anything and be anybody. Being in her arms is the only time he ever felt accepted and belonged. Not even being in the ring made him feel that way.

Jon had spent so much of his formative years never really appreciating the little things. She made him stop and smell the roses so to speak. When he was with her everything made sense. Well, as much as they could anyway. They still had a lot to figure out, but they would do it together...hopefully.

He could not help but feel apprehension in this moment. He racked his brain, trying to figure out if he did something wrong. Then again, she was a woman. It could be anything. He would hate to be the cause of her tears. God knows he's caused her to cry enough in the past. He thought things were going great between them these last few weeks. For once he honestly did not do a damn thing wrong. Maybe Hell had officially frozen over.

Jon sat next to her, feeling awkward and not knowing what to do. Even if she was his girlfriend or not he had absolutely no idea how to react in this moment. In all honesty, she's the first girlfriend he's ever had. All those other girls were just warm bodies to get him through the lonely nights. This was the first girl he actually wanted to spend time with in the light of day. He knew he should say or do something. Comforting and consoling women weren't things they taught inside of a gym. If it didn't have to do with wrestling he didn't know what to do. Sure, he could fuck a girl as well as the next man, but feelings and emotions isn't something he's used to dealing with on a daily basis. Maybe it's because he's never had any until he met her. She made him human. He felt so useless and powerless. He wasn't any good for her. Any normal man would know what to do in this situation. He doesn't even know how to begin helping her. Shit, he had a difficult time helping himself. It was moments such as this which made him feel like a worthless human being.

He tentatively put his arm around her and scooted closer to her as he whispered softly, 'Mary, ya can tell me anything, ya know that right?'

Mary nodded her head and let out a shaky sigh. She said not a word. She just kept rocking back and forth while clutching her knees. He's never seen her like this before. She seemed so vulnerable and scared. She reminded him of that frightened little girl he had first laid his eyes upon in Slim's kitchen. He never thought he'd see that girl again.

He wondered what had brought her to this.

Jon's fists clenched on instinct and his jaw clenched in anger. If someone had done something to her, even God wouldn't be able to help them.

He shook her gently, 'What is it? Come on. How am I supposed to help ya if ya don't tell me?'

Jon hadn't meant to be so forceful with her, but he knew the only way to get her to open up was to push her. She was hardheaded, much like himself. She never liked to admit defeat or that she needed help. Hence the problem. He didn't even fucking know how to get a grip on himself. What makes him think he could handle her?

Mary let go of her knees and leaned back on the couch, 'I went to the doctor today...'

His eyes widened in fright and his heart raced at lightening speed. All he could think was that she had to be all right. She just had to be. He couldn't lose her now. It wasn't an option. Not after they have hurdled all these insurmountable obstacles to be together.

Jon tried to keep his face neutral when all the while he was screaming in fright on the inside.

He slowly nodded his head, 'What's up, baby?"

She heaved a laborious sigh, 'I've...uh...been feeling sick lately and haven't got my...' She ducked her head in embarrassment, 'Ya know? Even though I'm on the pill I get...something.'

Jon gripped his knees as he stared down at the floor in front of him. He heard the words, but couldn't process them. He could not fucking believe this was happening. They were becoming nothing but a cliched statistic. He wasn't ready to be a father. Fuck, he couldn't even take care of himself let alone a baby. He never thought kids was an option for someone such as himself. In all honesty, he never even thought about it. Until now that is. Now that he met her she had him thinking of things he thought were unreachable to him. He could one day see them being married and having kids. She would be such a great mother. She did a damn fine job of taking care of him all these years. He would be one lucky son of a bitch if he got to spend the rest of his life with her.

She took a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves, 'Growing up I was always...irregular. Never thought anything about it. I figured it was the pill, ya know?"

Jon nodded his head, urging her with his eyes to continue, 'I thought maybe I was...cause you and I don't use...'She bowed her head loved the fact she was still so shy and reserved after everything she's been through. She was like a breath of fresh air. Most of the women he whored around with didn't even know what the word 'self-respect' meant. He liked the fact she was still so innocent in a lot of ways. Although considering all the things they've done together in the past month, she was well on her way to being corrupted by him.

It was funny, you would think considering her circumstances she would be very demure and reserved when it came to sex, but she was quite the opposite. There were times when she even tired him out. She was insatiable. He liked that she felt comfortable enough to show this side of herself to. If he had it his way, he'd be the only one who would ever see it.

Mary noticed the look of fright upon his face and chuckled softly, 'Calm the fuck down, Jon. I'm not pregnant.' She scoffed, 'I'm quite the opposite actually.'

He shook his head in bafflement, 'I don't understand. If you're not pregnant then why are ya so upset?' He shrugged his shoulders, 'I ain't no genius or nothin but when a woman cries it means they're upset about something. What the doctor say?"

She let out a deep sigh and bowed her head, staring directly into her lap, 'The doctor ran some tests and my estrogen levels were pretty...low so they ran some more tests and discovered my uterus is...damaged.'

Jon curtly nodded his head and ran a shaky hand through his hair, 'How...damaged?"

He tried to keep his voice leveled. He didn't want her to see how much her words affected him. He wrapped his arm around her once again, bringing her closer to his side. He wanted to keep her near him so that she knew he was here for her, no matter what. She had said to him the first night they made love that if he couldn't tell her what he felt then he could show her. He always remembered that and kept it close. He wasn't a man of many words. Besides, he need not say the words. His actions spoke for him. He tried to show her everyday how much she meant to him.

Mary let out a shaky sigh, 'Pretty...bad.' She scoffed, 'Turns out...Slim made sure to leave a lasting impression.'

Jon's eyes widened as he sat there, letting her words sink in. He felt the anger rising within him making his blood boil. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides and he gritted his teeth. He was so fuming angry he couldn't even think of anything but murder. He wanted to go over to that house and finish what he should have over a year ago. He should have fucking killed him when he had the chance. That bastard didn't even deserve to breathe the same air she did.

'What did he do to ya, Mary?" He made sure to keep his tone neutral, not wanting her to see how angry he was.

Good thing they were sitting in the dark. She could always tell just by looking at him when he was angry. He could not let her know what he was feeling in this moment. His anger was his weakness. He had to be strong for her now more than ever. He was her touchstone and she needed him. He had to show her how much he loved her.

Jon sighed when he saw her shoulders heaving up and down. He heard the telltale signs of her gasping breath, indicating to him she was crying. He wrapped both of his arms around her, squeezing her in a tight embrace. He gently lifted her onto his lap as he kissed her head softly, letting her sob against his chest.

He leaned back on the couch and brought her with him as held her head against his chest. He whispered silly and nonsensical words, letting her know it was going to be all right and he was there for her. He just let her cry it out. He closed his eyes. He could feel the hot stinging sensation of tears threatening to spill from his eyes, but he heeded them off. The last thing he needed to do was cry like a little pussy, especially in front of the girl whom he loved with all his heart. He was supposed to be the man in their relationship. He would not falter. She was the only thing in his life he ever got right. She was the only good thing about him. Seeing her like this tore him up inside, but he couldn't let her see that. He didn't want her to think he was any less of a man.

Mary rubbed her head against his chest and sighed, 'He would get really drunk and tie me down and...play with me.' She let out an embittered laugh, 'He took sick fucking pleasure in hearing me scream-.'

Jon shook his head cutting her off, 'Don't. Ya don't hafta bring that shit up if ya don't want to.'

He didn't know if he was saying it more for her benefit or his. Shit, probably the latter. Honestly, he didn't want to hear it. He was just about ready to go kill the motherfucker with his bare hands. He already knew what his blood smelled like. He could still smell the fear wafting off of him like a strong perfume. He could hear his groans of excruciating pain and remember the sound his knuckles made as it connected with his flesh. He craved to watch as the life slipped out of Slim's eyes and hear the sound of him gasping for his last breath. His mouth was watering just thinking about it. Maybe all those doctors were right. He really was a sick fucking animal. This is why he needed wrestling. It was his only outlet to vent all this rage and hatred he has. Without wrestling he bottled all of this negative energy inside. It was just a matter of time before it all came blowing up in his face. He didn't want her to be around to witness it.

Whenever Mary would speak of Slim, he always had to keep himself control. When all he wanted to do was drive over to his house and see how many times he would have to bash his head against the concrete pavement before he would die. They would lie in bed and he would wrap his arms around her and listen to her talk. He treasured those nights. He wanted nothing more than to have those kind of nights forever.

She closed her eyes and shook her head sadly, 'My nana always told me that having a child is the most cherished blessing a woman can give.' She snorted, 'Some fucking woman I am, huh?'

Jon shook his head, 'Fuck that shit. Just cause ya can't have kids that doesn't make ya any less of a woman.' He cupped her face in his hands, 'Baby, take it from me. You're all fuckin woman.' He smiled at her. The smile that was reserved only for her, 'Who gives a shit? We can always adopt.'

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, '_We_?'

He cleared his throat loudly and curtly nodded his head. He started becoming flustered and began darting his eyes back and forth, refusing to meet her gaze, 'Yeah, I mean...Not now...but ya know...a _long _time...way...way...'

She nodded and chuckled softly, 'I get it.' She began nervously fiddling with the strings upon his sweat jacket, 'Ya deserve someone who can give ya all the things I can't.'

Jon shook his head in bafflement, 'Like what? A baby? Look at me, Mary. I'm fuckin twenty one years old. I barely finished high school. I'm a bouncer at a bar and manage a fucking wrestling gym. What makes ya think I want a kid?"

Mary sighed, 'But ya will...one day.'

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. He gave her a stone hard look, making sure to ignore her tears. He didn't want the tears in her eyes to make him cave. He had to make sure she understood what he was trying to say, 'Look, ya gotta fuckin stop this shit, Mary. Ya never let that bastard get to ya before. Don't let him now. If he does then he wins, ya got me?'

She nodded her head half-heartedly, still not convinced, 'I thought I could get over it. I was finally at a place where I was, ya know? I was finally feeling like a somewhat normal person.' She scoffed, 'Then this fuckin happens to remind me that no matter what he'll always be with me. Leaving me a reminder of what he fucking did. I'm not good enough for anyone.' She shook her head as fresh tears began falling from her eyes, 'I'm not good enough for you, Jon. Ya deserve the things I can't give ya. Ya deserve..a normal woman. I'm damaged goods.'

Mary got up from his lap and began making her way towards the hallway. She felt him gently grab her by the arm, hatling her movements.

Jon spun her around to face him. Even in the dark she could make out his piercing blue eyes pinning her with his intense gaze.

He cupped her cheeks and brought his forehead to rest against her own as he whispered in that raspy tone of his she loved so much, 'I got a woman, Mary. I got a_ real _woman.'

Mary closed her eyes as he fell down to his knees before her. Never once did he break his gaze as he lifted up his sweatshirt she was wearing, exposing her flat belly.

She let out a gasp when she felt him giving her open mouth kisses as he slowly swirled his tongue into her navel. She began sobbing softly as he gripped her hips and continued kissing her belly. She understood the significance of this and it made her love him all the more for it. He couldn't express how he felt for her in words so he told her in the only way he knew how, through his kisses and touches.

Jon rubbed his stubbled cheek against her stomach, making Goosebumps flesh out upon her skin as he whispered, 'Do ya know how fucking hot it makes me to see ya wearing my shirt?' He shook his head and let out a possessive growl as he tightened his grip upon her hips, 'I can smell myself on your skin. It makes me wanna eat ya alive, baby.'

Mary tangled her fingers in his hand as she said in a breathy tone, 'Then do it. Make me feel like a woman.'

He nodded and grinned, 'Ya fuckin got it.'

Jon got up off his knees and grabbed her hand, leading her down the hallway. She was surprised when he walked her into the bathroom rather than their bedroom. She stood there looking at him, wondering what he had in mind.

He stood there with a ferocious look in his eyes. He looked ravenous, like an animal who was hunting his prey.

Jon gently grasped her hips and brought her flush against him, making her gasp aloud with the contact. He swiftly spun her around to face the mirror. She kept her head bowed, refusing to meet his gaze.

He took her hair out of its bun, letting it fall down her shoulders and gently grabbed it to forcibly lift her head up to meet his eyes in the mirror. His eyes were wild as he stared at her. His blue eyes were cast over with a haze of lust making them almost gray. She has never seen him like this before. She loved it.

Jon never took his eyes away from her in the mirror as he slowly lifted up her sweatshirt. He lifted her arms up to slip it off her.

Her body stiffened and then complied with the pressure of his own moving forward and slipping to his knees before her.

He swallowed, his hands moving almost of their own accord over the delicate flesh sheltered beneath simple gray sweatpants. Watching her eyes close once again as if his touch wounded her, a hard and deep shattering groan ran through him; the sight of those lashes fell on her cheeks as if to hide her vulnerability. Guilt invaded his heart at the realization that neither of them could hide from this moment. He stilled to sketch her image with his eyes and froze when they collided with her own, and a fleeting shadow touched them and was gone. Had it been of doubt or something else?

Jon hooked his thumbs under the sweatpants and slip them down her legs agonizingly slow. He lifted her legs to pull them the rest of the way off. He trailed hot kisses upon the back of her legs, trailing his tongue along the familiar path of her. He licked his way up her body, causing a shuddering throughout her entire body. She felt her knees buckle and tightly gripped the edge of the sink to keep from falling.

He stood behind her fully clothed and brought his cock flush against her ass and she bit her lip as she felt how hard he was for her.

Jon wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, 'Look how fuckin beautiful ya are, baby. Look at yourself.'

Mary slowly opened her eyes and they widened when she saw him staring back at her. She stood there looking in the mirror at herself, feeling more exposed than she ever had. She focused on his eyes and how they stared back at her with so much awe and adoration it was enough to bring her down to her knees. She felt herself crushing with the weight of her emotions. She knew what he was doing. He was telling her how he felt in the only way he knew how. Most women would need beautiful words and precious pearls, but she didn't care for tangible possessions. All she needed and all she wanted was what he was giving her in this moment...his love. It's more than any woman could ever ask for.

He outlined the shell of her ear with his tongue, making her tremble in desire. He shook his head in disbelief, 'Can't fuckin believe you're mine. '

She nodded, 'I am. I want...you.'

Jon let out a small chuckle, 'Baby, ya got me.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, I _want _you. All of you. I don't want ya to hold back anymore.'

He took a deep breath, knowing exactly what she was asking of him. Sure they had made love many times in the past month, but he had always held himself back. He didn't want to scare her or hurt her in anyway. He can be pretty intense when it comes to sex and didn't want her to scare her away due to her previous experiences. So many times it took all the insurmountable strength he had left not to devour her until she's nothing but a pile of bones at his feet, but he always digressed. Now she was asking him for everything. She not only wanted Jonathan Good, she wanted Jon Moxley. Both men were one in the same. She accepted them both. He didn't know if she was ready for this, but in this moment he couldn't deny her of anything.

Mary could tell by the way his hands trembled as he drew her hair through his fingers that tonight was going to be like nothing else she had ever experienced. It was going to defy experience-transcend her from the base and carnal lust surging through her into something blessed and pure. Making love with him like this would be like a kind of holy communion, a healing of the soul. He was healing her even now as she let him stroke her hair-pulling the broken pieces of her together-the isolation of the child, the outcast of the woman and man, brought home here in this house tonight.

Jon's hands reluctantly left the silky tresses and settled into the smooth skin of her neck and shoulders, pressing and  
drawing easy circles with his thumbs into the muscles beneath-tracing the tendons and brushing the skin. His attentions earned him a different sound, a relaxed sound, and she eased more fully against him, more than happy to continue his gentle kneading as her eyes closed and her breathing deepened.

His touch had drawn her into a light doze. Through half-closed eyes she could see the color of the fire blur and mix with blackness as she drifted. She wanted to sleep lightly, letting him roam her body with his strong and tender hands-releasing all her insecurities and fears with his touch. She wanted to come to him pure and resolved, with no questions, no regrets.

Jon grabbed her hair harder than he ever has. He yanked her head back and whispered in her ear, 'Oh no ya don't, eyes on me.'

Mary complied and opened her eyes as she watched his every move through the mirror. Her eyes filled with wonder and amazement. She could barely take her eyes off of him.

He took the skin of her neck between his teeth and soothed the bite with his tongue, causing her eyes to roll in the back of her head. She lightly rubbed her ass against his erection, causing a deep growl to rumble from his chest. The animalistic sound reverberated through her entire body, sending every nerve ending on fire.

She bit her lip when he roughly grabbed her breast, tweaking the nipple between his finger. His twisted it, eliciting a loud groan from her. He grinned and grabbed the other one to do the same. She felt herself floating away, almost as if she were on the outside looking in at herself. He never broke his gaze as he stared at her in the mirror. The smoldering look in his eyes made her confident and she rubbed her bare ass against his crotch feeling more and more emboldened with every groan he made.

When Mary finally managed to gain the strength to speak she said through ragged whispers, 'Take it off. I wanna feel you.'

Jon shook his head and bit her ear, 'Come on, baby. Ys gotta do better than that. Tell me. Tell me what ya want.'

She closed her eyes briefly and took a few breaths to regain a semblance of composure. She met his gaze directly once again, 'I wanna feel you inside me.'

He stuck his tongue out and his mouth upturned into his infamous cocky grin,'Tell me. Tell me what ya want me to do.'

Mary bit her lip and took a moment of deliberation to gather her bearings. She let out a shaky sigh and met his gaze directly as she whispered, 'I want you to...fuck me.'

Jon curtly nodded, 'We're getting warmer...how?'

She shook her head in frustration, 'Like this...just fuck me...please.'

It was that one word that done him in. It was the pleading look in her eyes and the desperation in her tone. He loved her far too much to ask her to beg. She would never have to beg him to take her. He'd gladly do it any time.

Jon quickly divested of his sweat jacket and tee shirt, taking them both off at the same time. He toed off his sneakers and unbuckled his belt. She jumped slightly in alarm when she heard the clinking sound of his belt hitting the tiled floor.

He smirked at her as he unzipped his jeans and took them off, letting them fall down onto their pile of clothes on the floor. She looked at him through the mirror mesmerized as his body in the dark. He was so fucking beautiful to her. Not many people would associate that word with him, but it was the only word which could adequately describe him. There was nothing about him she would change. Not his brash demeanor, his disregard for others around him, his scars; not only upon the outside, but on the inside as well. These are all things which make up apart of him. He is not beautiful because she loves him. He is beautiful because he loves her. For the first time in her short nineteen years on Earth he has given her something no one else ever has...love.

Here in this moment as she feels his lips, hands and mouth worshipping her she is made whole. She knows she could live a thousand times over and never have a love she is experiencing right now. And if by some weird twist of fate someone else comes after him, no other man will compare. They are not perfect beings, but through this act of carnal contrition they are reborn and can start anew. Nothing or no one can touch them in this moment.

Jon brings his entire body flush against her own and they both groan aloud as their bare flesh connects. He slides the tips of his fingers over her heated flesh, teasing her with tortuous slow strokes. His fingertips dance upon her flesh and he revels in the way her muscles contract and clench with every single stroke.

He bites the cartilage of her ear and tugs upon it with his teeth as he whispers hotly in her ear, 'Ya fuckin feel so good. You're fuckin skin is so soft.' He kisses her neck, licking her pulse point, 'Ya taste so good.'

Mary sighs as she feels his fingers lightly touching her pussy. He teasingly fingers her entrance, causing her to cry out. She is so oversensitized from his teasing ministrations that she could orgasm from his words alone.

Jon groans into her ear when two of his fingers delve inside her, 'You're so fuckin wet for me, baby. All for me. I'm the only one who gets to see ya like this. Feel ya like this.'

She nodded dumbly. She could barely comprehend what he was saying through her lust filled haze.

Mary slouches over the sink. She's barely able to hold herself up from the excruciating pleasure she's feeling. It's an ache, it's electrifying. It's a piercing longing that stirs from her soul she's never known existed inside of her until this moment.

She can't take the teasing any longer. She gyrates her ass against the tip of his cock and whispers in a pleading tone, 'Fuck me, Jon. Please...'

Jon chuckles softly, 'All ya had to do was ask, baby.'

He grips his cock and positions it at her entrance and with one swift movement he's inside her. His eyes roll back into his head and he rests his head against her back as he lets out a long deep groan. The sound shakes through her body, sending ripples of shock waves down her spine.

Jon grips her hips firmly and yanks her to him to gain more leverage. She bites her lip to keep from crying out as she grips tightly onto the sink for support. He grinds himself against her, slowly moving inside of her at a steadfast pace. It's not enough for her, she needs more.

Mary lifts her ass up to meet his hips as she grinds herself into him. She can feel his hipbones digging into her back and it only intensifies the burning she's feeling in the pit of her belly.

He grips her hair and roughly yanks her head up to meet his mouth. His kisses are bruising as his tongue explores every inch of her mouth. She can taste tobacco, a hint of whiskey and a tangy, spicy taste that's all his own. She eagerly drinks from him, capturing his groans into her mouth.

With a pull of her hair he tears her mouth away from, forcing her to stare back into the mirror at them.

Jon licks his lips and sticks his tongue out as he moves in and out of her. He pulls all the way out before pushing into her so deeply her feet leave the floor.

He keeps a fistful of her hair in his hands as he whispers, 'Look how fuckin gorgeous ya are when I fuck ya. You're so beautiful when you're mine. Tell me you're mine. Tell me.'

Mary meets his gaze directly in the mirror, 'I'm yours, Jon. I'm yours.'

She repeats the words over and over as if it were a mantra. Her words seem to spur him on for he starts to fuck her so hard the sink begins to shake. He puts his hands over hers upon the sink, tangling their fingers together. He holds onto her hands tightly, never breaking her gaze as his movements become erratic and less organized. She can tell he's close for he rests his head against her back. His breath is coming out in ragged gasps and he's panting loudly. He places open mouth kisses upon her back and licks the sweat off of her, savoring the taste that's all her own.

Mary can feel her orgasm slowly building from the tips of her toes. It creeps it's way up her body making her tingle and quiver. She feels that all too familiar fire in the pit of her belly. He's moving in and out of her so fast she can barely keep up. All of the sudden her orgasm hits her like a freight train, causing her to slouch over and scream out. Her screaming his name takes him over that final threshold to oblivion.. He chants her name through clenched teeth as he comes inside of her. His hot seed drips down her leg, intermingling with her own juices. He falls against her in a heap. The weight of what they had just experienced is too strong and overpowering even for a man such as himself.

Jon rest his forehead upon her back to get his breathing under control. His breath is coming out in harsh and ragged gasps. He wraps his arms around her slender frame to gain composure. She's standing there with her eyes closed and her hands are still gripping the sink. She's afraid to move. She doesn't think she has the strength to stand let alone walk. He's still inside of her, not wanting their connection to end right just yet.

When he finally regains the strength to speak, he asks her, 'Ya okay?'

Tears fill her eyes and she smiles softly, 'Yeah...I am.'

Jon nodded his head and smiled, 'Good...I'm glad. Feel like a woman now?'

Mary chuckled softly and nodded, 'Oh, yeah.'

He chuckled, 'Good. Ya ready for bed?'

She let out a shaky sigh, 'Yeah.'

Jon nodded his head. He reluctantly withdrew from her. He ran his hands through his sweat drenched hair and looked over at her. She looked so damn beautiful. He wished he could tell her how much she meant to him. She deserved to be told she was loved everyday. She deserved someone whom told her just how special she really was. He hoped she understood what this night meant. Not just for herself, but for him as well. He's never done anything remotely like this with any woman before. He's never wanted to until now. He wants her to be the only woman who ever has him this way again. He needed to man up and tell her or she would be lost to him forever. He wondered if he would ever get the strength to actually say the words. To think he's wrestled giants and won belts of glory and yet he can't say three simple words to a woman.

Mary cupped his cheek, asking him in a tone etched with concern, 'You okay?'

He smiled, 'After just having the best sex of my life? I'm fantastic. Come on. Lets go to bed.' He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their room.

They have hurdled yet another obstacle tonight. They may have won the battle, but have yet to win the war. As long as they were breathing there would always be something or someone whom tried to steer them apart, but they have defied the odds.

In a month she would be going back to Boston, leaving him alone once again. What happens then? Will their relationship survive? Or will it crumble under the weight of their own insecurities?

Only time will tell.

Next Chapter: Mary goes back to Boston. Ya know it had to happen. I figured I'd give ya this to hold ya off.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: **Please listen to this song reading this chapter to get the full effect. I was listening to this on a loop as I was writing this chapter.

City and Colour's 'Hello, I'm in Delaware'. : watch?v=0b-cazkmLnU

The time has come, the day they have both been trying to forget ever since they became involved. It was now time for her to leave him once again. He hadn't slept the whole night. After she had fell asleep he just laid there watching her. He lightly trailed his fingertips along her body, tracing the familiar paths. His eyes drank in every inch of her beauty. He wanted this moment embedded in his mind forever. He wanted to remember every single detail of her. As if he could ever forget.

They made love with abandon all night well into the morning. They pushed through their exhaustion, not wanting the night to end. For come morning reality would rear its ugly head cruelly reminding them that they would have to be torn apart. It wasn't fair. Just when they started to become something wonderful fate always has to intervene, making them face the fact that all good things must come to an end, especially for people like them.

Jon was lying in bed with her as he watched the sunrise. The early morning rays peeked through the blinds, enveloping the room in an amber glow. He looked down at her sleeping peacefully upon his chest. He tucked a wayward strand of hair away from her face and traced the curve of her cheekbone as he tucked it neatly behind her ear. She was always the most beautiful when she was like this. Her face was lax in sleep and her hand was upon his bare chest. Her legs were tangled with his own, her nude body covering him like a blanket. Her head was lying right upon his heart, almost as if she were listening to it beat. Ironically, he never even knew he had a heart until he met her. No one but him has ever seen her this way. He vowed in this moment he would be the only man.

Suddenly the alarm clock buzzed, ending their perfect moment and shattering the illusion of perfection. He watched her slightly stir. He remained motionless. He was afraid to move a muscle. He was content to just stay lying here in this bed with her for however long time would allow them.

Sometimes Jon thinks that Mary is so much stronger and resilient than he will ever be. Maybe it has to do with his insecurities and feelings of inadequacies, but he cannot help but feel as if it is much more than that. She is so intelligent, clever, witty and free thinking. There is not a doubt in his mind that she would achieve the ultimate success in anything she set her mind to. She is not one to give up so easily when faced with adversity and doubt. It is a trait he admires and respects so much for he knows that will be never something a guy such as himself will ever have. Her strong will and fierce determination is something to be envied.

It makes him wonder why she is even with a guy like him when it is obvious she can do so much better. A gorgeous and bright girl such as herself could have any guy she wanted. She deserved someone who was handsome, rich and sophisticated. Whom could give her all the finer things in life that she deserved. Things a man like him would never in a million years be able to give her. She deserved to be treated like the amazing girl that she was. What could a broken, half shell of a man such as himself have to offer to her?

Jon shook his head, clearing his mind of those kind of thoughts.

There was not a doubt within his mind that she would be pissed at him for thinking such thoughts. He could vividly imagine what her reaction would be. Even now after all that had transpired between them, he just cannot seem to get himself out of that mindset. Just because they were lovers it did not mean that he would suddenly become this different man overnight.

He doesn't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but he can tell you what it is for him. Love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person. It is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of. It is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you.

Her touches burn on his skin, and when she smiles at him, his day always goes better. She's vibrant and golden and everything beautiful in the world. He's nothing really, but she treats him like he's something. She's the balm to his troubled soul. The one who casts the shadows away when they're burying him far too deep.

After so many years of experiencing the worst, he just kind of expects it, you know?

He knows that it is only a matter of time before she leaves him, moving onto something far more better. Everything he has ever loved and cared for ends up abandoning him eventually.

Why should she be any different?

Mary lifted up her head. She slowly blinked her eyes as she groggily stared up at him. A drowsy smile formed upon her face, which he readily returned.

She loves the crisp quiet that surrounds her. She relishes the moment she comes awake, the moment her mind begins forming cohesive thoughts even before she opens her eyes. It is at this time of day that she does her best thinking, where she solves most of her problems. She maps out her day, plans and pretend conversations in which she is witty and smart and respected. And when she is satisfied with the results, she stretches her limbs, takes a deep breath, and begins her day.

Jon caressed her cheek caressing her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb and whispered, 'Hey, beautiful.'

Mary bowed her head bashfully as she felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

Even after her blatant and very gratifying worship towards him last night, she still wasn't used to being called beautiful on a daily basis. The only other person who had reminded her so readily of her worth had been her grandmother and even then it was in an entirely different manner. Jon has made her feel so wonderful, so alive and so worthy at the same time.

It's that feeling she gets every time his face comes into view. The way her body tingles as he touches her skin. It's the way he loves her, it's how he loves her. It's just him, anyone else but him would be completely wrong. He is her little piece of heaven, her place in the stars.

She has never known love until she has met him. She never knew kindness until he showed it to her. She has never loved anyone like she loves him. She never trusted anyone until he told her she should. She never looked into someone's eyes and saw their soul until she looked into his eyes. She never fell completely in love with anyone, until she met him.

All of their life, women search for their Prince Charming, the man whom will sweep them off their feet. While Jon would not exactly be considered to fit the suit of what someone girl's dream man would be. It does not matter to her what anyone else thinks. It is how she sees him. He is the embodiment of everything she dreamed of when she was a little girl. He was handsome, strong, loyal, kind hearted, honest, caring and most of all…he loved her, that she was sure of. He was her Prince Charming, her Knight In Shining Armor, the hell with what everyone else thinks. All that she cares about is what they have together.

The rest of the world be damned.

Mary has recently discovered a secret to life. What she had always needed was just to find somebody else who can fill that deep aching hole inside that she was always trying to kick dirt over and pretend wasn't there. Finally, she has found that someone whom has filled the void that has been within her heart for so many years. He completes her in every way.

Since her relationship with Jon, she had discovered that taking a chance on someone is a gamble and the stakes are very high. There is a lot to lose when trusting someone with yourself, but if you truly trust and have faith in that person and if you feel them worthy, you take that risk, not knowing what the outcome could be. You could win or lose, but it is your choice, no one else's.

She has learned through experience during her short years on this Earth that everything in life is temporary, because everything changes. That's why it takes great courage to love, knowing it might end anytime but having the faith it will last forever.

Jon may be her first love, but she has not a doubt in her mind that he was going to be the only one she would love for whatever years she may have upon this Earth.

Mary leaned into his touch, closing her eyes to revel in the feeling of his rough and calloused hand upon her skin, 'Hey.'

'It's time to wake up.'

His naturally raspy tone never ceased to send chills down her spine, especially when he first woke up. His lazy drawl was gravelly and grating, making every nerve ending feel as if they were on fire. There was no sexier sound in the world to her than hearing him speak. She loved how he looked first thing in the morning. His face was covered in three day old stubble. His hair was wild and disarrayed. Well, more so than it usually is. His eyes were glazed over from sleep. He looked so young and carefree, almost like a little boy. She could get used to waking up like this every morning for the rest of their lives. She was really going to miss this, miss him.

Mary looked over at the clock on their bedside table, which read six in the morning and scoffed, 'Apparently.'

She stared at him, noting his lustrous lashes that curled into infinity and the darkening passion in his wide, beautiful eyes. She found her hand idly tracing the contours of his sculpted chest.

Jon tilted her face up to his gently, slowly, as if savoring the moment. Their lips met at the instant that their hearts connected, everything around them melting into a meaningless abyss. Nothing in that crystalline moment mattered to her besides being close to him and nothing was more important to her then being able to love him the way he deserved to be loved.

His fingers starting squeezing her hips but otherwise he didn't move. She ran her tongue behind his ear and down the column of his throat, finding his pulse at the base of his neck. She sucked his skin into her mouth, nipping lightly and then licking to smooth it with her tongue. She was feeling territorial all of a sudden and wanted to mark him. When she left today she wanted to leave him something tangible to remember her by. She bit him again, repeating the procedure.

Jon's shuddering groan this time sent a wave of arousal through her body that culminated in a spasm of warmth between her legs. It was slightly surreal that she was having this affect on him. He was such a strong and powerful man whom was not taken down easily. Many men have tried and failed, but she's the only whom had the power to bring him to his knees with just a look.

Jon's eyelids were heavy with arousal and had turned a shade of deep blue. He kept his voice low as he said,"What do I have to do to get you to kiss me?"

Her eyes widened for about a second, then his hands slid up to grab her face and he pulled her to his lips. No gentle preliminaries. He pushed his lips against hers, the motion of his jaw opening her mouth. His tongue plunged into her mouth. He swallowed her gasp and began to assault her tongue with his own, his jaw working back and forth as though he would devour her. He broke suddenly pulling air hard into his lungs. He looked at her briefly then pulled her in again.

The brush on her lips he gave her tasted of everything that she felt in the core of her being, sweetness, passion and the heat being generated between them coursing through her veins. Kissing Jon was like no other feeling on the face of the planet, it was all satiating the hunger that persistently clung to her, drinking out of a well when her throat was parched, coming in sight of dry land after having been lost at sea.

They clung to each other, their kisses become tighter, more urgent, more heated. Mary allowed her entire body to melt into his, suddenly feeling the burning need to be as close to him as physically possible. He responded in kind, opening his mouth to attack hers, exploring the caverns of her mouth so tantalizingly slow it made her moan in desire. His hand settled down onto the small of her back, pressing his arousal against her, making her own body respond in kind.

This time he slowed down, his initial frenzy seemingly abated. He was being slow and thorough now, although there was nothing timid about his ministrations. He nipped at her tongue and sucked on her lips. Now it was her turn to shudder as bolts of sensation melted all of her muscles. She felt her brain lose track of the rest of the room and tried to refocus, but it was no use.

Mary was taken over by his kiss, physically and mentally. She was at his mercy, powerless to his devices. It was the sweetest torture she has ever known. He had achieved the amazing feat of conquering her mind, body and soul. There was nothing she would deny him nor did she want to.

She was barely aware of anything besides the heat of his body pressing against hers, her urgent need to be as one making everything but the two of them melt into a chasm of nothingness. Nothing really mattered but the feel of his lips on hers, his hands grinding into her or her hands running over his lean body, making him groan in desire. She wouldn't have cared whether they were in his car or at the gym as their first kiss had been. As long as she was with him.

Mary did not have anything else to compare it to, but he was a great kisser. Maybe she was partially biased in her opinion, but it was of truth. He knew just how to use his tongue. She's had dreams about what that tongue could do to her, but the reality of kissing him was overwhelming. His lips are so smooth and soft. His hands were hot on the sides of her neck and his hardness was grinding into her crotch. His right hand drifted down to cup her left breast, kneading it firmly before his fingers latched onto her nipple and pulled. When his fingers began rolling the hard little bud back and forth, pinching it slightly, she felt the room spin. She closed her eyes and tugged on her bottom lip.

Jon was moaning, kissing her lips and the crook of her neck and trailing kisses down her shoulders and chest and he just couldn't do anything that would have made Mary not want him more. She had never seen him so abandoned before and she wanted to completely and utterly embrace it. They were both heaving breathlessly as if they were running a very long race, their bodies becoming drenched in sweat.

Suddenly the reminder alarm rang on their clock, bringing them back to reality.

Mary looked at the clock and sighed, 'I gotta...get ready, Jon.'

He nodded, trying not to let his sadness show through, 'Yeah, what time's your bus leave again?"

She sighed, 'Eight.'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'Guess we both should get up then.'

Mary got up from the bed and he immediately felt the emptiness beside him and in his heart. Little by little he could feel her slipping away from him. This was only the beginning. He couldn't imagine coming back to this apartment without seeing her, or going to bed alone every goddamn night. It was strange, he never really thought about the loneliness. He was usually too drunk and high out of his mind to care. Now that he had her he didn't want to be alone, not anymore.

They both got dressed, feeling almost like zombies in a sense. They were basically just going through the motions at this point. The room was eerily silent you could hear a pin drop as she got her bags together, making sure she got everything. They both said not a word, not wanting to say the wrong thing and break this fragile silence that existed between them.

Before they walked out the door, Jon asked her, 'Ya have everything?'

Mary stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. She wanted to remember every single detail, cataloging it in her memory. Suddenly the thought of going back to her dorm in Boston didn't seem too appealing. This Summer has been some of the best times of her life, hands down. They had made so many beautiful memories together here in this apartment. Memories that she would cherish and relive over and over whenever being without him became too much to bear.

She could feel the all too familiar sensations of tears stinging her eyes. She mustered all of the strength she could within this moment to keep them at bay. She didn't want for him to see her crying. She would save her tears for the long bus ride home.

Jon's voice broke her from her reverie by asking her, 'Ya good?"

Mary forced a smile upon her face and nodded, 'Yeah, I'm good.'

He curtly nodded, 'We...uh...better get going or ya gonna miss your bus.'

She heaved a laborious sigh, 'Yeah, don't wanna do that.'

Jon grabbed her bags by the door and she reluctantly followed behind him. She took one last look around, taking everything in. She was really going to miss this place. Shit, she was actually going to miss Ohio. Never did she think she'd say those words. Maybe it's because wherever he was, that's where she felt she belonged.

Mary smiled sadly and closed the door, following closely behind him. It was time for her to go back to her life in Boston, while leaving her heart and soul in Ohio.

The ride to the bus station had to be the longest ride of their lives. They tried to make small talk, but it seemed forced and contrived. It was as if they were trying to pretend this was just any other ordinary day. When in actuality it's been the day they've been dreading ever since they solidified their union. They gave up trying to play their assuming roles and chose to remain silent. Sometimes it's best to not just say anything at all. Words tend to complicate things and make them messy. They knew that better than anyone.

When they parked into the bus station, Jon got her bags out of the trunk and walked her to where her bus was waiting. They didn't have much time to say goodbye. Her bus was leaving in only fifteen minutes. They decided to stop at a diner on the way and get something to eat, but they ended up just staring down at their cold uneaten food. They didn't have an appetite. Their stomachs were in knots and their chests were constricted, making them feel numb and hollow. They knew this is what heartache felt like. They should have been prepared for it. But how does one really prepare themselves to let go the one person whom they love most in this world?

Mary stood in front of him. Ever since this morning she could hardly take her eyes off of him. She didn't want him to leave her sight. She wanted to commit every single detail of him to memory. Tears filled her eyes as she stood there staring at him. He was wearing a plain white tee shirt, black mesh shorts and sneakers. He was also wearing a black backwards baseball cap on his head and his eyes were covered with sunglasses. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets and he was staring down at his sneakers as he rocked back and forth upon his heels. He was so beautiful to her it made her chest ache to look at him. She doesn't know how she's going to make it each day without him. She's become so use to being near him, in every sense of the word.

She doesn't know how she'll cope without his kisses, his touches, looks and smiles reserved only for her. There was a time when she could not wait to be back in Boston, but now her excitement was practically nilch. For Jon wasn't there. She hated the thought of leaving him here all alone. He didn't deserve this. She never hated herself more than she did in this moment.

Jon doesn't know what to do in this situation. He was never good at goodbyes. Sure, he's had to say goodbye to her before, but this was entirely different. So much has transpired between them these past few months. They gave not only their bodies to one another, but their hearts and souls as well. It was needless to say they had a lot to lose. He felt the tears threatening to spill from his eyes and he was thankful he had enough sense to wear dark sunglasses. The last thing he wanted her to do was see him cry. It wouldn't be fair to her. He refused to make her feel guilty to go back to Boston and live her life. She deserved to be happy. He wouldn't hold her emotionally captive like that. He would be damned if he manipulated her like so many others have in the past. She was breaking his heart and she didn't even know it.

Mary took his hand and intertwined their fingers, 'Hey.'

A small smile formed upon his face, 'Hey yourself.' He saw the tears falling from her eyes and touched her cheek, wiping them away, 'Hey, what's this all about?'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I can't help it, Jon. I don't wanna leave you.'

Jon nodded his head, 'I know, but ya gotta, sweetie. Ya can't feel guilty about that. Don't worry bout me. Ya know me, I'll be fine.'

Mary nodded her head, 'But I won't be.'

He smiled softly, 'Yes, ya will. You're a fucking tough ass woman. '

She chuckled, 'Ya give me far too much credit.'

Jon shook his head, 'I don't think I give ya enough.'

She stood upon her tiptoes and cupped his cheeks, smiling through her tears, 'Ya give me more than I could ever want or hope for. Never forget that.'

He bowed his head, refusing to meet her gaze,'I'm not so sure bout that.'

Mary lifted up his head and forced him to look at her. She wished he would take his sunglasses off. She wanted to look into his beautiful blue eyes before she left.

She smiled, 'Jon, you've given me more happiness in these past few months then I've had in an entire lifetime. I wouldn't trade what we shared for anything in the world, got me?'

Jon nodded his head and sniffed roughly, 'Yeah, I got ya.'

She nodded her head, 'Good. ' She let out a shaky sigh and looked over his shoulder. She didn't want to look at him for what she was about to say, 'Ya know I don't expect any promises. If ya want,when I'm gone ya can be with other...women.' She took a deep breath to gather her courage, 'I understand. '

He shook his head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No fuckin way, Mary. Don't say that shit. Ya think I can't get hold off til ya get back?' He scoffed, 'I'm not that much of a bastard.'

Jon could not believe what he was hearing. It offended him that she would even ask that of him. He couldn't even think of another girl. She was all he ever wanted. He wished he had the balls to tell her.

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'It's just I'll be gone for a...while. It's not fair to you.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Okay, what about ya? Ya gonna back to Boston and find some preppy ass dude to frolick in the park with?'

She chuckled softly, 'Nah. I never liked the preppy boys and never been much of a frolicker. Besides, I like my men with a little edge.'

He smiled and placed his hands on her hips, 'Oh, I got that, baby.'

Mary nodded her head, smiling, 'Damn right ya do.' She let out a shaky sigh as fresh tears fell from her eyes, 'I'm gonna miss ya, you know that?"

Jon curtly nodded his head, saying awkwardly 'Yeah...me too.'

He hated the fact that he just couldn't come right out and say what he felt. This very well may be his last chance. His father was right, he was nothing but a little pussy. But only when it came to her. She was the only thing on this Earth he was truly afraid of. For she had the power to break him, physically and emotionally. She had this absolute power over him. What made it all the more worse is he let her. He had no one to blame but himself.

She muttered a curse word under her breath and snapped her fingers, 'I almost forgot. I have something to give ya.'

He watched her curiously as she bent down and dug into her carry on bag. She brought out a small paper bag and handed it over to him.

Jon looked at the bag in wonder, 'What's this?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, 'I uh...got ya a going away present.'

He sighed, feeling an asshole, 'Shit, Mary. Ain't it supposed to be the other way around? I'm the dude. Ain't I supposed to be giving ya shit?'

She shook her head, smiling, 'Ya give me more than enough, Jon. You know that. Just see what it is. I don't have all day, ya know?'

Jon curtly nodded his head and reached into the bag. His eyes widened when he took out a gold necklace that looked like a bike chain. He could tell by the weight of it that it was real. The was the first piece of 'real' jewelry he owned. Shit, this is the nicest thing he owned...period. The thought suddenly occurred to him that this was the first time someone has ever given him anything with any real meaning behind it. Sure, he's held belts made of gold and silver, but those were possessions Jon Moxley earned. This was something given to the man who was loved by an exceptional woman. He once again felt tears welling within his eyes. He sniffed roughly and took a few deep breaths to get his emotions in check.

He shook his head, 'Darlin, I can't take this. This musta cost ya a lot of money...I-'

Mary clamped her hand over his mouth, 'Just take the goddamn thing, will ya? I wanted to do it. I was out with Kasey one day and I saw this in a store. I thought it would look really good on ya. I wanted to give it to ya last Christmas, but it didn't seem like the right time. Now it is. Please...take it. Something to remember me by.'

Jon snorted aloud, 'Baby, I ain't ever gonna forget ya. Ya know that right?'

She nodded her head half-heartedly and took the chain out of his hands. He bent his head, letting her put the necklace around him.

Mary smiled, obviously proud of herself. She said in a very matter of fact tone 'I knew it would look good.'

He bowed his head, feeling slightly embarrassed under her scrutinizing gaze, '...Yeah...thanks...ya know...for this.'

She nodded, 'My pleasure, Jon.'

Their moment was cut short by someone announcing that the bus to Boston was leaving the station in five minutes. They both looked at one another, knowing these were the final moments they would be spending together.

Mary let out a shaky sigh, 'Well, I guess this is it.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah.'

He wrapped his arms around her waist bringing her flush against his body. He wanted to feel her soft curves against his hard body one more time. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of being in her arms. He breathed in her scent and reveled in the purifying calmness of having her near him. He doesn't know what he's going to do without her these next few months. She is the only thing in his world that made sense to him. Without her he's lost and doesn't know what to do with himself. Suddenly the thought of going home to an empty apartment doesn't makes him feel hollow and empty inside.

Mary tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. She was sobbing softly, her tears soaking through his tee shirt.

Jon cupped her face in his hands and bent down to rest his forehead against hers, 'Baby, don't cry. We're gonna see each other soon.'

She nodded, 'I know, but three months is a long time'

He sighed, 'I know that, but we'll talk everyday. I'm gonna call ya so fuckin much you'll get tired of me in no time.'

Mary chuckled softly, 'After five years of knowing ya, I doubt that.' She took a deep breath, willing her voice to remain leveled as she said the words she never uttered to anyone before, 'I...love you, Jon. I just wanted ya to know that. If something should happen I don't wanna leave here today without letting ya know that.'

The tears he had been trying his damndest to keep at bay came flooding to the surface as soon as heard those words come out of her mouth. No one has ever said those words to him. He never thought anyone would. Fuck, he pretty much gave up on it. Nothing compares to having the person you love more than life itself reciprocating your feelings. It makes you feel ten feet tall, like you can do anything. He's never felt more invincible yet miserable in this moment. The words were bittersweet. She spoke to him as if she were saying goodbye, like they would never see each other again.

Jon opened his mouth, struggling to find the words to say, but failing miserably in the process. His heart and mind were miscommunicating. She deserved to hear those words from him, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't say it. Why was it so goddamn difficult for him? He knew once he said them there was no turning back. You can't take those kinds of words back, no matter how hard you tried. By admitting he loved her he would be admitting defeat. If there's one thing in the world Jonathan Good doesn't do it's give in. Not for anything or anyone. Not even for the woman he loved.

She placed her finger upon his lips and smiled knowingly, 'Ya don't have to say anything. It's all right.'

He shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh, 'Mary. Ya know how I feel bout ya.'

Mary smiled and nodded her head, 'I do. Ya show me everyday.'

Just then the man came over the loudspeaker announcing last calls for her bus.

She sighed, 'I wish we had more time.'

Jon nodded his head, 'We do, I'll be here. I'll be here, Mary.'

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I know. '

She reached up and placed her lips upon his. His grip tightened around her waist as he delved his tongue into her mouth. They kissed each other with abandon, wanting to memorize the smell, taste and feel of one another. It's not as if they would forget. They were embedded in one another and connected in every way a person can be connected. The kiss took on a desperate edge as he gently cupped the back of her head. He held her hair silky hair in his tight closed fists. They could taste the salt of their intermingled tears upon their lips. This was not a kiss of lovers. This was a kiss goodbye.

She reluctantly pulled away and rested her forehead against his own as he cupped her face in his hands, 'I'm not gonna say goodbye to you cause we're gonna see each other again.'

Jon nodded his head, 'I know. Ya take care of yourself, Mary. Call me if any of those old money college boys give ya shit, okay?'

Mary chuckled and nodded, 'Sure thing.' She heaved a laborious sigh, 'I gotta go, Jon.'

He sighed, 'Yeah...I know.'

She took a step back from him and grabbed her bags, 'Ya gonna have Sami teach ya how to work your laptop so we can Skype, right?'

Jon smiled, 'Yeah. Just make sure you're alone, okay? I gotta get my kicks somehow.'

Mary nodded her head, 'Looking forward to it.' She reached up and touched his cheek, 'Ya make sure ya take care of _yourself_, got it? If I found out you're fucking up so help me God I will get on the first bus back here and kick your ass harder than anyone ya ever faced in that fucking ring. There ain't going to be anything fake about it, ya got me?'

He nodded, 'Loud and clear. No fucking up...understood.'

She smiled, 'Okay. I'll call you when I'm there, all right?'

Jon curtly nodded his head, 'Sure.'

Mary took a moment to carefully observe him one last time. The tears fell from her eyes unimpeded. She wished she could have been stronger, but she didn't have the energy to fight them off. It hurt far too damn much to leave him again. She had thought the first time around was bad, but now things were wholly different. They had far much more invested, such as their entire lives.

She kissed his cheek, letting her lips linger for a few moments. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of her soft lips upon his stubbled cheek.

Mary whispered in his ear, 'Always remember that I love you. I'm going to tell you that every single day until you believe it.'

Jon shook his head in disbelief. He was once again rendered speechless by her words. He was unable to wrap his psyche around the fact that this beautiful girl loved him. He doesn't know what he's done in his miserable godforsaken life to deserve her love, but you damn well better believe he's not going to take it for granted.

She smiled softly, 'I'll see ya soon, Jon.'

Jon sniffed roughly and cleared his throat, 'Yeah...see ya soon, Mary.'

Mary sighed deeply and reluctantly walked away from him. The tears were falling from her eyes rapidly. Her body was heaving in gut wrenching sobs. She bit her lip to muffle the sounds, not wanting him to see her emotional breakdown. She didn't want him to feel guilty for her sadness. She wanted him to be proud of her and show him that she could be strong when all the while she was dying inside.

He watched her helpless as she got onto the bus. He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets. Tears were falling from his eyes, but he made no attempts to heed them. He was wearing sunglasses anyway.

She stuck her head out the window and blew him a kiss and he smiled at her waving goodbye. He stood there and watched as her bus pulled off and headed down the long stretch of highway. He stood there motionless and kept his eyes solely focused upon her bus as it made its way down the road and disappeared from his view.

When he got back to their apartment, he closed the door and threw his keys down onto the kitchen counter. He looked around in disdain and disgust. He hated being here now. Everywhere he looked it reminded him of them and the wonderful times they shared together. He numbly walked down the hallway into their bedroom.

Jon looked at their bed. The bed was unmade and the sheets and comforter were crumpled from their previous night's activities. He plopped down on the bed and laid down staring mindlessly up at the ceiling. He turned on his side and buried his face into her pillow. He could still smell her shampoo and unique scent that was all her own lingering upon the bed clothing. He curled up into a fetal position and for the first time since he was a child he started sobbing.

Once again he was left alone. It always comes down to him. He loved her enough to let her go. He just hoped she loved him enough to come back.

TBC...Yeah, I know. I'm sorry but it had to be done.

Also, no Mary isn't going to get a cute little boxer dog and Jon will not shoot it. If you haven't seen that Jon Moxley promo go check it out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author Notes: This chapter was co-written with my kickass girl Christina. She is such an amazing author and I feel honored that she is even gracing me with her words. She is a forced to be reckoned with and I will be the first person in line for her first book signing.**

Jon stood in front of Mary's dorm room door, wondering if this was such a good idea or not. He had come here wanting to surprise her. Shit, it was more for his benefits than hers. He missed the shit out of her. Everywhere he went it reminded him of her. Fuck, he couldn't even take a shower without memories of the two of them together, with her pressed up against the shower wall, her legs would be wrapped around his waist for support while he slowly moved inside her. He wanted, no needed to see her. It was absolutely detrimental to his survival at this point. Skype just wasn't cutting it anymore. It was pure torture seeing her so close but yet he was unable to reach out and touch her the way he wanted.

The final straw was a week ago when they had their last Skype conversation. She had told him about some award she won at school. It was something real important. It was an academic achievment award or some shit like that. It had some fancy title he couldn't even begin to understand, but she seemed to be proud of it. They were having an awards ceremony to present the award to her. He could see the disappointment clearly written in her eyes as she spoke about it. Even though she may have been trying her damndest to hide it, he could see it. There was absolutely nothing she could hide from him and vice versa. He figured he owed it to her to come and accompany her to this event. He was never much for high society fancy schmancy parties, but having her there would make it at least somewhat bearable.

Besides, he was damn proud of her himself. He wanted to be there on one of the most important nights of her life. He loved her and wanted to share this moment with her. Even if he had to wear a monkey suit for a few hours. The fucking things he does for this girl.

Jon has never worn so many fucking fancy clothes in his life. He just never had a reason to before. She made him want to be a better man. Not just only for her, but for himself as well. He wanted for her to see him as someone she could always rely upon and trust. He wanted to be that man she would be proud to show off to the world. Lord fucking knows he's damn proud to call her his girl. He knew she was out of his league and was better than him. She was too beautiful for a miserable bastard such as himself, but he's not going to give her up. He has tried and failed. He's stuck with her, whether he likes it or not.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, he knocked lightly upon the door and waited for someone to answer. It was Saturday so he knew she didn't have any classes. They usually talked every Saturday morning for two or three hours at a time. This was their day to catch up and talk about what happened the during their week. He always looked forward to those Saturday mornings. She would still be in her pajamas and didn't brush her hair. It was always up in a messy bun and her face would be devoid of makeup. Her cheeks would be flush from sleep and her brown eyes were hazed over from just waking up. He thought she never looked more beautiful first thing in the morning. If he could wake up to that face every morning for the rest of his life he would die a happy man.

Jon's heart began racing as he heard the door being opened. He wasn't a praying man, but he found himself hoping that she would be happy to see him. He would hate to think he was driving all this way and she would be disappointed he came. He didn't want her to think he was intruding upon her life here. She has made a very nice and normal life here for herself. He didn't want a screw up such as himself coming along and fucking everything up. He always had a habit of ruining a good thing. Why should she be any different?

His eyes widened when the door opened revealing a petite blond standing there. She was wearing some kind of pink tracksuit and her sunny blond hair was curled and primped to perfection. She was pretty enough, but he didn't come for her. Maybe in another time of his life he would have thought about a lot of interesting things he could do with that full lush mouth of hers, but the thought never even crossed his mind. He couldn't even think of another girl. He wanted no one but Mary. No other girl would do. Now that he had to best life had to offer he refused to give it up. Not for anyone or anything.

The girl's eyes widened and she stood behind the door cautiously as she looked upon him wearily. He was used to people looking at him this way. People have been scared of him all his life. He's the type of guy that if you seen out in public you cross the street to avoid him. His roughened exterior always kept people at arm's length. That was fine. He liked it that way. He would rather people fear and hate him than try to hurt him. But for some reason it made him feel uneasy that this girl was looking at him this way. He knew this had to be her roommate. Mary had talked about her enough. She even sent him a few pictures of them together. He recognized the girl from the photos. He had to admit. He had folded the picture in half and put it on his bedside table. He only wanted Mary's face looking back at him when he went to sleep and awoke in the morning.

Jon looked down at what he was wearing and grimaced, wishing he had changed into something more presentable. He was wearing a black tee shirt, old faded worn out jeans that have seen better days. They had holes at the knees and were tattered at frayed at the edges. His rough and weathered unlaced combat boots and black denim jacket made him look like something that was just peeled off the street. He hasn't showered in almost two days. He didn't stop on the road. He just drove straight through, not wanting to stop for anything. He didn't want to second guess himself and turn back around. His hair was stringy and messed up, sticking in every which way direction. It was in his face obscuring his eyes. His knuckles had cuts and bruises upon them and his left eyes brow had a butterfly stitch above it. Fuck, this girl must think he looks like some kind of gutter trash. She's probably wondering what a girl like Mary is doing with a piece of filth like him.

It's strange, he never used to care what people thought about him, but ever since he and Mary got together he's slowly becoming more and more self aware. He doesn't want people to perceive him as some gutter trash from the wrong side of the tracks. Yeah, he is, but that doesn't mean he has to continue his life living that way. He wants to change, but doesn't know how to do so. He's hoping she will help him along with that. As long as he doesn't do something to fuck it all up and chase her away.

Jon knew he had to be civil and cordial with his girl as not to scare her away.

He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and rocked back and forth nervously upon his heels, 'Hi...is...Mary here?'

Jon could not help but find it amusing that she was still hiding behind the door with only her head peeking out. She seemed to be one of those sheltered girls who is afraid of everyone and everything. Moving away to college is probably the longest time she's ever spent away from mommy and daddy. He hates these pretty little girl types. They were like fucking kittens, all shaking and scared. He never had time for these kinds of girls. He liked his women strong minded, independent and willful. Just like his girl.

The girl shook her head, 'No...she's working.'

He sighed and nodded his head. Damn he forgot that she started working Saturdays again. She said she needed the money for books. He had wanted to send her money for them, but she outright refused his help. She said she wanted to pay for her own way and didn't want him taking care of her all the time. Even though he didn't see it as a favor. He saw it as his duty as her man to take care of her. Call it selfish man pride if you will. She was stubborn and hardheaded, much like himself.

The girl stood there carefully observing him and her eyes widened in recognition, 'Oh my god. You're Jon aren't you?'

Jon's eyes widened in surprise, 'That's right.'

The girl opened the door wider and clapped her hands excitedly, 'Oh my God. She didn't mention you were coming. Are you here to surprise her?'

He shrugged sheepishly, 'Something like that.'

The girl smiled beamingly and he found himself suddenly uncomfortable. Her bright and bubbly personality was a little but bombarding. He always felt a little uneasy around shiny happy people. Maybe it's because he's never been one of those types of people. He's not the kind of man who smiles much. Mary is the only one who get him to really truly smile. He's just faking it around everyone else.

The girl extended her hand outward in greeting, 'I'm Kat, Mary's roommate.'

Jon tentatively reached out his hand and shook it quickly before letting it go, 'Nice to meet ya.'

See, he could be a nice person. Contrary to popular belief he did actually have it in him to be civil and cordial with people. Well, at least he did now anyway. That's yet another thing he had Mary to thank for. She actually made him human.

Kat put her hands upon her hips and smiled, 'So, I take it this is a surprise right? Mary didn't mention you were coming."

He curtly nodded his head, 'That's right...when does she...get done?'

Jon hated how much of a pussy he sounded, but shit he was nervous. He's never done anything like this before. Driving hundreds of miles just to surprise a girl. It was like something out of some cheesy teenage romance movie. But Mary wasn't any ordinary girl. He loved her. In his book that made her pretty fucking special. She was an exception to every single rule he made for himself.

She looked down at her watch and sighed, 'Uh, in about a half hour. She's working the breakfast shift. I was supposed to go pick her up. Do you...wanna come with me?"

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to act all nonchalant, but on the inside he was nervous and anxious, hoping she would be happy to see him, 'Yeah...sure. That's fine.'

Kat smiled and nodded, 'Okay then. Let me just go get my keys.' She clapped her hands and giggled, 'This is going to be so romantic. Just wait one moment.'

Jon curtly nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. He rolled his eyes as he watched her scamper away. He doesn't know how Mary stands living with this girl. Five minutes in her presence and he wants to fucking shoot himself. He's never been a hitter of woman, but he's seriously thinking about making an exception for her. She was nice enough, but too damn nice. He wasn't used to that. In his experience anyone who is nice to you always wants something from you or vice versa. People are never nice to guys such as himself. Maybe that's because he never gave anybody a reason to. Until now that it is. Mary brought out the good in him.

The drive to Mary's work was filled with awkward silence. They didn't exactly have much to talk about. Kat tried making small talk with him. He would answer her questions and try his damndest to be polite, but he was growing more and more irritated the longer he was in this car with her. She wasn't a bad person and he had nothing against her. He just always felt uncomfortable around new people. He didn't want to do or say the wrong thing to offend her, which he sometimes has a habit of doing. He has a tendency to piss people off without even really trying to. This was Mary's friend and he didn't want to do something that would have her angry at him.

Kat pulled into the parking lot of the diner he assumed that Mary was working at. He felt his heart racing at lightening speed. His palms were sweaty and he could feel himself shaking. She was the only person who could illicit fear out of him. He was always so skittish around her. He was so damn frightened that he would say or do the wrong thing and completely fuck everything up. It wouldn't be the first time in his life he has screwed up. It definitely wouldn't be his last. It's what's expected of him.

They got out of the car and she turned to him, grinning, 'Ya cool?'

Jon curtly nodded his head, trying to keep his face neutral and not let his nervousness show through, 'Yeah, I'm cool. Ya think she'll be glad to see me?'

He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He didn't want this girl to know how much Mary affected him. Then again, they were friends. Girls revealed all their secrets to each other. He suddenly got nervous all over again, wondering what Mary could have told her. But Mary wasn't the type to gossip, especially about their relationship. What they had was special and she treasured it just as much as he did.

Kat nodded and chuckled, 'Are ya kidding me? Of course she will. You're all she talks about at times.' She saw his eyes widen and laughed, 'All good I promise. Come on. Lets go in and surprise her.'

Jon's heart tugged at her words. It made his heart feel as if someone were twisting it tightly, making him feel as if he were internally suffocating. He liked the fact she talked about him. Shit, hardly anyone had anything good to say about him. Well, if it didn't involve him being in the ring. It made him feel so fucking good inside that she was proud of what they shared, proud of him. He never thought he'd have that.

He nodded his head and let out a shaky sigh, following her lead.

When he walked inside the diner, thankfully it was just clearing out. There were a few elderly patrons sitting there enjoying their coffee, engaging in conversations with their spouses, while the loners were reading the newspaper or bothering the waitresses for more coffee.

Jon's eyes scanned around, searching for Mary. His eyes lit up and a smile came upon his face when he saw her walk out from the back. She was wearing a light blue v-neck t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, with tendrils of curls framing her face. Her cheeks were flushed most likely from exertion or the heat from the kitchen. She looked so fucking gorgeous it knocked the wind right out of him. Seeing her in the flesh for the first time in over two months sparked something within him only she could ignite. For the past eight weeks he went through life as a zombie, just merely going through the motions. He was too proud to admit it, but he was lost without her. She has become someone whom he needs in his life. It's as simple as that. He's not himself without her, doesn't want to be. Just looking at her he felt better than he has in weeks. He felt...alive.

Mary didn't see him yet. She was too preoccupied behind the register taking someone's check. He patiently waited with a smirk upon his face and crossed his arms over his chest as he stood there, taking her in.

After the gentleman was finished paying his bill, she was about to walk into the back. She was busy in her own world, 'work mode' as he liked to call it. She didn't even notice he was there.

Jon cleared his throat and said, 'What's a guy gotta do to get some service around here?'

Her head snapped up, immediately recognizing his distinctive voice. Her eyes widened as she looked upon him. She dropped the checkbook she was carrying onto the floor and stared at him in shock.

Jon grinned, saying, 'Hey, Mary.'

Mary shook her head in disbelief, 'Jon...what are you doing here?'

Kat averted her eyes between the two and smiled, obviously loving every minute of it. She was a hopeless romantic. It was like something out of a Nicholas Sparks book to her.

Kat patted Jon on the back, 'He came to the apartment looking for you so I thought you'd appreciate the surprise.'

Mary smiled appreciatively at her friend, 'I sure do...thanks.'

Kat bowed her head graciously, 'Any time. I'll just be waiting outside in the car for you guys.' She walked away from them and exited the diner, giving the couple a few moments to get reacquainted.

Mary nodded her head, but didn't say a word. She was far too focused on the man in front of her. The man whom she missed and loved with every fiber of her being. The man whose eyes of sadness as she left him alone at the bus station haunted her every single day.

She walked out from behind the back and stood in front of him. She shook her head with tears of happiness in her eyes, 'Jon, I can't believe you're really here.'

Jon returned her smile. A smile that he only kept for her. Fuck, he was never one of those smiling go lucky types, but whenever he was around her that's all he could do. Sometimes whenever he looked in the mirror he wanted to wipe that silly ass grin off his face and tell himself to stop being such a fucky pussy, but sacrificing his manhood and badassery was worth it. She was worth it.

Mary leaned up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing her in. She smelled like grease, sweat and tobacco from working, but underlying that was the scent he couldn't live without. It smelled like the cherries and vanilla lotion she always wore. She smelled great. She smelled like home.

She closed her eyes, letting out a contented sigh, 'God, Jon. I'm so fucking happy to see you.'

He chuckled softly and nodded, 'I hear that, baby.'

Jon wanted so much to kiss her right now. It feels like forever since he felt his lips upon hers, but he didn't want to embarrass her at work. Just being in her arms was enough for him. He's missed the feel of her against him. Jerking off to the image of her night after night just wasn't cutting it anymore and the heated moments they shared when they Skyped was torture. It was just teasing him. He wanted the real Mary. Simply nothing else would do. Now that he had her he vowed to himself he would never let a week go by without seeing her. Shit, he doesn't know how he survived these past two months.

Mary took a step back away from him and averted her eyes up and down his form, as if studying him. He just stood there, feeling small under her intense gaze. She had a way of making him feel like utter shit without even saying a word. He knew that she would kick his ass for saying that, but it's the truth.

As he pulled into her college and looked around at all the students laughing and joking around without a care in the world he realized how different they were. They were in different points in their lives. He didn't feel as if he belonged on a college campus or anywhere for that matter. But Mary did. She could fit in easily and be accepted without anyone even batting an eye. He was badgered and questioned by campus security for over a half hour before they felt comfortable enough to give him clearance. It just goes to show you how different they are. This is where she belonged, he knew that now. But where did he fit into her life? Suddenly he was starting to question that more and more.

She frowned when she saw the cuts upon his knuckles and eyebrow. She took his hands in hers and shook her head, 'Jon, what happened to your hands and face? Did ya get into a fight or something when you were bouncing?"

Jon bowed his head and sighed. He was unsure of how to answer that without lying to her. Hell, who was he kidding anyway? He was lying to her. He had started wrestling again full time about a month ago. Without her there he needed something to take the edge off. He felt anxious and antsy. He had so much pent up energy. Not even a few rounds with the punching bag could alleviate the pressure. So one night when the loneliness got the best of him, he called up Cody and asked him if there were any slots opened. Cody had laughed, saying there was always a spot open for him and that was that. He was once again a full time wrestler. Jon Moxley has come back with a vengeance.

He had quit his job at the bar, Competing in matches took a lot of time and dedication and it was difficult for him to balance the two. It was not as if he wanted to. Wrestling has and will always be his first love. Sadly, not even Mary could take wrestling's place. It was the one thing he was good at and knew how to do very well. He liked the respect and praise and fed off the energy of the crowd. There was no better high to him than being in a ring. For those fifteen minutes he was God. He thought about nothing but winning. For a short amount of time he could forget about the loneliness, the pain of missing her and just pulverize the fuck out of his opponent. Well, at least pretend to anyway.

Jon had thought about telling her he was wrestling again many times, but just didn't know how to broach the subject. In all honesty, he didn't want her to be disappointed in him. Here she was being some fancy college student and he was wrestling in front of fifty people a night for two hundred dollars a week, getting bloodied and broken all for the sake of mindless entertainment. He wanted her to see him as something more than that. He wanted her to see him for what she thought he could be, not what he really was. A no good lowlife small time wrestler who barely finished high school and had nothing but a cheap apartment and a beat up car to his name. He wanted to keep up this illusion for however long he could. He knew it would only be a matter of time before it all came crashing down.

He shrugged and bowed his head, 'Eh, I was sparring with Cody. Ya know how much of a bear cat he can be.'

Mary chuckled and nodded, 'Yeah, I do. So...did ya drive here?'

Jon nodded, 'Yup, straight through. I...uh...came for that awards thingy ya have tonight.'

Her eyes widened and she shook her head as fresh tears fell from her eyes, 'Jon...you...remembered' She smiled through her tears and wrapped her arms around him once again, 'You're such a great guy, ya know that?"

He snorted and shook his head, feeling like a piece of shit more and more, 'Yeah well, I figured ya came to enough of my stupid wrestling matches in the past. The least I can do is get all gussied up and take ya. Plus, I know how much this means to ya.'

Mary smiled, 'Yeah, it does. And having you there makes it better. '

Jon found his chest constricting at her words. He could feel the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shake it off. He didn't want to cry like a pussy in front of her co -workers and patrons of the diner. She had a way of taking simple words and making them mean so much more. Maybe it's because he knew they meant something to her. She wasn't lying to him, telling him what he wants to hear like everyone else in his life. She was truthful and honest and her words were pure.

He released his hold on her, lightly grasping her hips, 'Kat said you're about done here. Is that right?"

She nodded, 'Yeah, just closing out now. Was Kat cool? She didn't make ya listen to any of that acoustic shit ya hate, did she?'

Jon chuckled and shook his head, 'No, thank fucking God. She's a talker though. Not like ya. How the hell can ya take her jabbering all the goddamn time?'

Mary chuckled and shook her head, 'Ya get used to it after a while. She's a really good friend. I'm glad ya got to meet her.' She cupped his cheek and whispered, 'I'm glad ya came, Jon. I really am.'

He sniffed roughly and swallowed the large lump that formed in his throat. He closed his eyes momentarily, reveling in the soft skin of her palm against his stubbled cheek, 'I'm glad I'm here too. Now go on and close up. I want some time alone with ya before we gotta get fancy.'

She blushed that deep shade of red he loved so fucking much and ducked her head shyly, looking at him from under her lashes, 'You got it. I'll be just a minute.'

Jon curtly nodded and watched as she walked away, admiring the sway of her ass and hips. He shook his head and let out a shaky sigh. He could not wait to get her behind closed doors. It's been way too goddamn long. Two months is a long time to be without, especially for a guy like himself. His hand just wasn't doing the trick any longer. Besides, he loved her. That alone only intensified the feeling. Sure, he was hiding shit from her he probably shouldn't have to, but that doesn't mean he would give her up.

He never said he was good guy, regardless if Mary thinks otherwise.

When they got back to her doom, Kat had went to see her boyfriend, wanting to leave them alone and give them some privacy. They made love feverishly all afternoon. They couldn't get enough of each other. They were making up for lost time. There is only so much fun one can have with video chatting. Nothing truly compares to having the real thing beside you, above you, behind you...well...you get the picture.

They holed themselves in her room, wanting to spend as much time together as possible before her award ceremony tonight. It's rare they get moments where they can just spend time together without any interruptions. They slept for a bit, legs tangled together, her head upon his chest while they wrapped their arms around each other. They were so damn happy they didn't want to leave the solitude and peace of her room, but sadly all good things must come to an end. Reality has a cruel way of reminding you not everything can be all sunshine and rainbows, especially for people like them.

Jon was standing in her room after getting a shower and getting dressed. He looked in the mirror at himself and grimaced. Shit, he looked like a mess. Not even wearing a nice suit could clean him up. He is and will always be nothing. Not even some monkey suit could hide that fact. It just made him look as if he were trying too hard, pretending to be somebody he's not...for her.

When Mary walked into the room, her eyes widened and she gasped aloud at how handsome he looked. He was wearing black dress pants and a forest green dress shirt that really made his blue eyes stand out even more. He wasn't wearing a tie, but he had a black suit jacket on that put it all together. The suit jacket was form fitting and hugged his lithe frame like a second glove. It accentuated his broad shoulders and made him seem more masculine than he already was. As if he really needed help in that department. He was all man and had exemplified that earlier, more times than she could count.

Jon's hair was wet from the shower and it was slicked back. He looked so clean cut. His suit was fitted, his patent leather shoes were polished brilliantly. He had even shaved for her. He looked so fucking handsome it brought tears to her eyes. Everything he does makes her cry. But these are not tears of sorrow like so many others have caused her in the past. These are tears of joy.

She shook her head and let out a wolf whistle, 'Woo hoo. Someone's looking sexy.'

He bowed his head, staring down at his shoes. He felt shy all of the sudden, which was odd because Jon Moxley is never shy, but he wasn't the wrestler around her. He was Jonathan Good, the man she loved and loved her just as much.

Jon shrugged sheepishly, 'Eh, sometimes I can look civilized.'

He lifted up his head and couldn't help but let out an audible gasp. He was rendered speechless by her. His cockiness and arrogance forgotten. All he could do was stand there in awe looking at her.

Mary looked so goddamn beautiful it made his chest ache. She was wearing a knee length pale pink strapless dress with lace embroidered at the end. It made her slightly tanned skin glow even more brilliantly. Her hair was curled and put up in some tousled style with curls framing her face. She wore minimal makeup, just a little eyeshadow and lipgloss, but his girl didn't need all that bullshit. She was beautiful without it.

Jon shook his head in disbelief, 'How the fuck can you get anymore beautiful, Mary? I don't get it.'

She bowed her head shyly, waving her hand dismissively in the air, 'Ya give me too much credit, Jon. It's just a dress.'

He shook his head and chuckled, 'It may be just a dress, but you're not _just _a girl, Mary. Ya know?'

Mary smiled and nodded her head, understanding what he was trying to say. He always had a problem with expressing his emotions. Even now after all they shared together. Some girls may need validation and beautiful words all the time, but not her. In her experience words are just things people to say to get what they want out of you. He may not say how he feels, but he shows her through his actions. That's enough for her and always will be. He's enough for her.

Regardless of that fact she still never misses an opportunity to tell him she loves him. She tells him everyday. She tells him more for her benefit than his. She wants to let him know there is someone out there who cares for him, who loves him. He always chuckles nervously and gets flustered, almost as if he doesn't believe her. That's okay though. As she had said to him at the bus station; she's going to keep telling him until he believes it.

She walked over to him and straightened the lapels of his jacket, thankful she wore heels so that she could reach him without almost breaking her neck.

Mary smiled softly and smoothed the wrinkles out of his suit jacket, 'I'm going to have the most handsome guy in the room. All the girls are going to be so fucking jealous.'

Jon bowed his head and snorted, 'I doubt that, honey.'

She shook her head, saying in a matter of fact tone, 'I don't.'

He put his hands upon her hips and looked directly into her eyes, 'I missed ya, Mary.' He cleared his throat and shuffled back and forth nervously upon his feet, 'Uh...just ya know wanted to let ya know that.'

Mary smiled, 'I missed you too, Jon.' She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips.

Jon bunched her dress in his hands and roughly pulled her to him, deepening the kiss. She found herself melting into him as his tongue slowly entered her mouth, exploring her.

She reluctantly pulled herself away and whispered, 'As much as I would like to continue this, we gotta go or we're gonna be late.'' She chuckled, 'Besides, I'm still sore from earlier. I don't think I can go again for a while.'

His chest swelled with male pride at her words and he smirked, 'Then ya should've worn a different dress, baby. Just say a prayer tonight, will ya?'

Mary arched her eyebrow questioningly, 'Why's that?'

Jon shook his head and sighed, 'Cause if any fucking guy stares at ya the wrong way I might have to knock them into next week.'

She shook her head and chuckled, grabbing his hand, 'Come on tough guy, lets go.'

He let himself be pulled out of the bedroom, all the while chuckling to himself. He really did miss the shit out of this girl.

When they got to the building holding the event throngs of people were piling in dressed to the nines in their tuxedos and dresses. He looked down at himself, suddenly feeling underdressed. He didn't have enough money to buy a tuxedo. He had to mix and match whatever he had in his closet. Sadly, this was the nicest thing he owned. He felt so worthless being on her arm. Here she was dressed in a beautiful gown looking like something out of a goddamn fairy tale and he was dressed like some fucking hoodlum. Hell, even lowly servants dressed better than him. She deserved to have the finest and richest man on her arm. These were her friends and people she went to school with. She should have someone to be proud of. What the hell did he have for her to be proud of? He started with nothing and had most of it left. She should have someone who was rich and handsome. Two things he will never be.

As if sensing his nervousness, she turned to him and smiled, 'Ya okay?'

Jon nodded, trying his best to remain stoic and not let his anxiousness show, 'Yeah, I'm good.'

Mary nodded, 'Ya sure? I know how uncomfortable ya are at these types of things.'

He smiled, she always did know him so well, 'Yeah, but I'm here with you. I'm fine...really...okay?"

She smiled softly, 'Okay. I want to say thanks for doing this, Jon. It means so much to me that you came. It really does. I love you. I just wanted to let you know that.'

Jon bowed his head. He could feel himself getting choked up at her words. She tells him this everyday, but he's still not used to it. He doesn't think he ever will be. He took a few deep breaths to get his emotions in check. The last thing he wanted to do was cry like a bitch in front of her friends and teachers. What a lasting first impression that would make, huh?

Mary grabbed his hand and squeezed it quickly, 'It's okay, Jon. Ya don't have to say anything. You just being here is enough.'

He grits his teeth and his jaw clenches. So many times he wants to say the words back to her, but chickens out. He doesn't understand how three simple words can be so hard, but the significance of them mean so much more than any other words ever could. When he finally says them he wants to do it right. He's never uttered those words to anyone and wants to make sure it's for keeps. She's patient and doesn't pressure him. That much he's thankful for. He's always waiting for the other shoe to drop when she finally gets tired of his bullshit and finally leaves him for good.

She hooks her arm in his and whispers,'Come on. Lets get this show on the road. The sooner we get this over with. The sooner we can leave.' She leans up and whispers in his ear, 'By the way, I'm not wearing any underwear underneath this dress. Just something for you to look forward to. Ya know? Just to get ya through the night.' She winks and turns her head looking straightforward. She said those words as simply as she would tell someone the sky was blue.

Jon's eyes widened and he gulped loudly. That was not the image he needed in his mind right now. It was going to be a very long fucking night that's for damn sure.

Most of the night was spent with Mary introducing him to a lot of her friends and teachers at school. He would shake their hands and curtly nod in greeting, feeling awkward and out of place. He would stand there with his hands in his pockets as they talked about shit he couldn't even begin to understand. The only thing that made it bearable was the open bar they had at the event. He had to resort to drinking Heineken, which is all they had on hand. The beer wasn't his style. He wasn't for all that fancy shit. Give him a can of Busch Light and he was a happy guy.

Mary tried to include him in every conversation she had. He knew she was trying to make him feel comfortable, but it just made him feel even more miserable. He didn't belong here, he knew that now. He wasn't smart or educated. He didn't come from a well balanced home with a mother, father, sister, brother and a dog. You know all that white picket fence nonsense. Mary didn't either, but she could play the part well. Him...not so much. He couldn't pretend to be someone he wasn't, not even for her. So he just stood there and sulked, wishing he was back in Mary's room lying in bed with her. Being with her is the only time he truly felt as if he belonged someplace. This wasn't his kind of place and he knew it. He could feel their stares upon him, hear their hushed whispers as they walked away. He knew what they were thinking. Why was such a beautiful girl like Mary was with a scumbag such as himself when she could get any guy she wanted? But she picked him. He was just as baffled by that as everybody else.

Do not get him wrong, he tried his best. He would nod and smile at the appropriate times, but he felt bored. Not only by the conversations, but by the scene in general. He had absolutely nothing in common with these people, but Mary did. It was yet another thing to shove in his face to make him realize what he's been denying himself all this time. She was too good for him and always would be. She was better off without him. He shouldn't be here. He knew that now. It was a mistake for him to come here. Everything between them was a mistake. He should have just left her alone and remained back in Ohio, continuing on with his lonely and empty life as Jon Moxley.

Jon was glad her award was just about to be presented. He didn't think he could take anymore of this. As soon as she received her award all he wanted to do was take her and get her the hell out of here. He doesn't care where, just as long as he could get out of this fucking suit and stop pretending like he was having a good time.

He took a seat at one of the tables in the back away from everyone else. Kat had asked him to sit with her and her boyfriend, but quite frankly all he wanted was to just be by himself and have a few beers.

Jon sat back and anxiously awaited until she came onstage. He saw her standing off to the side as the Dean of her school made some long ass boring speech about hard work and commitment. He didn't need some old geezer preaching to him about the ethic of hard work. Hard work has been his way of living ever since he was old enough to fend for himself.

He sat there swigging his beer, tuning out the guy speaking when his ears perked up by the sound of Mary's name being announced. He sat up straight and focused upon her. She had his full attention.

Jon wanted her to see him to alleviate her nervousness. He wanted to be her strength to get her through this moment, like she has done for him so many times. He could tell she was nervous by the way she shuffled back and forth upon her heels. She grasped the podium tightly, almost as if she were using it as a life preserver. Maybe that's exactly what she was doing. She was visibly pale and her eyes looked like a deer caught in headlights. He knew she didn't like standing in front of people. Like himself, speeches were never really her thing. It was yet another thing they had in common.

He smiled softly when her eyes fell upon him. As soon as she saw him a small smile came upon her face. He smiled softly at her, urging her with a nod of his head to speak.

Mary nodded and sighed into the microphone, 'Uh...speeches aren't really my thing. I'm sure Dr. Dugan can vouch for that.' Everyone chuckled, obviously getting her joke, 'I never thought that I would ever get to go to college let alone win an award for going to one.' She let out a nervous and unsure laugh, 'I would just like to thank my teachers for all their hard work and dedication to making sure I succeed. I truly do not know what I would have done if it wasn't for your help. And to my peers, you all have accepted me and made me feel like I belonged somewhere for the first time in my life...so thank you.' She had tears in her eyes as she solely focused upon Jon, 'I'd also like to dedicate this award to a very special person in my life. I'm not going to point him out cause he'll just get embarrassed.' She chuckled, 'But ya know who you are. If it wasn't for you I would not be the person standing here today. It's your unwavering faith that's got me through it all. I share this award with you tonight. This is yours just as much as it is mine...' She ducked her head shyly and smiled, 'Thanks again.'

Everyone stood up and applauded her, but all Jon could do was sit there as if in shell shock. He knew he had tears in his eyes and was thankful the lights were low where he was sitting. He didn't want anyone to see how touched he was by her words. No one has ever said anything like that about him. It touched him in ways no one ever has before. He sniffed roughly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He really needed another beer.

Mary walked off the stage and everyone stopped to congratulate her on her speech, but she remained focused upon Jon. See's the only person she wanted to be with right now. His approval was the only one that mattered to her, everyone else be damned.

When she walked over to the table, he stood up to greet her.

She lifted up her plaque and shrugged sheepishly, 'Got my award.'

Jon chuckled and nodded, 'That ya did, baby. Ya were great up there.'

Mary covered her face with embarrassment, 'I was so fucking nervous. I probably looked like such an idiot.'

He shook his head and cupped her cheek, 'Ya didn't look like an idiot, darlin. Ya looked...beautiful.'

She bowed her head and chuckled, 'When ya say it I believe it.'

Jon smiled, 'Well keep on believing it, cause it's true.' He leaned down and whispered in her ear, 'I can barely take my eyes off you and knowing you're not wearing any underwear makes me so goddamn hot. But I bet ya knew that, didn't ya?"

Mary closed her eyes and let out an involuntary shiver at his bold words. Only Jon would say something like that in the middle of a stuffy awards event.

She grinned, 'Well hold that thought for another half hour, will ya? I have to say goodbye to a few people.'

He nodded and heaved a laborious sigh, 'Okay, I'll just be over at the bar getting a drink. Ya want anything?"

Mary shook her head, 'No. I'm fine. Just get some water for yourself. No more beer okay?"

Jon rolled his eyes and chuckled, 'Yes, mom.'

She chuckled, 'Yeah yeah yeah. When you're done. Come find me. I wanna show ya off some more before we leave." She winked at him, letting him know she was only teasing.

He shook his head and laughed, 'All right, if ya insist.'

Mary smiled, 'Oh, I do.' She blew him a kiss and sauntered off as he chuckled aloud.

Jon was getting another drink, making sure to keep his eyes on her. He didn't want her to leave his sight. She was the only person he knew here. He was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. These kinds of parties were never his style. He didn't belong here. He knew it and so did everybody else. He could see it in their eyes, belittling him with their sardonic words and pitiful glances. He knew what they were 's a bright, outgoing and beautiful girl doing with such a fuck up like him? He couldn't blame them. This is the same question he's been asking himself ever since they got together.

He saw her talking to a few of her friends. She had introduced them to him as being some of her friends from school. She was laughing and joking, talking animatedly. She seemed to be in her element. She was comfortable here. They accepted her. This was her world, he was intruding upon it. He thought about going over there, but didn't feel right about it. He didn't want to deal with the questioning glances and awkward silences. He's had enough of that shit for one night.

Jon decided to just take a few minutes at the bar to have a drink and collect himself. He ordered his bottle of Heineken, wishing they had something stronger and sat down to drink and sulk alone.

He was sitting there, watching her through the mirror behind the bar. Every time she laughed he took a swig of beer. He wished he could just up and leave, but didn't want to disappoint her. He had driven all this way for her. This was her night and he wasn't about to ruin it with his negative attitude. He was just about to join her again when he saw some pansy assed blonde type walk up to her.

Mary's eyes lit up and she had a small smile upon her face that was normally only reserved for Jon. He gritted his teeth and clutched the beer bottle so tightly he was surprised it didn't shatter in his hands. He sat there, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. He didn't want to get in one of his moods and start shit. Not tonight. Mary would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself.

Jon's eyes widened when he saw the guy wrapping his arms around her. That was the final straw. Talking was alright, but touching was where he crossed the line. No one touched his Mary. No one and if they did they were going to pay...with his fist. He couldn't control the rage inside of him. He slammed his beer bottle down on the table so hard it shook and stomped over to her.

He stormed over and hovered over the guy, who was at least half a foot shorter than him. "Hi there," he slurred. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mary pale a bit.

"Hey Jon," she said slowly, as if she was trying to talk him off a ledge or something. "This is my friend."

"Friend, huh?" Jon smirked. "Would love to meet this guy." He could feel the other guy's fear and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing hysterically.

The guy turned around and looked at up him, his eyes wide. Jon loomed over him, his hair falling into his eyes. "Hey friend. Gotta name?"

Mary sighed and averted her eyes wearily between Jon and her friend.

She smiled, laying a hand on Jon's chest to calm him, 'His name's David, Jon. He's a teaching assistant for one of my professors.'

Jon nodded and looked past her to smirk at the guy. "So David can't talk for himself, huh? Interesting." He wiped at his mouth and sighed. "Well then, David. How do you know my Mary?" Jon draped his arm around Mary and pulled her close, staring a hole into this guy who was glancing between them.

David visibly gulped and his eyes widened, 'Like Mary said I'm a teaching assistant for her Human Interactions class. She had some trouble in the beginning and came to me for tutoring.'

Mary's eyes widened at his words. That was completely the wrong thing for him to say in this moment. She could practically hear Jon's teeth grinding next to her. She saw his hand ball into a tight fist at his side, almost as if he were ready for a fight. She knew that look in his eyes all too well. She tried to think of what to say to alleviate the tension, but knew it would be useless at this point.

David had already said too much.

"Tutoring." Jon repeated the word like it was the name of a hated enemy. "Tutoring. Nice. So what sort of tutoring have you been doing with her, _David_?"

David looked at Mary and frowned. "Look, if this is a bad time..."

Mary shook her head, 'No, this isn't a bad time. Is it, Jon?"

She was getting more and more annoyed with his childish antics by the second. She always hated this jealous side of him. He was such a territorial bastard. She had to let him see that he didn't own her. She could be friends with whomever the hell she wanted, boy or girl. He couldn't just sweep in and think that he could control her every whim.

David shook his head and shrugged, obviously feeling very uncomfortable, 'Uh...just you know...one on one sessions. I helped her with a couple of her speeches for class.'

Mary nodded, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible, 'Yeah, he really helped me a lot, Jon. I was struggling there for a bit.'

"Huh." He kept staring at this David guy for a while, letting it all sink in. Mary had needed help with something important and she couldn't come to him. Of course, how could he help? He was a fucking loser. From the way David was looking at him, he agreed.

David turned his attention back to Mary. "You know, you can always let me know if you need anything." His eyes flicked to Jon. "Anything at all."

Mary exhaled next to Jon. He could tell she was nervous. Jon knew from this guy's tone of voice that he thought Jon was an abusive fuck who might be hurting Mary, but he was also letting Jon know that he would be there for Mary when Jon couldn't be.

David probably wanted to fuck her. Not that Jon could blame him, but the goddamn tone of his voice and the way he was looking at her...

He knew he was being a dick. "Anything at all, huh?" Jon grinned at him, his eyes going wide. He took a step forward. "Wanna repeat that one, David?"

Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud. David had really crossed the line. She could tell just by the venomous stare Jon was giving him that he was about to be pummeled into the ground. She had seen him knock guys unconscious on the street for saying simpler things than that. It didn't take much to set him off. Shit, she was surprised he had remained calm for this long.

Mary had to do some damage control and quick. She could already see the eyes of her teachers and peers looking on in wonder, watching the scene unfold. The last thing she needed was for him to cause a scene.

She stood in front of Jon and put her hands upon his chest, trying to diffuse the situation, 'Jon, you've been drinking. Now's not the time.'

Jon shook his head and chuckled. The crazy look in his eyes told her he wasn't listening to a word she said. His eyes were solely focused upon David, probably thinking about all the ways he could kill him with his bare hands.

"I asked this guy a question." He leaned over her, peering down at David. "Want to repeat what you said to my girl? Huh?"

"Look, Jon..." David cleared his throat and spoke louder. "I really think you need to calm down. No one wants any trouble here."

Jon spread his arms. "Oh, I'm not causing trouble, _David_, I'm just trying to figure out what the fuck you meant by that little statement. You wanna fuck my girl? Huh?"

"Oh, that is IT!" Mary shoved against Jon, clearly furious. "Outside! Now!"

For once Jon didn't listen to her reasoning. He pushed her hands away from him and shook his head, 'Not now, baby. Men are talking here.'

Mary shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe he was acting like this in front of her friends and teachers. This was the most important night of her life and he was ruining it. He was ruining everything.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she whispered, and Jon froze.

He knew he was drunk, and was making this guy shit his pants, and that yeah, that "men are talking" thing was a shit thing to say, but her tone...

Jon looked down at her and saw utter disgust. He'd never seen that before, even when he was fucked up beyond belief and she helped him get off pills. Then she looked at him with pity, and he thought that would be the worst thing he'd ever see in her eyes.

But this...It tore his heart and soul out.

This world didn't involve him in any way. He stuck out like a sore thumb, a loser asshole among the uppercrust. She belonged here, and he didn't.

And she was realizing that now.

"Fine." Jon mumbled. "Fine. Just fine. Fuck this." He glared up at David and pointed a finger at him. "Your lucky fucking day, man." Before he could respond Jon turned and stomped off. Mary said something to David, something he couldn't hear, but he did hear her shouting after him. She sounded pissed, which just confirmed his beliefs.

She didn't want him anymore.

Mary found him outside sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette.

She put her hands upon her hips and looked at him glaringly, 'Ya wanna tell me what that was all about, Jon?'

Jon ignored her and exhaled smoke into the air. He stared down the street, watching some guy throw a briefcase into a nice car and get in. The guy was wearing a suit and looked exhausted. Jon had always told himself that he was better off than guys like that. Guys who had to deal with nine to five shit and kiss some boss's ass. Jon was doing what he loved. Plus he was with the most amazing, the most beautiful girl in the world.

The thing is, he could see Mary in that world that never accepted him. She didn't believe it, but he did. She was special, he was shit. That was obvious. It fucking hurt and it pissed him off, but it was true. Mary was probably with him out of pity and misplaced love, but he held onto that as much as he could, because life without her had meant nothing.

"I'm talking to you!"

Jon looked up and saw how pissed she was, and hung his head. "I fucked up." He sighed and stared up at her. "Happy now?"

Mary looked at him and shook her head sadly, 'No, I'm not happy, Jon. I want to know why you felt the need to do that in front of everyone. If you had a problem with me and David you should have took it up with me, not the entire fucking school.' She took a few moments to gather her bearings. She was pissed at him and for good reason, 'You can't just throw temper tantrums when you're not happy about something. That's not how people act.'

He looked dejected and sullen, but she made no moves to comfort him. Not right now. She had to make him take responsibility for his actions or he would never stop. He would get a couple beers or twenty in him and act like a complete bastard. As much as she loved him she didn't want to fall into this vicious cycle.

When they were younger things were different, they were different. They had different obligations and circumstances. Things were much simpler back then, but everything has changed. At least she had anyway. She wasn't too sure about him.

Jon clenched his jaw and stared down at his cigarette. She sounded like a mother scolding her child. He knew it was shitty of him but he remembered how shy she used to be around him, looking at him like he was a fucking god or something. Sure, he got off on it, but he loved knowing she saw something in him that was worth her time and presence.

Mary sighed deeply as Jon watched ash fall in clumps on the street. Her patience was wearing thin. If he didn't say something fast she was gonna leave, maybe with that wormy David guy. "I'm not happy either, Mary," Jon slurred, and took another drag.

Mary nodded her head. At least she was getting somewhere with him. Although she had no idea what his words meant. Quite frankly, she was afraid to ask.

She took a deep breath to gather her courage for what she was about to ask him, 'You're not happy with me, Jon? Is that it? Do I not make you happy?"

It killed her to ask this question, but she had to know. She refused to waste her time on someone that didn't have the decency to love her back. Maybe he was just pitying her, the little girl who always followed him around like some lovesick puppy. That's how everyone perceived her anyway. Poor little Mary so in love with Jon Moxley, hanging upon his every word.

His head snapped up at that and he stared at her for a moment. Where the fuck did _that_ come from?

"You want out?" Jon demanded, and threw his cigarette to the ground. He got up and looked at her. Mary was holding on to herself, looking lost and scared. She wasn't even looking at him.

He took a closer look and really saw her. She was goddamn beautiful, in a fancy dress with her hair all styled, the makeup enhancing her natural beauty. She was a star in there, anyone could see that. Fuck, he couldn't blame David for looking at her the way he did. The way she looked at him too...Jon wasn't stupid. A lot of people thought that, but if there was one thing he knew, it was how Mary looked at people. She didn't hide a damn thing. Her eyes could cut someone down or build someone up. He'd been on the receiving end of both of those kinds of looks from her.

But the way she looked at David...she'd almost looked relieved.

Mary wasn't the kind of girl who'd fuck around behind Jon's back. He knew this. Still, the way she and David were around each other...something was there. Maybe she didn't even know it yet, but Jon could fucking see it.

Jon let out a small laugh and shook his head. "We're really doing this? Here, now?"

Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'Me doing this, Jon? You're the one that just flipped out on some guy that's just a friend. A friend. Believe it or not, Jon. Guys and girls can just be friends. Or do ya think that I'm that shitty enough to ruin what we have?' She snorted, 'Another whore from the slums of Cincinnati. Just like her mama, huh?"

He kept his head bowed, staring at the ground refusing to answer her.

She walked over to him, her heels making a loud sound against the pavement. She grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and forced him to look at her, 'Why are you pushing me away, huh? I tell you I love you everyday. I never said those words to anyone before. I gave you my body, something I fucking promised I would never give to somebody again unless it meant something. You mean something to me. Why can't you see that?' She was feeling her anger slowly start to dissipate as she looked into his eyes, 'I don't want anyone else, Jon. I've only ever wanted you. But do you want me? Do you?'

Jon didn't say a word and for a moment she thought she had lost him. His face was devoid of all emotion and his eyes were cold and lifeless, making it difficult for her to discern what he was thinking in this moment.

Jon heard her accuse him of flipping out - though was it an accusation if it was the truth? - and he checked out. His mind wandered as she grabbed at him and yelled at him. All he could think of was the girl he used to give food to when she was clearly hungry, the girl too shy to ask him to take her to prom.

That girl was gone.

Here was this woman who was too good for him and finally realized it. She was embarrassed by him, and she didn't need him anymore.

She was ending it.

"Fuck this," he whispered, and pulled away. He could use another smoke. Or a drink. Fuck, anything.

Mary grabbed the sleeve of his jacket,halting his movements,'No,you don't get to say and do whatever you want and just walk taught me that running away doesn't solve anything,Jon."

She cupped his face in her hands and whispered,'I love don't you believe that? You look for any reason to push me matter what I tried to do I have to do to make you believe,Jon? I remember being that scared little girl who was afraid of everything and everyone but you never backed down. Now you're the one that's scared. What are you so afraid of,huh?'

Mary was issuing him a stared up at him like one of his opponents,her gaze never was through with him taking control of their was time he smartened up and owned up to his fears,whether he wanted to admit them or was through with his games and walking on eggshells around was demanding the truth and wasn't going to leave here until she got it.

Jon stared at the ground, avoiding her eyes. Did she really want him to admit that he knew how pathetic he was, how she could do so much better than him? Did she want to see him broken and useless? Why?

"Can't," he mumbled, and tried to move past her.

She shook her head, 'Can't what, Jon? Talk to me...please.'

Jon stared down at her, his nails digging into his palms. He could feel the tears in his eyes and hated himself for being so weak. No wonder she was so disgusted with him. "Don't lay this on me, Mary. You and David. What's going on?" He stepped back and wiped at his eyes. "Just don't lie to me, okay? I'm not a fucking kid."

Mary shook her head,'I'm not lying to you, is just a friend nothing because our friendship turned into something more doesn't mean I'm just going to fall into bed with any guy that gives me a little kind of person do you think I am? Do you really think that little of me,huh? Do you? She scoffed and pushed him away from her,' If you think that well then ya can go fuck yourself.'

Mary knows how irrational she is sounding,but she doesn't wanted her to stoop down to his level well then she is going to give as good as she was going to show him she was no longer that weak and impressionable little girl that did or said whatever he was not going to be his little girl...not she was going to show him.

He recoiled at her words. "Go fuck myself?" Jon laughed in disbelief. She was changing the subject, and getting hostile with him. What the hell had happened to the Mary he knew? This woman was kind of a bitch. "Go FUCK myself, Mary? Did you seriously just fucking say that to me?"

She took a step away from him and crossed her arms over her chest,saying in a defiant tone,'You heard 's the matter ya dish it out but ya can' take it? God forbid the infamous Jon Moxley gets called out on his shit.'

Mary knew she was being killed her to treat him like this,but she had to give him a taste of his own had to make him realize what he was doing to himself,to was a rude wakeup call that was a long time coming.

He sneered at her. "Look at you. All dressed up and you become a haughty bitch. Too good to be with a wrestler now, huh? Gotta hang out with that fucking pussy in there?"

Mary scoffed, 'At least he's a gentleman. Unlike you.'

His eyes grew huge. "You fucking bitch. That's what you want, huh? Some fucking 'gentleman', some pussy ass bitch for you to boss around." Jon spat on her shoes, smirking when she gasped in horror. "Know what, Mary? You sure turned into an uptight cunt."

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in gritted her teeth,' You son of a bitch.' She slapped his cheek as hard as she could,making his head to snap to the saw the blood trickling from his bottom lip and he smiled maniacally.

She scoffed,shaking her head,'Turning into a fucking like your father.' Her eyes went wide,knowing she had said too much and crossed a line.

Jon felt something break in him and he stepped forward, getting his face close to hers. She wasn't Mary now. She was just another opponent who misjudged him. "I oughta rip you apart for that, you lowclass slut bitch," he hissed.

Mary held her head high and stared directly into his eyes,meeting him chin to had a grin on her face matching his own,"Lowclass slut,huh? Like mother like daughter,right? Is that all you see me as?'

He blinked. "The fuck are you talking about? You're the one who thinks I'm shit." Jon snorted. "You made it pretty obvious in there, sweetheart."

Mary snorted,'Really? You're the one of accusing me of fucking around with David. Shit,maybe I should 's ya think I'm just like my mother maybe I should make it worth my while,right?' She dug her finger into his chest,'Isn't that right,Jon? I am just a lowclass slut after all,right?' She was goading him,knowing she was playing with she was so sick and tired of him seeing her as this defenseless little had said he saw her as a woman,but she didn't believe the way he was had to make him see she was not one of his wasn't going to falter. Not for for days of being weak were long gone.

Jon exhaled slowly. "I don't think you're a slut, Mary. But don't ever," he pointed a finger at her, "...don't FUCKING EVER say shit like that. Got it? You fuck around behind my back, I'll fucking kill him. I'm goddamn serious."

She nodded and chuckled, 'Big tough guy. huh? Always ready to kill somebody if something doesn't go your way. Maybe I should be fucking him. ' She shrugged, 'I mean, you already think I am anyway. I mine as well, right? You wouldn't give a shit.'

Her eyes widened and she took a step a back away from him, knowing she said the wrong thing.

Jon tightened his hands into fists. "What did you just say? Huh? You wanna fuck him? You wanna fuck some little piece of shit?" Tears welled up in his eyes and he shook his head, trying to stay focused on his anger. "You'd fucking do that to me, wouldn't you? Don't even fucking care at all."

Mary let out a bitter laugh and extended her hands outward, 'Why the hell not, Jon? I'm twenty years old. I'm in the prime of my life. Why the hell fucking not? Ya only live once, right? Isn't that your motto? How do I know you're not fucking some little gutter rat wrestling groupie, huh? A girl would love to get down on her knees for Jon Moxley.' She walked up to him and got in his face, whispering, 'Wouldn't they? All that aggression, all that crazy. I bet a woman gets wet just thinking about it, huh?'

She saw his eyes darken and she knew she had him. She had him right where she wanted him. She could see his hands balled into tight fists at his sides and visibly trembling. He was a man on the edge and all she had to do was give him that one final push.

Mary dug her finger into his chest, 'How do I know you're not fucking someone, huh? I mean we hardly see each other. What's that line ya like to use?' She tilted her her head thoughtfully, 'Yeah right. A guy's gotta get his kicks somehow, am I right?'

"I don't want some random skank, you stupid bitch," Jon growled. He looked her over and smirked. "Got you all worked up, huh? I oughta rip that dress off you and remind you of who you belong to." He stepped forward and grabbed her hair, pulling at it so she was staring up at him. "In the prime of your life, huh? You and I both know the only one you wanna fuck is me."

She matched his smirk and licked her lips, 'Then do it. Show me who I belong to, Jon. I'm yours. What do I gotta do to make you see that?'

Jon grabbed her arm and pulled her over to his car, pushing her against it. He leaned close and thrust against her, pinning her to the door. "You wanna get fucked by me? Huh?" Jon bent down and bit at her earlobe. "Say it."

Mary closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh. She could feel her knees trembling as his naturally raspy voice sent chills down her spine. She felt the wetness pooling between her legs at his heated words.

Conscious of their surroundings, she whispered in a ragged breath, 'People can see us, Jon.'

"Like I give a fuck if people can see," Jon shot back. He ran his hands over her sides, pushing his hips forward when he felt her legs part for him. "I asked you if you wanted to get fucked."

Mary leaned back, rubbing her backside against his groin, groaning when she felt how hard he was for her already, 'I told ya earlier I wasn't wearing panties for a reason, Jon. But ya don't gotta go to school here, I do.'

She leaned up and lightly bit the pulse point of his neck, knowing it was his most sensitive area. He let out a feral groan and thrust himself against her, grinding his cock against her ass. Her dress was so thin he could almost feel her through his dress pants.

"Don't fucking care. Gonna ride your pussy. You fucking want it? You're getting it." Jon pulled away slightly and grabbed her hip with one hand and worked on his belt with another. "Get in the car. Now."

Mary's eyes widened in shock. He's never treated her like this before. She had to admit, she kind of liked it. There was always this part of her that wanted him to exert this kind of dominance over , he may have shown her that side of himself in their bathroom those few months ago, but there's was always apart of herself that wanted more. She wanted him to give her the primal side of him. The side that he was always afraid to show her. She wanted him to know she wasn't afraid of him. She accepted every facet of him, good or bad. She loved him and wanted to show him how much.

She met his gaze directly and got into the car, not knowing what to expect. She dared to look over her shoulder and gasped at the hungry look in his eyes. He licked his lips as he unbuckled his belt, eyeing her up as if she were his prey.

"Spread your legs some more," Jon commanded, pushing his pants and underwear down. She'd got him hard as a fucking rock.

Mary complied and arched her back, offering herself to him. Damn. This was more like it.

"Good girl," Jon growled, and positioned himself behind her. "Gonna fuck you so hard..." He pushed himself into her with a hard thrust and held onto her hips, his heart pounding as she gasped and squirmed against him. "Fuck yeah...tight little pussy, all for me." Jon dug his nails into her hips and pulled back. "Like that, huh?" He thrust forward, filling her to the hilt. "You love my cock in you, don't you, baby?"

Mary sat up a bit, leaning her hands against the back seat and ground herself against him. She closed her legs, gripping his cock in an iron hold grip.

She leaned up and bit his ear, whispering, 'Tell me you're mine. I wanna hear you say it.'

Mary grinded herself against him faster and faster. She could feel his hipbones digging into her back, increasing the pleasure/pain. They've never done anything even remotely like this before and fuck it was turning her on. What a sight she must be. Her expensive dress hiked up and wrinkled. The ends of it were tattered and shredded beyond repair, but she didn't care. All she could focus upon was the feeling of him pulling in and out of her, the tight hold he had on her hips, his ragged breath as he whispered her name into her ear.

She grinned as she heard him whimper into her ear, saying her name in a pleading tone, 'Come on, if I can say it so can you. Who do you belong to, hmm?'

Jon didn't listen to her, he just kept thrusting in and out of her wildly. He roughly yanked her by the hair, snapping her neck back as he sunk his teeth into her neck. She tried to keep up the pace, but he was moving so fast she could hardly keep up. She tried touching him, but he held her palms down on the back seat. Her knees were grinding into the leather seat, making them burn and tingle. Every move he made inside of her felt as if he were tearing her apart. She could not help but feel a sick satisfaction in knowing she could make him lose control, but this was taking it too far. This isn't what she wanted. She wanted the man she loved. This wasn't him. She had no idea who this person was.

Mary felt her orgasm slowly creeping upon her and felt sick and ashamed. It seemed as if he was right on the precipice with her for his movements became erratic and uncontrolled. Just as she was about to let out a scream, he put his hand upon her mouth to muffle the sounds as he shot his seed deeply inside of her.

Jon let his hand drop and panted over her, still inside her. He shuddered and pulled away, feeling sick. What the fuck had just happened? It wasn't like he'd forced himself on her...hell, she dared him to fuck her...but something felt off, like they weren't connected. He basically just used her as a fuck toy.

Mary groaned and turned so she was propped up against the other door, away from him. He wanted to reach for her but he was afraid she'd flinch. Instead he wiped at his face and tried to slow his breathing.

She laid her head upon the window and took a few deep breaths to catch her bearings. She was violently shaking from a culmination of her orgasm and anger from what he had done. She glanced over at him wearily and saw his head hung low. His breath was coming out in ragged gasps and he was shaking more so than she was.

Mary felt sick to her stomach with what just happend. How did this happen? This wasn't them. Sure they've had rough sex in the past, but nothing like this. She didn't even know what to call this. She felt disgusted that she let him do this to her. Fuck, she practically begged for it. Maybe she was just as sick as he was, maybe more. Maybe because of her past she was predisposed to being treated like nothing but a whore, just like her mother.

The windows were foggy and the distinct smell of sex and sweat permeated the car.

She looked down at her tattered dress, now ruined and shook her head in disgust, letting out a bitter laugh, 'This dress cost me my whole fucking paycheck.' She scoffed, 'And I can't even wear it again.'

Jon pinched his nose and pushed his fingers into the corners of his eyes to fight the tears that threatened to spill over at her words. He steeled himself, then turned from her and stared at the window. They'd fogged it up and he couldn't see outside, couldn't see a damn thing. He waited until he trusted himself to speak normally and took a deep breath. "Want me to take you home?" he mumbled, afraid of her answer and his reaction.

Mary stared down into her lap. She couldn't even look at him. She didn't know what that meant, she was too exhausted mentally and physically to think about it right now.

His words pierced her and she tightly closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She was an adult goddamit and would get through this with dignity. She scoffed inwardly at her thoughts. What dignity? She had pretty much gave up any semblance of her dignity in the the backseat of his car. She felt so dirty and cheap. The way she let him use her all to prove some twisted and male dominance over her.

Jon didn't even have the decency to say sorry or ask her if she was okay. All he wanted to do was take her home. He probably didn't even want to be around her any longer. Shit, even she had a difficult time dealing with herself at times. She knew this is what her mother must feel like after every John. She could not help but feel a strange sympathy for her in this moment. Maybe it's why her mother did drugs, it was to numb the feeling of self degradation.

She let out a shaky sigh and scoffed, 'Ya wanna take me home, Jon? Can't stand the sight of me now, huh? Why don't you just leave me in the parking lot and I'll find my own way.'

Jon nearly opened the door to get away from her, to try to get away from what he'd done until he remembered that he was naked. His shoulders began shaking and this time he didn't bother to try to stop himself from crying. He opened his mouth to tell her how sorry he was but he ended up sobbing. Jon punched the seat in front of him and doubled over, hating himself and his weakness.

She was gone now. There was no way she'd stay with him after this. Christ, he'd treated her the same way Slim had. Just knowing that made him feel even shittier and he dug his nails into his skull.

"Please don't hate me." Jon started shaking even harder at the thought of it. "I'll fucking die if you hate me. I love you so fucking much and I'm sorry, but if you hate me, I'll..." He winced and cried harder, unable to finish his plea.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud at his admission. He had said the words she's been longing to hear ever since she realized she felt the same, but it didn't make her feel as it should. She didn't want him to tell her he loved her for the first time out of sheer desperation. She wanted him to say it because he meant it, not because he thought he was losing her. They felt empty and contrived, making her feel more and more guilty about what they had just done.

There was a paradigm shift in their relationship and it wasn't for the better. What they had just done tarnished and ruined something beautiful they shared. She wondered if they could ever get back to that point. Their relationship was headed in a downward spiral and fast all because of misguided jealousy. She didn't want him to be like this with every guy she called a friend. She would be damned if he had that kind of power over ever, no man would. Not anymore.

She looked down at her hands and saw the dark red imprints of his fingers upon her wrists. Her neck ached from where he sharply bit her hard enough to draw blood. She looked in the rearview mirror at herself and winced. Her once perfectly styled hair was a ratty mess, her mascara was running making her look like a raccoon and her face was red and blotchy from crying. She looked like something that someone just picked up off the street. Staring into the mirror at herself was like looking at the reflection of her mother.

The thought suddenly occurred to her he never even kissed her the whole time. He didn't even want to look at her. She didn't know what that meant, didn't even want to think about it.

It's ironic that he had been the one to save her from Slim, but who would save her from Jon?

She shook her head, whispering, 'What will you do, Jon?'

Jon's shoulders slumped. He knew what she was asking. Even though she was telling him she was leaving forever, she still worried about him. That's how much of a fucking mess he was.

"I don't know," he mumbled, and reached down to pick up his clothes. Slowly he began to get dressed, feeling numb and scared. Was she going to leave now, right this minute?

Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'Me neither.'

It was made obvious to her nothing would be resolved tonight. She wondered if it ever would. They could barely look at one another. It was almost as if they were strangers in a sense. It certainly felt like it.

She pulled up her dress to cover her breasts, suddenly feeling shy and exposed around him, which was funny considering all they have done together.

Mary sighed, 'Just take me home, Jon. I'm gonna stay in the backseat. ' She looked down into her lap, saying in a small voice, 'I don't want anyone to see me like this.'

Jon let out a low, humorless laugh. God, he'd really fucked things up. The woman he loved couldn't stand to even sit near him in the car. "Sure." He wiped at his eyes and climbed into the front seat. "Lemme know when you're buckled up."

Mary just nodded her head, choosing to remain silent.

The drive back to her house had to be the longest ride of her life. She could see him looking in the mirror at her every so often, but other than that he didn't say a word. She laid her head against the window, idly watching the scenery as it drove past her.

When she was younger she used to love riding in the car with him. She cherished those long drives when they would laugh and joke and talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes they didn't even say a word, they just remained silent simply enjoying being in one another's presence. The silence was different this time around. An ominous cloud hovered above them. The deafening silence was driving her crazy. Her chest felt constricted and she felt as if she were internally suffocating.

When he parked the car into the parking lot of her dorm, he jumped out as if to open her door for her, but she beat him to it. She gripped the handle and pushed as hard as she could almost falling out of the vehicle.

Mary used all of the strength she could muster to pull herself up and out of the car. As soon as she stood up she felt dizzy and disoriented, her equilibrium off balance. He just stood there looking at her, looking lost not knowing what to do.

Her knees felt weak and her legs felt like jelly. As soon as she took one step she stumbled, falling down onto her knees upon the ground.

Mary shook her head and laughed sardonically. So much for not wanting to look weak in front of him. She couldn't help but notice she fell down right upon his feet.

The story of their lives...

Jon had tried not to reach for her, knowing she didn't want him near her, but when she fell he couldn't help himself. He gently gathered her in his arms and pulled her close, knowing it could very well be the last time he could do that.

"I love you, Mary," he whispered, stroking her back. "I'm sorry and I'm fucked up and I'm shit, but I love you." He let out a ragged sigh, knowing it was too late. She'd most definitely go to David now. Fuck, maybe she was better off. Jon had always known she was so much better than him. Now she knew it too.

Mary couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes as he whispered those words to her. God, it felt good to hear him say it, but something was off. It wasn't enough. She was still in love with him. She couldn't just stop those feelings. There wasn't a switch that she could just turn on and off. She wasn't like him.

She closed her eyes and for one single moment she pretended it was just like it used to be. When they were just Jon and Mary and nothing or no one else mattered. Now everything mattered. Words, glances, looks, actions, everything had a reason behind it, an ulterior motive. She was slowly beginning to realize that. She had once thought her love for him was enough to make him change, but she had been very wrong. He needed to want it for himself, which he clearly didn't. She couldn't keep forgiving him so easily. She had to make him take accountability for his actions or he would never learn. It was tough love. He had taught that to her.

She shook her head sadly, 'You think by telling me you love me all of our problems will just go away?'

His body slumped, pulling him against her. "No," he admitted in a small voice. "But I want you to know that. Whatever...whatever you decide, Mary. I just need you to know that I love you." Jon gritted his teeth together. He wanted to ask her if she felt like he had raped her but he was afraid of her answer. "You hate me now, don't you?"

Mary sighed. She could not help but feel her defenses crumbling at the sound of his voice. He sounded just like a little boy when he asked her that question.

She shook her head, 'No.' She cupped his cheek in her hand, 'I could never hate you, Jon...ever. But you scared me tonight. Not just what happened in the...car. But what you did on one of the most important nights of my life. This was supposed to be a special night for me. A night that I wanted to share with you.' She smiled through her tears, 'I wanted this to be a good memory.'

Jon hung his head, pressing his cheek against her hand. "And I fucked it up." He gathered his courage and looked up at her, his eyes wide. "You wanna know why I got so upset?"

She ducked her head and met his eyes, asking him softly, 'Why, Jon? Why would you act like that?'

This has been the question that's been plaguing her mind all night.

Jon took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "You fit in so well there, Mary. And that's fine...I'm not mad about that, I'm fucking proud of you...but the way you..." His voice broke and he took a moment before continuing, "...you looked at that guy like he was your whole world. And it fucking killed me." Jon's eyes filled with tears and he let them fall. "I trust you, baby. I just...I wanna be..." He shook his head. He wasn't making any sense.

Mary looked at him increduously, wondering why he was saying all of these things. They caught her off guard. She had absolutely no idea where they were coming from. It was as if he were creating conflicts and obstacles in his mind to deliberately push her away.

She shook her head in confusion, 'Jon, David's not the man I'm in love with. You are. Why are you doing this to me? To us? It's like you're looking for any reason to push me away. Is it so goddamn difficult for you to believe that someone loves you? What else do I have to do to prove to you that I love you?' She took a deep breath and released it, 'I don't have the strength to do this anymore. I can't jump through hoops for you, Jon. As much as I love you I can't do that. What do you want to be? You really need to be honest here with me, Jon. I don't have the energy to try and figure you out anymore.'

Jon rubbed at his face. "I just want to be good enough for you. And I can't be that. Not ever." He bent down and rested his forehead against hers. "I keep fucking things up and I'm fucking scared, baby. I don't..." He cleared his throat and pulled away so he could look right at her. "I don't know why you love me. I really fucking don't. I'm such shit, Mary, and you're..." He gestured helplessly and burst out laughing. "Fuck. You're everything I want and I don't fucking deserve it. Not any of it, Mary. I never did."

Fresh tears fell from his eyes at his words. She shook her head, 'You do deserve it, Jon. If anyone deserves my love it's you. Why can't you see that, huh?" She hated to say these next words, but they needed to be said. She needed to know, even if it killed her, 'My love's not enough is it, Jon? No matter what I say or do you're always going to second guess me, second guess yourself. You think that I don't think the same, huh? Look at me, Jon. I'm Mary, the girl you rescued from...him.' She grabbed at her dress, 'This isn't me. I'm just playing fucking dress up. I'm nothing more than a crackheaded whore's daughter who can't even have kids because some bastard fucked her up so bad she's practically useless.'

Jon shook his head in disbelief, as if he didn't want to hear her words.

Mary cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'You put me on a pedestal and you shouldn't. You think every time you touch me I don't think you deserve a real woman? That I'm nothing more than used and damaged goods?' She scoffed, 'I'm nothing, Jon. Not really. I'm just trying to make it day to day, pretending to be somebody I'm not.' She shook her head sadly, repeating her words, 'My love's not enough is it, Jon?'

"You're..." Jon shook his head. "Don't say that shit. You're not damaged goods. You're fucking perfect." He gently touched her dress. "You looked so beautiful tonight and I ruined it. It's because I'M shit, not you. Don't ever think that about yourself."

Jon sighed and gently pulled her up, keeping her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I just don't know how to be the guy you deserve."

Mary let her head fall against his chest. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh, 'We're not going to make it are we, Jon?' She laughed bitterly, 'Who were we to think we could actually have a normal fucking relationship?' She shook her head, 'We're just kidding ourselves, aren't we?"

Jon shivered, pulling her tighter. "You don't want me anymore, do ya?" he whispered, his tears falling onto her neck.

She leaned up and turn around and look at him, 'Ya want the truth, Jon? I want the man I fell in love with.' She shook her head sadly with tears in her eyes, 'But I don't want the man I saw tonight.'

He swallowed hard and nodded. "Just tell me what to do, okay? I'll do anything, baby."

Mary took a deep breath to gather her courage for what she was about to say,'I think that...we need some...time to think about what we want. ' She shook her head, 'Maybe I rushed us into this. I'm partly to blame. We've been an 'us' for so long, whether or not we were in a relationship or not. We need to see if we can survive without each other. We can't keep relying on each other all the time, Jon. It isn't healthy. I'm not saying we break up, but I think space is what we...need.'

Jon swayed on his feet. "You want space." He blinked at her, feeling numbness take him over again. "You don't want me?"

She shook her head and leaned up to touch his cheek, but he took a step back from her as if her touch burned him. It killed her to see the pain in his eyes, but this is what she needed, what they both needed . Whether he realized it or not she was doing this with his best interests at heart and for her own as well.

Mary sighed, 'See, that's what I'm saying. I try to talk logical and you misconstrue my words thinking it's all about you.' She put her hands upon her hips and shook her head, 'It's like talking in circles with you, Jon. I'm doing this for us, don't you get that?'

Jon squinted at her. "I don't fucking know what the fuck you're saying...do you want me or not?" He spread his arms. "Look, I know I fucked up, that I'm fucked up, but don't fucking...I'm not a fucking kid! Tell me what you want!"

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'Do you really want to cause another scene, Jon? Keep your fucking voice down. I already have to explain your behavior to the faculty. I don't want to get kicked out of the dorms because you can't act like an adult."

"Great. Fucking great." Jon ran his hands through his hair, feeling exhausted. "Fuck this, let's go inside. Is that okay with you?" Jon asked, not bothering to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Or do you not want me near you 'cause you need your fucking space?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest, 'I don't know, Jon. You're not gonna scare Kat are ya? I mean considering your little outburst she saw tonight I don't know what the hell she's thinking.'

She sighed and shook her head, 'Ya know what forget it. We can stand here all night and talk in circles, but honestly I'm too fucking tired to think straight right now. What we need is a good night's sleep and talk about this in the morning. Are you coming up or not?"

"Fine," Jon snapped, his heart pounding. Christ, he'd gotten drunk, had fucked up sex in a car, gotten in two fights and then got dumped by the woman he loved. Sleep was an impossibility.

Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it. She balled her fists at her side and stood up straight, keeping her head held high, 'On second thought, Jon. I think that you should just...sleep at a hotel. I need to talk to Kat. It's her place too and-'

Her eyes went wide and she took a step back away from him when she noticed the maniacal look in his eyes.

Jon sneered at her, his heart pounding. "Just can't fucking wait to get away from me, huh? I make you that fucking sick, Mary?"

Mary kept her voice calm as she stared at him, 'Ya wanna know the truth, Jon? The way that you're behaving tonight...yeah ya do. I've never lied to you before. I know you find that hard to believe, but I never did. You're scaring me.'

Jon stared at her for a moment, then turned away. She looked goddamn miserable, and only a short time before she'd been happy, beautiful...clean. "You want me gone? I'll go. I'll fucking get out of your life. 'Cause that's what you want, right?" He took a deep breath and stared up at her window. They could be huddled together in bed right now, if he wasn't such a fucking mess. "I can't be where I don't belong."

She stood there making sure to remain calm. She didn't want to get herself worked up in a frenzy. She was exhausted physically and mentally. She didn't have the strength to fight it, fight him. Her words didn't matter to him. No matter what she did or said he would never believe her. She couldn't keep doing this with him. Not anymore.

Mary shook her head sadly, 'I can't keep cleaning up your messes, Jon. I owe you so much. You've done so much for me, but that doesn't give you the right to say these things. You're the one who has it in his mind that you don't belong. I never said that. Not once. I can stand here all night and keep repeating myself, but what's the use if you're just going to keep spouting the same bullshit?' She remained cool, calm and complacent as she stood there never once breaking eye contact, 'Ya know what I think? I think you're creating these things in your head cause you're looking for any reason to get rid of _me._'

"There you go, spouting bullshit again," Jon muttered. It didn't make sense. Why would he try to get rid of her?

He rubbed his forehead, feeling utterly exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to go upstairs with her, clean her off, and crawl into bed with her. They could spend the next day in bed huddling under the sheets, ignoring all the outside shit they let into their lives.

But she didn't want him upstairs. She wanted him in a hotel, far away from her.

"If I go tonight, does that mean I never get to see you again?" Jon demanded. He had to know if this was truly it, if she was gonna skip town and clear her tracks so he couldn't find her again. The thought of losing her like he'd lost Olivia made him so sick that he felt dizzy.

Mary hung her head, staring down at her ruined two hundred dollar pair of heels and heaved a laborious sigh.

She held the sides of her head, trying to drown out the voices telling her that this was her chance to escape. She could just say the words and he would be gone. It would be that easy. Except it wasn't. Not for her anyway. They spent so much time accusing each other of things they created in their mind to push the other away. She couldn't let him go. She loved him far too much to do that. But she couldn't do this either. Where does that leave them?

Mary shrugged her shoulders and scoffed, 'I wish it was that easy, Jon. But it isn't. Not for me. I can't not have you in my life. And no it's not because I think I owe you anything. I know what you're thinking. Tonight wasn't you...I know that. I think I was more scared of myself because I actually liked what you did.' She snorted, 'In some weird fucking way I liked it because I know that it was coming from a good place. That doesn't make sense I know. But we can't keep doing this to each other for the rest of our lives, ya know? Where do we go from here, Jon? Cause I'm at a loss.'

Jon let out a breath. She'd wanted it...she liked it. He wasn't a complete piece of shit.

But she was tired and pissed and looked like she wanted an answer from him.

"I'll stay in a hotel if that's what you really want," he finally said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But truth be told, Mary? I wanna go upstairs with you. Even if you don't want me in your bed. I hate not being close to you."

Mary sighed, shaking her head sadly, 'I think you should...stay at a hotel, Jon. I think that a night to clear our heads will do us some good.' She reached into her clutch purse and handed him some money,'Here, this is for the room. You've came all this way and I...' She sighed, not even knowing what she was saying anymore.

Jon snatched the bills out of her hand and threw them at her feet. "I don't want your fucking money."

She nodded her head and looked down at the money on the ground, not even attempting to pick it up.

Mary walked over to him and cupped his cheek, while kissing the other one. She whispered in his ear, 'I love you, Jon. Don't forget that. Please.'

Unable to help himself, Jon wrapped his arms around her neck and breathed her in, knowing it might be his last chance to do so. She sighed and rubbed his arms. "I mean it, Jon."

He sniffled into the crook of her neck. "Please. Please, Mary, I'll fucking do anything. Please don't send me away, please."

Mary closed her eyes as the tears fell from her eyes. It killed her to do this, but she had to. She had to see if she could be strong without him. For so long she has relied upon him. She needed to see if she could walk away, even if it was just for one night.

She put her hands upon his chest, gently pushing him away from her, 'Just go get some sleep, Jon. I'll call you tomorrow...I promise.'

Jon turned from her and shook his head. "No, you're not. You're gonna fucking leave, you're gonna leave me forever." He wrapped his arms around himself and gritted his teeth.

Mary took a deep breath and bowed her head, 'If that's what ya wanna think, Jon. Then fine. You're gonna think what ya want regardless of what I say. It's late and I'm tired.' She walked over to him and kissed his cheek quickly, 'I'll see you tomorrow, I promise. Just try to get some sleep, okay?'

She gave one last look at him and mustered all of the strength she had left within her and walked away from him, leaving him standing there in the parking lot...alone.


	18. Chapter 18

Over a month has passed since the incident that had transpired between Jon and Mary. She was mature and wise enough to forgive him for his actions. She knew they both had said some pretty fucked up shit that night and she was just as much to blame as he was. She couldn't spend her time dwelling in the past or she would be doomed to repeat it. She knew that better than anyone.

When she walked away from him that night it was the hardest thing she's ever had to...handsdown. She would like to tell you that all was forgiven and they lived happily ever after, but she would be lying to you . When she left him in that parking lot he went back to Ohio, not even having the decency to give her an explanation.

They were gluttons for punishment. They couldn't get rid of each other, no matter how hard they tried. Their conversations on the phone were filled with awkward silences and clipped responses. It was if they didn't even know how to act around one another. There was once a time they used to talk on the phone for hours and now they could not even talk for ten minutes. They would make up some bullshit excuse to get off the phone, wanting to end the tortuous conversation as quickly as possible.

It was as if their relationship was in limbo. They were not broken up per se. They were just taking a break to figure out what they wanted. She knew what she wanted, which was him. It's all she ever wanted. But she wasn't so sure he felt the same. Yeah, he told her he loved her, but that could mean anything. She could never seem to understand what was going on in his mind. There was once a time where she thought she knew him better than anybody and vice versa. She was now beginning to think she never really knew him, not really anyway. She just fell in love with the idea of him she had in her head. That silly little idyllic part of her that still believed in Prince Charming and happily ever afters.

Mary has come to realize since her relationship with Jon that love isn't perfect nor is it always sunshine and roses. It's excruciating and unbearable torture that we put ourselves through, day after day. It's not beautiful. It's ugly and bruising and not everyone comes out unscathed. You have to look at the person you're with. She means_ really _look at them and think to yourself; are they worth this pain and anguish? If the answers yes you keep pushing and pulling through the barricades and never give up, no matter how much they may try to push you away.

Jon was worth it to her, he always has been and always will be. He just never saw that for himself. There was once a time she was foolish and naive enough to think her love could one day magically change him into some preconceived idea of a Knight in Shining Armour she thought of as a child, but she was no longer a kid. It was time for her to throw away the dreams and start living in reality.

She loved him enough to not give up on him. She just hoped he loved her enough to not give up on himself...or them.

Mary's love for him is the only reason why she's standing in front of the door to their apartment at twelve in the morning. She had taken a late bus into Ohio. She didn't tell him she was coming. She wanted to surprise him. The silly little fool still in love with him needed to see him. He had tried to act as if everything was alright on the phone, but she knew better. She could tell by the catch in his voice and the stumbling of his words. Something wasn't right with him. She couldn't bear the thought of being in Boston knowing something was going on with him and he wasn't telling her. If he wasn't going to tell her himself then she was going to demand it out of him, just as he had done for her all those years ago.

She walked into their apartment and looked around in disgust. There were empty pizza boxes and empty beer bottles strewn upon the floor. It looked as if it has not been cleaned since she left, which was most likely the case. He wasn't a very tidy person, never was. She didn't mind cleaning. She found it therapeutic. Whenever he would go fishing on Saturday mornings she would use that time to clean. She had become very accustomed to living the life of domestic bliss with Jon. She wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life taking care of him the way he deserved to stench of tobacco permeated the living room and a cloud of smoke hovered above the room. She scrunched her nose in disgust. She never allowed him to smoke in the house. It was her only rule and he respected her enough to abide by her wishes. Well, used to anyway.

Fear crept in her heart as she looked around the disheveled room. It looked as if it hasn't been cleaned since she left. It wouldn't have surprised her. Jon wasn't much of a cleaner. She wondered if he even knew what the word 'tidy' meant. He felt comfortable in filth and clutter. If she didn't clean the apartment it would never get done.

Mary hoped to God with everything in her that he wasn't doing drugs again. She would fucking kill him. It would have made all that strife and anguish worthless.

She walked down the hallway, hoping she would find him asleep in their bed. She walked into their bedroom and saw clothes scattered on the floor. Her eyes widened when she saw his jean jacket on the floor with it's sleeves cut off. There was wording on the back of the jacket written in red spray paint, saying, 'MOX'.

Mary shook her head in disbelief as realization crept upon her. She stood there looking down at the jacket in shell shock. He only wore this jacket when he was entering the ring, which could only mean one thing. He was wrestling again and didn't even tell her.

She had to wonder why he felt the need to lie to her. She has always supported his wrestling and was so proud of everything he accomplished. If he could not tell her this what else could he be hiding from her?

The room was dark obscuring her view of the bed. She could make the outline of his form lying upon the bed. He was shirtless wearing only a pair of jeans. She smiled softly and walked over to him. Before she even made it to the bed she stopped dead in her tracks by what she saw. He wasn't alone. Lying next to him was a leggy blonde. She was wearing a halter mini dress that mine as well have been a tube top. His arm was draped around her waist and his head was resting in the crook of her neck, his nose buried in her hair. It's exactly how he used to hold her when they could tell just by looking at her that she was a wrestling groupie. She had seen them enough times to know.

Mary shook her head in disbelief as tears filled her eyes. Her chest constricted, forcing the air out of her lungs. She started hyperventilating. It felt as if the walls were closing in upon couldn't be here any longer. She had seen enough.

She turned around and made her way out of the room. When she reached the threshold she stumbled onto the ground, causing her to let out a yelp.

Mary heard him calling out her name, but she got up and ran out of the room as fast as she could.

It had been weeks since Jon had seen Mary. Every day felt like a fresh hell without her. What was even worse was that he couldn't even talk to her anymore. They used to talk on the phone until they fell asleep, keeping the phone close so they could pretend they were lying next to each other.

He could feel her disgust for him. It came off in the way she answered the phone when he called, like she was bracing herself to talk to him. It killed him to know that she didn't love him as much as she used to, but who could blame her? He'd proven he was street scum and it was clear she'd never fully forgive him for bringing her down to his level.

What really hurt was that he was still so in love with her. He always would be. His view of her would never change; she'd always be his angel, his everything.

He'd apologized, he'd begged, but she didn't want him anymore. She'd pushed him away and asked him to get the fuck away from her.

It had been too much. The idea of sleeping in some dirty hotel room while she curled up in her bed without him, glad to be rid of him...Jon had to escape that.

So he went home, where her ghost followed him and tormented him. He couldn't sleep. Food lost its taste. Numbness settled in and there were days he forgot to eat or bathe.

After about a week he tried picking up the pieces. He got a few wrestling gigs and felt a huge relief to slip into character. Jon could do anything as Moxley and never had to worry about how he'd destroyed his own life. Coming out of the ring to an empty home killed him, but he wouldn't let himself get back into taking pills. If he ever wanted Mary back, that couldn't happen.

And he had to get her back. He just had to. There was no other options. He couldn't live without her. Believe him, he has tried and he was a mess.

One night he'd noticed a new valet - her name was Desiree or Destiny or some shit - approaching him after the show. She'd smiled at him a few times and he'd nodded to be polite, but he was too lost in his own shit to try to act like he gave a fuck.

"Hey," she said, and grinned at him.

Jon blinked at her. He was covered in sweat and some blood, and the adrenaline was still coursing through him. It made him feel almost human. "Hey," he repeated.

"You were great out there."

Jon grunted and shrugged. He stared at the floor, wondering how normal people would respond. How would Moxley respond? It was so much easier to be in character...for a while he could forget how he fucked things up with the woman he loved.

Mox wouldn't give a fuck. He'd take this girl and fuck her brains out, and kick her ass out to the street once he was done.

Jon looked up at her and gave her his trademark grin. She bit her lip, which was sexy as fuck.

"Think so, huh?" Jon rasped, and looked her up and down. Not bad. Not like Mary, but... "I'll bet you say that to all the guys."

The girl huffed, but then shook her head. "Just you, baby." She stuck her hand out. "I'm Desiree."

"I know." Jon grinned as he took her hand. Shit. He was touching another girl. This was..."Wanna know a secret, Desiree?"

She beamed. "Definitely."

He pulled her close. "I don't have any plans tonight. I'm betting you don't either."

How they ended up in his room was a blur. He remembered them stumbling into his car, her hands all over him, his mind screaming at him. He could barely concentrate, and the memory of being in the backseat with Mary...

Jon had reached over and blasted music to clear his head, which only made Desiree cheer. Maybe this was good. She could take his mind off everything, make him feel something besides the sickening ache in his head.

They'd gotten to his room and she'd started pulling at his shirt, which ended up in the corner of the room. She'd stuck her tongue in his mouth and he'd tried kissing her back, but it felt fucking weird. She didn't taste like Mary. She didn't smell like Mary and she most certainly didn't feel like her. Instead he kept trying to hold onto her, wanting to feel a warm body close to him. She purred and stroked his hair, and he choked back a sob.

"Mary," he whispered, and Desiree froze.

"Whoa." She pulled back and stared at him, looking aghast. "Shit. Are you fucking married?"

Jon looked around the room. The place was a fucking mess. "Does it look like I'm fucking married?"

"You said 'Mary'. Who is she?" Desiree sat up and glared at him. "Am I just some skank to you?"

Jon snorted and shook his head. Christ, he could use a beer. "Get the fuck out if it bothers you." He slumped against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. God, he was so fucked up.

"Hey." Desiree's voice was a soft whisper. "Hey, it's okay." She paused and got up. "I'll get us some beers. Stay right here, okay?"

Jon shrugged and wiped at his face.

Desiree maneuvered her way around the room and hurried out, coming back quickly with two beers. She handed one to him and stood over him, watching as he drank half of it in quick gulps. "I can stay," she said softly.

Jon sighed and shrugged. "Whatever."

She'd tried to ask him about Mary, but he gave her a look that silenced her for the rest of the night. After a few beers they fell asleep, and while it was nice sharing his bed, he couldn't convince himself that his Mary was next to him.

He dreamt that he and Mary were in his car, driving someplace new. She was laughing next to him, her hand on his leg, calling him a dumbass. He playfully batted at her, making her squeal, and they pulled into a rest stop so they could let their hands roam all over each other.

Bliss.

Something woke him, though, and he opened his eyes to see Mary - his Mary - stumbling to get out of the room. Jon glanced next to him, where Desiree was still conked out. He sat up, fully awake.

"Oh shit. Shit. Mary!" Jon got up and chased after her, his heart pounding.

Mary ran down the hallway as fast as she could. Tears were falling from her eyes blurring her vision, but she just kept running, wanting to get as far away from this place and him as possible.

She made it down to the parking lot before he grabbed her from behind, halting her movements.

Mary turned around and pushed him away from her, screaming out, 'Get the hell away from me you fucking, bastard!"

Jon reached for her. He couldn't help it. He had to make her understand...

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Baby, no, please...please listen, wait!"

She pushed him away from her and sneered in disgust, 'Get away from me, Jon or so help me God I'll beat the living shit outta you!'

She knew she was no match for him, but she was so angry right now she was capable of anything.

Mary tried running away, but he wouldn't let her go.

"Hold on. Hold on, baby." He tried pulling her close but she turned and slapped him in the face.

Jon froze in shock, unable to move as she did it again, harder.

Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'How could you? After I-...' She choked on a sob, barely able to finish her sentence.

She took a deep breath. No, she could not break down and cry like a little girl. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

She pushed him as hard as she could, making him stumble back, 'You lied to me...about everything! I thought you were the only person I could trust in this world. I gave you everything and you just fucking didn't care. I bet you and that slut got a big laugh at my expense, huh?'

Jon stood there with his head hung low, remaining silent.

Mary stomped over to him and grasped his shoulders, 'Fucking answer me, you asshole!"

He slowly lifted his head to face her.

She was furious. Her nails dug into his shoulders and she shook him, demanding answers.

How could she believe him? He wouldn't. Hell, he gave her shit for even looking at a guy like she wanted him.

He was a fucking monster.

Jon looked at the woman he loved and saw nothing but pure hate. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell down his face. "I love you," Jon whispered.

Mary's eyes widened in horror. Hearing him say those words just made her even angrier. She couldn't even look at him she was so disgusted. She wanted to walk away, but she couldn't. At least not yet anyway. She wanted him to feel just as horrible as she did. Hell, maybe he didn't feel anything at all. If he did he wouldn't have betrayed her. She was a fool to think that anyone could love her enough to want to stick around.

She punched his bare chest with her fists, 'Don't you ever fucking say that to me. You don't love me. You don't even know what the word means. Cause if you did ya wouldn't have fucked someone else.' She shook her head in disbelief and scoffed, 'In our bed.'

Mary began pummeling into his chest with her fists once again as tears fell down her face. All the emotions that have boiling inside of her were coming to the surface, unleashing itself upon him. He just stood there not saying anything, which made her want to rip him apart. He was just like everyone else. He was no better than Slim. Except he had done something far worse. He broke her heart.

'Ya fucking lied, you son of a bitch. What ya do, Jon? Feed her the same lines ya fed me, huh? Tell me, did ya fuck her in the back seat like ya did me or did you actually have enough decency to take her upstairs first?' His silence was killing her and she slapped him again, trying to knock some sense into him. She sighed, 'I'm such a fucking fool. Taking a ride from you that night was the worst mistake I ever made. I wish I never met you.'

She saw his eyes widen at her last statement and she grinned in sick satisfaction. Good. She wanted to make him feel as shitty as she felt, maybe more.

Jon swayed on his feet. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be...he had to be dreaming, this was the worst fucking nightmare he'd ever had...

"Please..." he mumbled, feeling at his face. He had to wake up from this. "Please, stop."

She shook her head confusingly and scoffed, 'Stop what, Jon? You did this. You...' She shook him again, 'Fucking act like a fucking adult for once in your life and take responsibility for your shit!'

Jon felt at his face. Numbness was still setting in, but the outside cold made him shiver. Mary...Mary was crying, screaming...he kept reaching for her but she slapped his hands away.

Was it raining? He couldn't tell. His face was wet. She was getting wet...must be raining.

She needed a ride home. Probably wouldn't trust him, she saw him with Slim...but they knew each other from school so it was okay. It would be okay.

He stepped back and pointed at his car. "You should get in." He'd take her to school. She was pretty...a pretty girl like that shouldn't be out in the rain.

Mary was taken aback by his words and took a few steps back shaking her head, 'What the fuck are you saying, Jon? You're not making sense.'

Jon swallowed and stared at her. "Can't walk in this. Are you crazy?"

Mary stepped back, looking terrified. "What the fuck are you saying, Jon?"

She looked scared. This wasn't good. Last time he saw a girl that scared was when they took away...

"It's no good out here." Jon looked up at the sky and felt himself stumble. He rubbed his arms, feeling bad he couldn't offer her his jacket...where was his jacket? He looked back at Mary, who had wide eyes. Wide pretty eyes. "You don't need to worry, you know. I've got a car. You can trust me." He tried to smile but it came out crooked. Everything was bad out here. They needed to get in the car or they'd get soaked. He didn't want her to catch cold.

She was stunned. All she could do was stand there and look at him. His eyes were darting back and forth. His eyes were wild, his movements manic. She was still angry as all hell, but there was still that foolish part of her still in love with him who pitied him in this moment.

Mary sighed, 'What the fuck are you talking about? You're talking fucking crazy.' She pushed him, 'Stop playing games with me, Jon.'

"Games?" he repeated, and shivered. She wanted to play a game?

She was so pretty. Pretty and smart and looking at him funny.

Jon shuddered. His skin was starting to feel weird. Plus it was loud in his head, like he should be screaming or crying.

"Wanna go inside?" Jon mumbled. His heart was pounding. He wanted to lie down.

Mary laughed incredulously and shook her head, 'No, Jon. I don't wanna go anywhere with you.'

He was scaring her. He was acting like a lunatic. She wondered if this was another one of his mind games, like he played with his opponents in the ring. She refused to be manipulated by him any longer.

Jon scowled. He was trying to be nice. "It's bad out here," he repeated, and looked around. Everything was so dark, so fucking scary and weird. Why would she want to stay out here?

Something shrieked in his head and he doubled over. It was louder now, all around him. Jon rubbed at his ears, trying to quiet the sound. He wanted his jacket. He wanted to get INSIDE.

"I don't want to stay out here!" Jon shouted, and reached for her again. They needed to get out of here.

Mary pushed him away, shaking her head as she looked at him with pity in her eyes, 'I can't do this anymore, Jon.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'I need to get away from here, away from you.' She sneered in disgust,' Your girlfriend's probably wondering where you are.'

She could not believe this was happening. She wanted to cry, but didn't have any tears left to shed. He had forced every single tear out of her, making her feel numb to everything. She could not stand here any longer and be his little puppet. He probably loved knowing what he was doing to her and she hated him all the more for it.

Jon felt himself stumble onto the ground. He felt at it, letting the gravel cut into his hands.

She was...

Mary was...

"Baby?" He looked up at her, feeling his heart pound. Everything was so wrong, so wrong. He needed her. Once again he reached for her, and she stepped forward. His heart leapt until he saw the anger there.

"Jon. Listen to me." She grabbed his chin and lowered her face to his. "You and I are done. It's over. Got that? Over."

"Over?" he repeated, and shivered.

No. No, no, no...

"Mary..." He gasped and clung to her, burying his face in her stomach. "No, baby, please...love you so much..'

Mary closed her eyes and for one brief moment she felt her defenses crumbling.

She put her hand upon his head and ran her fingers through his hair. She closed her eyes as she smiled bitterly through her tears. She shook her head. No, she couldn't do this. She had to be strong.

She disentangled herself away from him and fell down upon her knees before him. She cupped his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes, whispering in a very calm voice, 'We're through, Jon. Do you understand me?"

Jon shook his head in disbelief as if he didn't want to hear what she was saying. He kept mumbling the word 'no', almost like a child would when they were denied something..

Mary made sure to not let her voice falter. Her eye contact with him did not waver. She wanted to let him know she was serious, 'I never wanna see you ever again. '

Jon broke down sobbing, reaching for her, but she got up and moved away. He clutched his head and wailed, his heart pounding so fast he was sure he was going to die. "Please, god, no, no, NO!" His tears clouded his vision and he couldn't breathe. Every part of him hurt and ached. His body curled up and he held himself, shivering and crying.

He had no idea how long he was there. When he looked up again Mary was gone. Somehow he stumbled to his feet and went back upstairs. Desiree was gone too. He staggered to bed and collapsed on it, succumbing to exhaustion.

For the past two weeks Mary has been in a state of numbness. That fateful night she had gone to Cody and Kasey's house, not having anywhere else to go. The home she shared with Jon did not belong to her anymore. She never wanted to go back to that place ever again.

Kasey held her while she laid in bed sobbing. She has never felt this kind of pain before. It felt as if someone had ripped her heart out. She felt hollow inside almost as if there was nothing left. She was just an empty shell of her former self. She didn't know what to think, what to believe. It almost felt as if these past six years have been one big lie. She was beginning to think she never knew him, not really anyway. It hurts. It's hard letting go of something you didn't know you were hoping for. She thought she gave up hoping a long time ago. Then he came along and challenged every single one of her convictions she held dear to herself.

For the first time in her life she had let someone in and he misused and abused her trust, manipulating her into thinking he was this great guy when in actuality he was just like every other person whom had hurt her in the past.

Mary had vowed to herself never again. She would never trust anyone. Her hope is gone and all that's left is bitterness. The funny thing about it is she has no one else to blame but herself. She knew he was wrong for her in every single way possible. Everyone had warned her about him. They had told her he was no good for her, that he would only end up hurting her, but she refused to see what everyone else saw. She saw the good within him and fell in love with him because it. Oh what a fool she had been. Never again.

She had no idea why she was here again. Maybe she was a glutton for punishment, but she needed to get her things. For the past few weeks she has done a pretty good job of avoiding him. She stopped working at the gym, preferring to stay at Cody and Kasey's and wallow in her misery with chocolate ice cream and cheesy romance movies.

Kasey had promised her Jon was out of town for the weekend competing in a match. It would be simple. She would quickly collect her things and leave, never having to see him or this place ever again.

When she walked into the apartment she felt an odd sense of displacement, almost like she didn't belong here. There was once a time this was her sanctuary. She and Jon could hide away from the rest of the world and just enjoy being together. But that also had been a lie, just like everything that pertained to their relationship.

Mary stood in the living room and sighed, shaking her head. It was a pig sty. Trash was strewn everywhere and there were beer bottles and beer cans scattered all over the place, as if he just laid them wherever he was at the time. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around. He was living like a fucking animal.

It reminded her of how his old apartment looked, when he was a drug addict. She wondered if he was taking pills again. She wouldn't put it passed him. The bastard needed to be supervised. He was such a self-destructive person. She liked to think she was his anchor, the person whom could keep him on the straight and narrow. The person who saw his self worth even when he didn't see it.

She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to clear her mind of such emasculating thoughts. She could not do this. Not right now. She needed to keep her wits about her and just get this the hell over with.

She slowly and reluctantly made her way into their bedroom, or what was their room.

Mary stood at the threshold. Memories of that fateful night came flooding back into her mind. She could still see him lying with that girl, his arm draped around her waist, his nose buried in her bottle blond hair.

Tears filled her eyes once again and she felt an overwhelming bout of nausea creeping upon her. She couldn't do this, not yet. She couldn't bear being in this room any longer. She didn't want anything in here. It would only remind her of him and memories she would much rather forget.

She turned around and made her way down the hallway back into the living room.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock at whom she saw standing there. She could not believe this was happening. It was just her luck.

When he walked into his apartment, the last person he expected to see was Mary. He stood there frozen, not knowing what to do or say. He could hardly look at her he was so ashamed. He kept his head bowed, staring directly down onto the carpet. He coyly glanced up at her, taking her in. Fuck, he missed her. He hasn't slept since that night. The only time he got even any kind of sleep was when he was drunk out of his mind. Even then nothing could rid him of her. She haunted him day in and day out, incessantly reminding him of what he had done...or almost done anyway. But she didn't know that and he refused to tell her. She was better off without him. He realized that now. He had said once that he loved her enough to let her go and that's exactly what he was doing.

No matter how much it killed him.

Jon could not fucking believe she was here. For a moment he hoped she had come home for good, but when he saw the bags in her hands he knew that wasn't the case. She was leaving him...for good. It was all his fault. It hurt him to look at her, but damn it felt good to see her.

Since that fucking shitstorm of a night he has been living his life like a zombie, merely going through the motions. He immersed himself in his wrestling, losing himself in Jon Moxley. He didn't want to be Jonathan Good any longer. That man was weak minded and a no good fuck up who ruined everything good that has come into his life, including her.

She looked so goddamn beautiful it took everything within him not to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her, never letting go. She was wearing jeans, sneakers and some frilly lace top with a jean jacket over it. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore no makeup, letting her natural beauty show through. He could tell by the tear stains on her cheeks she had been crying. Her eyes were lifeless and devoid of all emotion. There were bags under her eyes, indicating to him she hasn't been sleeping very well. He knew the feeling. Her eyes is what he loved most about her. They were so expressive. He could tell exactly what she was feeling just by looking into her eyes. Now they just seemed cold. He had put that look in her eyes and hated himself for it.

She took a moment to carefully study him. He was wearing a plain black tee shirt, jeans and sneakers. His hair was mussed up as it always is. She could not help but notice he had lost some weight. His eyes were bloodshot, indicating to her he probably hasn't been getting a good night's sleep. His face was covered in a beard, indicating to her he has not shaved in a few days. He look disheveled, beaten and worn down. If she was like him she would take great pride in knowing she had broken such a strong and willful man, but it made her feel quite the opposite.

It actually made her feel guilty. She has never hated herself more than she did in this moment.

Jon took a deep breath and stepped back. She was here to get her things, no doubt. He glanced around the room and cringed. Fuck, it looked bad in here.

"I'll get out of your way," he mumbled, and turned to go into their - his - bedroom.

She sighed and grabbed his arm, 'Jon, just wait a moment.'

Jon froze at the feel of her hand on him. He stared at the ground, not wanting to see her eyes. He couldn't bear to see the pity and disgust there.

"What is it?" he asked softly, waiting for her to release him.

Mary shook her head, 'I just wanted to say...goodbye.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'We've known eachother since we were kids. We've been through so much together. I can't forget that. No matter what you did. First and foremost you were always my best friend. You saved my life, Jon.'

Jon pulled away. "You came here just to say that? I don't think so." He nodded at what used to be their bedroom. "Go get your stuff. I'll wait out here."

She hated how he was acting. He was treating her as if she were the problem, like she was the one who cheated. It wasn't fair. Sometimes she wonders if she ever really knew him at all. He treats her like something that happened to him.

Mary shook her head, whispering, 'I don't want go in there, Jon.'

Jon scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You want me to get your shit? Fine. Wait here." He stomped to their room and started yanking open dresser drawers.

She put down her bags and reluctantly walked back down the hallway to what used to be their bedroom. She stood at the threshold watching him sadly as he began piling her clothes onto the floor. Tears filled her eyes as she watched him lift up a red lace babydoll teddy. She had bought it as a surprise for him last Christmas. She would never forget the look upon his face when she walked into the bedroom wearing it. She had been so shy and nervous. She and Kasey had been in Victoria's Secret shopping one day and she had made her buy it, saying it would drive him wild. She had been hesitant at first, but she wanted to make him happy. It's all she ever wanted. Kasey had been right. The smouldering look in his eyes, the way he touched her body. They couldn't have been a lie. It couldn't have been.

Jon held the piece of lingerie in his hands, staring at it in idle fascination.

'We were happy once, weren't we, Jon?' Mary whispered to him.

Jon felt a lump rise in his throat and he coughed. He tossed the lingerie to the floor, ignoring her. If she'd really loved him, she would have listened to him. She wouldn't have dropped him like trash.

He moved on to another dresser and pulled out more of her crap. Something shiny was hidden behind a pile of her nightshirts. Jon pushed the clothes aside and saw that it was a small box covered in metallic blue wrapping paper.

He pulled it out, frowning at it.

"What the fuck is this?" he demanded, shaking the box at her.

Mary's eyes widened. Shit, she forgot she had that stored away. She had gotten him a present to congratulate him on being promoted to Director of Events at the gym. She doesn't even remember why she forgot to give it to him. She felt foolish now considering the circumstances. She got them matching promise rings. For when they were apart they would always have something tangible to remind them how much they meant to one another. She wrapped them both, wanting for them to put them on them together. Shit, she even got them engraved.

She quickly walked over to try and snatch the box out of his hand, but he was already opening it. She stood in front of him, with her head hung low. She has never felt more embarrassed than she did in this moment. She wanted to just fucking crawl under a rock and die.

Jon tore off the paper and opened the box.

She'd gotten rings.

He almost dropped the box but stopped himself. One was larger, with a thicker band. That would have been his ring.

Jon picked it up and looked at it, reading the engraving.

_"Don't measure the distance, measure my love"_

Jon dropped the ring and the box that held her ring. He took a deep breath and wiped his face. "Can't do this," he muttered, and walked past her out of the bedroom.

Mary watched as he walked away and shook her head sadly. She picked up his ring off the floor and the box holding hers. She slipped both of the rings into her jeans pocket. She took one last look around the room. She looked over at the bed. The same bed where she had made love with someone for the first time.

She had always considered Jon to be her first. What Slim did to her didn't count. In her mind and heart she was still a virgin. She had given him something precious and he didn't even care. He didn't even fucking know what it meant to her. She couldn't stop the tears from coming in full force. She would remember everything that they shared. They had something special. Just looking into his eyes she could see that he remembered too. It could not have been a lie. In her experience she has become an expert on reading people, whether it be a touch or a look. He loved her. That much she knew. He just didn't know how to love her. She thought she could teach him. But how the hell could she teach him something she did not even understand herself?

She walked out into the living room and saw him sitting on the couch. He was grasping his knees as he stared straightforward at the wall in front of him with an unreadable expression upon his face. Mary sighed and walked over to him, taking a seat down next to him on the couch. She laid her hand upon his and whispered, 'I don't hate you, ya know. I could never hate you, Jon.'

Jon closed his eyes at the feel of her hand on his. "Just get your stuff and go, Mary."

Mary shook her head,'After six years of knowing each other thats all I get,Jon? Before I leave I gotta know it all a lie?'

Jon opened his eyes and glared at her. She didn't want to listen to him explain what had happened that night, and now she was doubting everything they'd had together? It made his skin crawl.

"How the fuck could you ask me that?" he demanded.

She shook her head sadly and sighed, 'I just don't don't know what to believe anymore, Jon. We were the only thing I was ever sure of.'

Jon scoffed and looked away. "I don't know what the fuck you want me to say."

Mary took a deep breath and let go of his hand, 'I'm moving away Jon.' She shook her head, 'I mean out of Boston.' She bowed her head, twiddling her thumbs nervously in her lap, 'I was offered an internship for The US Adoption Agency in Kenya. I leave next week...for a year.'

She excluded the fact David was coming along with her as well. He was going to be working there as apart of his fellowship for his Doctorate. She didn't want to make things harder than it already is. She was still in love with Jon and didn't want to hurt him. She wasn't that cruel. She wasn't like him.

Jon moved to the end of the couch, grasping onto a pillow. He'd known it was over, that she was ending things, but a stupid, naive part of him had hoped she'd come back to him and they could start over. Now it was obvious that wasn't going to happen.

Maybe not ever.

"Came here to rub it in my face, huh?" Jon managed a small laugh. "Fucking classy of you, sweetheart."

Mary scoffed, rolling her eyes, 'I should've known you wouldn't be happy for me. I don't even know why I told you. I thought that maybe, just maybe the sensible part of you would understand.'

She shook her head. No, she wasn't going to get into this with him. Not again. She's done enough fighting with him to last an entire lifetime.

Mary scooted closer to him, grasping his hand, 'I love you, Jon. For the past six years you've been the most important person in my life. Regardless of what you've done I still want you in my life.' She sighed, taking a moment of deliberation to gather her thoughts, 'We had such a great friendship.' She shook her head, correcting herself, 'We have a great friendship. I don't wanna lose that.'

"Get the fuck away from me," Jon whispered, his voice breaking. She was torturing him, didn't she see that? All this talk about love and friendship and wanting to keep him in her life like it would be a huge fucking favor to him. That and the fact that she kept touching him. It was like hell, feeling her touch without any passion or love.

It was pity. Fucking pity.

"Get your shit and get out!" Jon shouted, and got up and away from her. He stood at the window and crossed his arms, trying to slow down his breathing. He wasn't going to break down in tears in front of her, not again. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

Tears filled her eyes as she sat there looking at him. She could just get up and leave and walk out forever, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't just forget everything they had, everything they shared. She remembered him chasing her in the rain when she was fourteen years old. She had tried pushing him away, but he didn't give up.

Mary took a deep breath and got up off the couch walking over to him. She slowly and reluctantly placed her hand upon his back, whispering, 'Please don't do this. I don't want to leave here with us being angry at each other. We've spent so much time focusing on the bad shit that we never realized how good we had it. Please, Jon. I don't want to leave for a year and have what very well maybe our last conversation as being something horrible. I want something good to remember you by...remember us.'

His gaze slid to her and his mouth curled up in a smirk. "Oh, I get it. You want one last fuck before you go, huh?" Jon chuckled and shook his head. "You're a real piece of work, baby."

Mary's eyes widened in shock. Leave it to him to say something like that during one of the most important conversations of their took a step back from him as he inched closer to her.

Jon saw the look on her face and paused. "What's the matter? Don't want it anymore?" His eyes narrowed. "Why the fuck did you come here? I thought you were going to get your shit and leave?"

Mary sighed and put her hands on her hips. She looked so fucking annoyed. It kind of amused him.

She knew how weak he was around her. Hell, if she came in and started stripping, he'd be on his knees for her. She fucking knew that, too. He was tired of being a weak pussy around her.

"You come in here and talk about the good times, you put your hands on me, and I'm the fucking asshole. Fine." Jon snorted. "You could have told me you were coming and I would have stayed the fuck away. You could have sent me a fucking postcard from Boston. But you came here instead." He let his eyes roam over her body. "You sure you don't want something to remember me by?" He licked his lips and walked up to her. She was looking at the floor, but her breathing had deepened. "You sure you don't want me?" His voice broke a bit, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't just asking about sex.

There would always be a part of him that hoped they'd move past their bullshit and start over.

Mary raised her eyes to him and he had to catch his breath. There was love there, and lust.

Mary shook her head, 'No, you're wrong, Jon. I had no idea you were going to be here. Kasey told me you were out of town competing.' She bowed her head and sighed, 'I didn't come here to hurt you. I really fucking didn't. I just wanted to say goodbye.' She lifted her head up to stare directly into his eyes as she whispered, 'I really do fucking love you.'

Jon rolled his eyes at her words and she put her hand upon his cheek, 'It's the truth. I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't.' Ever so slowly she took her hand off his cheek to trail it down his neck and rested it upon his chest, 'You mean everything to me, Jon. I love you and always will.'

He grasped her hand over his chest and placed it upon his heart. He wanted her to feel how hard it's pounding for her, always for her.

They stood there motionless just staring at each other. The fire that's always been between them is still there, burning just as brightly as it did before. She stared at him wide eyed as his face inched closer to hers as he gently placed his lips upon hers.

Jon couldn't help moaning when Mary kissed him back. He'd been aching for this kiss for so long. She sighed into his mouth and ran her fingers through his hair, gently scratching at the back of his neck.

He picked her up and grinned as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kept kissing him, letting her hands roam over his shoulders as he carried them to their bedroom. He had to kick a few things out of his way but he was able to get to their bed.

"Love you so much," he whispered, setting her on her back. Quickly he tore off his shirt and tossed it to the side, smirking at the lust in her eyes. "Your turn," he murmured, and pulled at her shirt.

Mary couldn't breathe, couldn't think as she looked up him. He stared down at her with so much love and adoration in his eyes. She refused to believe it had been a lie. There are some things you just can't fake, no matter how hard you try. She felt it in his touch and in his kiss. He loved her just as much as she loved him.

Everything was a blur as she felt his nimble fingers unbutton her blouse. He put his hand upon her back as he lifted her up to take it off of her. She should stop this, this was wrong. This wasn't what she came here for, but when he placed his lips upon hers, her mind went forgot about everything that had transpired between them and could only focus upon being here in this moment with him.

Jon finally got her top off and threw it to the ground beside his shirt. He settled on top of her, kissing her neck and moving down. "Missed this," he murmured into her skin. "You're so fucking perfect..." He ran his hands down her sides and tugged at her pants. "So fucking beautiful..." Jon nuzzled against her stomach and bit at the hem of her pants, gently pulling at it before letting go to kiss her in between her legs. She needed to get out of these pants. "And all mine." Jon nuzzled his face against her, breathing in the smell of her sex. God, he could tell how wet she was even under jeans. He rubbed at her and grinned as she moaned. "Want me to take care of you, don't you baby?"

Mary closed her eyes and bit her lip as she laid there, lost in the feel of him. He felt so good. It feels like forever since he's touched her like this. She felt cherished, wanted and loved. Three things only he could make her feel.

She opened her eyes to look down at him. He was kissing her stomach as he grasped her thighs, running his hands up and down the length of her.

All of the sudden the image of him lying with that gutter rat flashed in her mind. The same bed he was about to make love to her in. She felt sick to her stomach. This wasn't right. She couldn't let him do this to her. Not anymore. She was stronger than this. At least she could pretend to be anyway. She would be damned if she let him play her for a fool. There had been enough of that.

Mary squirmed underneath him, whispering, 'Jon, stop.'

Jon was so far gone he didn't even hear her. He just moaned and unbuttoned her jeans and slowly began pulling them down her legs.

Dredging up all of the strength she could muster in this moment, she leaned up and grasped his shoulders, pulling him off of her. He fell back upon the bed and stared at her wide eyed.

She got up from the bed and shook her head sadly, 'I can't do this, Jon. Not anymore.'

Jon blinked at her, feeling lightheaded. He could still smell her, or was his mind playing tricks on him?

"What's wrong?" he asked, drawing in a breath as she pulled away from him and started fixing her clothes. She seemed almost repulsed..."Mary..."

Mary shook her head and kept pulling on her clothes. She didn't even look at him. After she pulled on her shirt and buttoned it, she grabbed his shirt off the floor and threw it at him. "Put that on, will ya?"

Jon looked down at himself. He was shirtless and still had his jeans on. Just like that night when she'd found him with Desiree and assumed the worst, never listening to his side.

"Huh." Jon slowly put the shirt on, feeling his own fury rise. "Well. I guess I was right the first time, wasn't I? Didn't come here to fuck...you came here to make me feel like shit. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Mary spread her arms out and let out an exasperated sigh, 'I can't do this with you, Jon. We can't just fuck away our problems.' She scoffed, 'We tried that and look where it got us.'

He recoiled at her furious tone. She hadn't sounded so pissed since...

Jon stared at her. "You think that's what this is?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What else would it be?"

He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself against her words. That fucking hurt. When she'd kissed him back he was sure that she wanted him, that she wanted to show that she still loved him. Once again he was the fucking idiot, thinking he could have something real with her.

Mary sighed and turned her back to him, gathering up more of her things. She tossed the lingerie aside with a look of disgust and he flinched. She looked so beautiful in that. He'd reached up to her, afraid to touch her. Nothing that beautiful could be real, or belong to him.

But she was real, and she was his...or she had been.

Jon remembered that night she walked into the bedroom wearing that lingerie. He was rendered speechless by her beauty. She awed him without even really trying. She was like something out of his fantasy. They'd spent the night making love, something he never thought he'd do with anyone. As much as he used women, they used him right back. They never bothered asking for his number or even about his life. He was just a sex toy, a conquest.

With Mary, he felt desired, wanted. It was pathetic, but he loved it. She made him feel like he could do anything.

"Can't believe I almost..." Mary shuddered, and Jon gritted his teeth, willing himself not to cry. Again.

"Fuck you," he croaked, his eyes stinging with tears. "You're fucking heartless, you know that, sweetheart?"

She gave him an incredulous glare and walked out.

Jon took a deep breath and followed her out. "Don't fucking walk away from me!" He dug his nails into his palms, feeling his whole body shake with rage. "Do you get off on making me feel like shit, Mary? Fucking answer me!"

Mary tried walking out the door, but he stood in front of it, slamming it shut. She looked into his eyes and for the first time since she's known him she was afraid of him and what he might do. Just as quickly as the fear came it dissipated all the same. This was Jon. He may be a lot of things, but he wasn't a woman beater. Surprisingly, he actually had a deep profound respect for women. Maybe it was because he had witnessed his mom get beaten up and had seen her bruises, her tears. It was one of the things she loved most about him.

She stood there anxiously awaiting his next move.

Jon gritted his teeth and shook his head, 'You're not going anywhere.'

Mary scoffed, 'What are you gonna do, Jon? Keep me here against my will? ' She shook her head sadly, 'Let me go, Jon. Just let me go.'

"Why should I?" Jon demanded. "You're the one who wants out. You've always wanted out. Isn't that right?" He rested his back against the door and looked into her eyes. "Tell me the truth. You've always known you'd end it, haven't you?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, Jon. You made my choice when you brought another girl into our bed. Now just let me leave...please.'

Jon squinted at her. Something was off about the way she was talking to him. And all that shit about always being friends...

"What's going on, Mary?" he demanded.

Mary's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"

Jon raised his eyebrows at her. "You're not telling me something. You really think you can hide shit from me, sweetheart? I know you too fucking well. What aren't you fucking telling me?"

She tried to push past him to walk out the door, but he wouldn't budge. He was so strong. It was yet another thing she loved about him. She bowed her head, taking a deep breath. Tears were falling from her eyes, making her feel weak. She had waited what he was doing to her, what he was making her admit. Not only to him, but to herself as well.

Mary lifted up her head and whispered, 'David's going to Kenya with me, Jon. It's not what you think. He got me the internship.' She let out a dry laugh, 'Happy now?'

Jon swayed on his feet. "What?" he whispered.

Mary took a deep breath. "David's going with me."

"David." Jon swallowed hard. "You're going to Kenya with David."

Mary nodded and sniffed. "But Jon, it's not like that..."

Jon shook his head. He tried to think of something to say to her, but his throat closed up. Tears stung his eyes, and all he could think was that he had to get the fuck out of there before letting her see him fall to pieces again. He grabbed his jacket and yanked the door open, slamming it behind him when Mary started calling out his name.

Mary stood there as if in shell shock just staring at the closed door. That was it. They were done. They were officially no longer Jon and Mary. Tears fell down her face, but she made no attempts to wipe them away. It was not as if he would see them anyway. She had chased him away, for good this time. Many would say that he deserved this treatment. Maybe he did, but it didn't make her feel less guilty. She was in love with him and he thought she was running away with another man. She had deliberately hurt the one person whom meant the most to her in this world. She didn't know what to think, what to feel. It felt as if her world was suddenly crashing down around her.

She gathered her things as quickly as she could, not wanting to be in this place any longer than she had to be.

As she was gathering her things, her eyes widened when she found a picture of the two of them together. It was when they were kids. Kasey had badgered them to take a photo, thinking it would be smiled through her tears as she looked at the photo. She was only sixteen years old and he was nineteen. His arm was wrapped around her and she was leaning against him, her head resting upon his shoulder. She was smiling while he had that silly little smirk upon his face she loved so much. She had forgotten all about this photo. They were so happy then because they were together. They were so in love...even if they didn't know it then, they were. She knew that now. She fell in love with him the first day she laid her eyes upon him. She had no doubt about that.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and continued packing. There was no use dwelling on what used to be. She had the memories to sustain her. It's all she had left of him. After she was finished doing what she had to do, she gave one last look around and walked out the door with her suitcases in her hand. She would never see this place ever again. The way he had stormed out, she doubted she'd ever see him again either.

Jon wandered back home sometime after dark. He had no idea what time it was, and didn't give a shit either. What did it matter? He felt like he was dead.

After Mary had confessed that she was running off with David, something inside Jon broke forever. The fear he always had came true; Mary finally realized she could do better.

When he left Jon wandered around, stopping at a few bars and settling in dark corners so no one would bother him. For a moment he thought he saw a few people he recognized but was able to get out of there before they approached him. He just wanted to be left the fuck alone tonight.

Hell, he might as well get used to it. It was pretty clear that he was going to live the rest of his life alone.

He wasn't surprised when Mary was gone by the time he came back. Looking around, he could see that she had taken all of her stuff. She had even cleaned up, too. Always pitying him. Although who the fuck could blame her? It was obvious he was a mess without her.

Jon blinked back tears and went into their room. It looked so bare. She'd made the fucking bed. Christ. No wonder she was with David now. Mary would never have to worry about having to babysit a grown man ever again.

Slowly Jon kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed. The flowery smell of the sheets startled him. She'd cleaned the sheets. Did she do that as a fuck you for sharing his bed with a groupie?

"Fuck it," Jon mumbled, and huddled under the covers. He reached for her pillow, wanting to clutch onto it, but something was on top of it - a picture. He frowned and brought it closer so he could look at it, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw what it was.

The two of them as kids. Happy. He had his arm around her, and she was leaning into him. Fuck, even then he'd loved her.

He'd love her forever.

Jon set the picture on Mary's pillow so he could stare at it. Tears blurred his vision but he kept facing the picture, wanting to fall asleep to the image.

It was all he had of her now.


	19. Chapter 19

It's been over a year since Jon and Mary had gone their separate ways. Not a day has gone by where she doesn't think about him. The whole time she was in Kenya he has been on her mind. She could hardly focus upon her work. She would think about him at the most inopportune times. She would hear a song on the radio and think about the time she was driving in his car with him when it came on.

When she was sightseeing with David she would always be thinking in her mind what Jon would think about it. They always talked about traveling together. They would lie in bed in the middle of the night and talk about taking road trips across the United States. They would sleep in his car or in sleeping bags under the stars. They didn't have a plan, they didn't need one. As long as they were together it's all that mattered. It's all that ever mattered, but he had to go and fuck it all up. Then again, she was partly to blame herself. She wasn't exactly the easiest person to love, but he did. It took a long time for her to realize that, but he did. She threw it all away for one mistake. She knew he had been sorry. People make mistakes. They're human. Even though he always liked to pretend he was invincible, he felt just like everyone else. He just had a difficult time expressing those emotions. He masked his pain and sadness with anger and self hatred. He was his own worst enemy at times.

Mary will never be able to get over the guilt of what she had done to him. She made him think she left him for someone else just to prove a point, but she ended up hurting herself. How fucking ironic is that? She will never forget the broken and dejected look upon his face as he walked away from her that day for the last time. It hurt worse than seeing him lying in bed with another girl. It tore her soul out. She had cried for days after that. She didn't eat, didn't sleep, she couldn't think about anything but him. She felt almost as if she had left her soul back in that apartment with Jon. Maybe in many ways she had. He was the love of her life. You just don't forget someone like Jon, you just don't. You can fake a smile and pretend everything is all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day when the chaos ceases and you're left alone in the dark, you start to think. Your thoughts incessantly gnaw at you and drive you awhile there she truly did not think she was going to make it.

Her heart has been shattered. Every piece of it clung to the ground as she walked away from him for the last time. But now she finally has it together...somewhat. A piece of her will always belong to him. Just now she belongs to another person, someone trustworthy, true and safe. All the things Jon never was nor could be.

She had been in Kenya for six months when David had finally asked her out on a date. She knew he liked her and she liked him. He was handsome, intelligent, charming, educated, and worldly. He came from a well to do family in Boston. He was the complete opposite of Jon. She accepted the date. She needed the distraction, something to take her mind off the sadness, off of him.

David was such a nice guy. She never thought someone like him would take an interest in her. Sure, he was fun enough, but he wasn't Jon. He didn't share her sick sense of humor. They didn't share inside jokes that no one else understood. His smile wasn't the same. His stares didn't make her weak at the knees. His kisses felt different, less passionate and more placid. They didn't arouse her or make her nerve endings come alive, but she stayed with him. He was good for her. He was always on time and lived up to his promises. He was honest and trustworthy. It's more than she could ever ask for, but he wasn't Jon. She could never love another man like she loved him. The kind of love they shared only happens once in a lifetime. She will never have a fraction of the kind of passion she and Jon shared. Hell, they haven't even slept together after being together for six months. She had tried once, but couldn't do it. It felt weird and awkward, like it was wrong for her to be sharing her body with anyone else. In her heart she still felt as if she belonged to Jon.

How fucked up is that?

Mary knew she wasn't being fair to David, but he was patient and didn't push her. He was always there for her whenever she needed him. He didn't cheat on her or go into psychotic rages or temper tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted. He was a mature level headed individual, which is exactly what she needed.

Right before they were to go back to the states he asked her to marry him. She had been surprised, but said yes. She felt scrutinized, almost as if she were obligated to do it. Of course, she loved him...in some way. It was more of a friendship love more than anything. The love she felt for David didn't even compare to what she shared with Jon. The love she had for Jon encompassed her entire being. It flowed through her veins and kept her heart beating.

She had accepted his proposal because she knew he would give her a good life. He knew of her past and didn't judge her for it. He even knew that she couldn't have kids and was completely supportive. She had tried to find every single reason to say no, but she couldn't. This is what she had to do. She would have a good life with David. This was her life now. Sadly, Jon didn't fit into it. No matter how much she wanted him to.

Mary hasn't talked to him since that day. She must've picked up the phone a million times to call him, but hung it up every single time. She didn't have the courage. She knew as soon as she heard his voice she would break down and go back to him, begging for his forgiveness. She could not go backwards. It was time for her to move forward with her life...with David.

Mary stood in front of the Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and frowned. She had not a clue of what she was doing here. As soon as her plane landed in New York she had settled into her new home with David, her new life.

She was in New York for two weeks before she finally caved, knowing she had to see him. She needed to tell him about her engagement in person. She didn't want him finding out through Cody or Kasey. She wanted to break the news to him in person. After everything they've been through, she at least owed him that much. She had no idea of how he would react. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't take the news well, but she had to tell him. Regardless of what may have happened to them in the past, they shared something beautiful together. He was her best friend and always would be, even if he wasn't physically in her life. He was still in her heart.

Mary has stayed up to date on his career in the past year. He has been keeping busy, competing for all sorts of various independent wrestling promotions around the world. She was so damn proud of him. Whenever she looked at pictures of him in action tears filled her eyes and her heart swelled with pride. He was really doing it. He didn't give up. He was still going for his dreams.

Jon also scared the living shit out of her. She had watched videos of his matches in horror. Some of the things he put himself through. She remembered crying as she watched him get hit over the head with everything from fluorescent light bulbs and guitars. She physically shook as she looked at photos of his face covered in blood, his body ravaged by barbed wire and kitchen utensils. She wondered why he would do this to himself. It was as if he were punishing himself. Call her self-centered, but she knew what he was doing. He was doing all these things because he thought he deserved it. He was always such a self destructive bastard. It made her want to hop on the next flight back to the US and slap some sense into him.

She watched his promos in astonishment and awe. The way he spoke and conveyed his emotions was enthralling and captivating. He was so emotive and made you really believe in what he was saying. She could also not help but notice there was something off. His eyes were cold and devoid of all emotion, almost lifeless. She had put that look in his eyes. He was mostly trashed beyond belief in his couldn't watch his promos any longer. It hurt far too much to watch him slowly self-destruct on camera right before her very eyes.

Mary remembered watching a promo where he spoke about having a girl once who told him she loved him, that she told him everyday. She sobbed in front of her computer as he spoke those words. Her heart broke when he recounted her telling him that he was a bad guy and she didn't love him anymore. Of course, he made up some far fetched story about shooting her dog to make himself look heartless, but she knew whom he was referring to. He was talking about her. She could tell just by looking at him, hearing the disdain and regret in his voice. It made her want to call him up and tell him he was wrong, she did love him. More so than she ever had before. She never watched that promo again after that.

Mary took a deep breath and walked into the building. It was still early yet and people were still piling in. She bought a ticket and looked around to see if she saw him, but he was nowhere to be found.

She saw a man wearing an event staff tee shirt and walked over to him, tapping him upon his shoulder, 'Um, excuse me but are the wrestlers here yet?'

The man chuckled and shook his head. He probably thought she was some fucking groupie. She most likely wasn't the first girl to ask that question and definitely would not be the last.

He nodded, 'Yeah, they're in the back getting ready. But ya can't go back there. It's for staff only.'

Mary nodded, forcing a smile upon her face, 'Sure.' She sighed,'Look, I'm not some groupie okay? I actually know one of the wrestlers. His name's Jon Good.'

The man gave her a blank stare, obviously not knowing whom she was referring to.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, 'Jon Moxley.' She hated saying the name. She didn't like Mox. He was an insufferable human being who took great pleasure in inflicting pain upon others and himself. She loved the man, Jonathan Good.

His eyes widened in recognition and he nodded, 'Mox, yeah. I know him. A lot of girls ask for him.'

Mary scoffed,'I bet, but no. I'm actually an old friend.'

The man laughed, 'I've heard that too.'

She shook her head. She obviously wasn't getting anywhere with this guy, 'Look...' She read his nametag, 'Frank, I really need to speak to him. '

Frank shook his head, 'No can do. I ain't losing my job.'

Mary dug into her purse and took out a hundred dollar bill, waving it in front of him,'Will this change your mind?"

He snatched the money out of her hand and shoved it into his jeans pocket. He looked around to see if anyone was watching them and put his hand upon her back, 'Come with me.'

She smiled and nodded her head, following his lead. When in doubt resort to bribery. It works every time. It was yet another valuable life lesson Jon had taught her.

As she followed him down the hallway, her heart raced at lightening speed. She could not believe this was happening. She was about to come face to face with someone she hasn't seen in over a year. The man whom she was still deeply in love with and she was about to tell him she was engaged to another man.

Mary was shaking, her palms were sweaty and she was pretty sure she was about to have a heart attack.

They came to a door that had a sign upon it, reading, 'DRESSING ROOM.'

She took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth. The moment she has been dreading ever since she stepped off that plane.

Frank knocked on the door and opened it, 'Mox, ya decent?'

She heard someone call out, ' 'S UP?"

Mary closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh when she heard his distinctive raspy voice. The voice that has haunted her for over a year. She has missed the sound of his voice. It was one of the reasons why she watched his promos. It made her feel connected to him in some small insignificant way.

Frank yelled out, 'Ya got someone here to see ya.' He patted her upon the back and grinned, 'He's all yours.'

Mary's eyes widened at his words. Oh how she wished that were so. She wished it with every fiber of her being.

He walked back down the hall, leaving her alone...with Jon.

She took a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves. She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to get her bearings. She was an adult. She could do this. She has come all this way. She mine as well just get it over with.

Mary walked through the door and saw his back was to her. He didn't even know she was there yet. She took this moment to look him over. He was already dressed in his ring gear, which consisted of his black denim jean jacket with the sleeves cut off that had the words, 'MOX' written in red spray paint. It was the same jacket she had seen lying on the floor that fateful night. He was wearing his black trunks and boots. His hands were also wrapped in black duct tape. He was dressed and ready for action. She could not help but notice how skinny he had gotten. He lost a lot of muscle definition and just looked tall and lanky. She knew he wasn't eating well or taking care of himself. It was yet another thing she had to feel guilty about.

It felt so damn good to see him after all this time. She had missed him so fucking much it was unbearable at times. She took this moment to take him in, wanting to savor the moment of serenity before chaos erupted.

Mary took a deep breath and whispered, 'Hey, Jon.'

Jon froze at the sound of her voice. It couldn't be her. Not here, not now.

Ever since the day she left him for another guy, he'd been existing. Not living, just existing. He dedicated everything to wrestling. It was the only thing that made sense anymore.

A few of the guys tried to get him to socialize, inviting him to parties or dinners, but he rarely went anywhere. Not that being home was much better; Jon could still feel Mary's presence in every room. He'd thought about getting rid of some of the furniture or even moving, but he knew that would be pointless. She'd haunt him no matter where he went.

Girls came and went, but he didn't give a shit. It was the same old story - everyone wanted Moxley, but no one wanted him.

Only one person had ever wanted him, but she found someone better.

And now she was here.

Jon turned and was unable to stop a small gasp when he saw her. She was still beautiful, but she looked so different. Her clothes were stylish and neat, and she had a slight glow about her. David was being good to her. Relief followed by utter despair flooded his soul.

Mary took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her hands stayed in her pockets. Jon figured it was to keep from touching him. He didn't know if that gave him hope or just depressed him more. "Jon. It's good to see you."

Jon blinked at her. "Mary...what...what are you doing here?"

Mary's heart felt as if it were about to burst out of her chest when he turned around. She stood there wide-eyed, staring into the face of the man who has been haunting her dreams for over a year. His face looked different. He was still her Jon, but he didn't look as she remembered him. His hair was wet, falling into his eyes, obscuring them. He was pale and his skin had an almost grayish hue. Dark circles were under his eyes, indicating to her he wasn't sleeping very well. He looked so much older than his twenty-four years. He has aged so much over this past year.

Her stomach sank and her chest constricted with immense guilt. She had done this to him. She had sucked the life out of him. She didn't recognize this man before her.

Regardless of his appearance he was still so beautiful to her. He was so tragically beautiful it broke her heart just to look at him.

She shrugged and sighed, 'I...just got back from Kenya. I wanted to come and see how you were doing.' A small smile formed upon her face, 'How are you doing, Jon?'

Jon shrugged and looked away. Was this actually happening? "I'm all right," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

He hoped he looked better than he felt. She always worried about him. Sure, he'd given her plenty of reason to, but it still hurt to know that he was completely hopeless without her.

"So you're back?" Jon asked, looking up at her. He didn't know why she was there. He didn't want to be stupid and hope that she was coming back to him, but he couldn't figure out why she'd managed to get backstage just to see him.

Mary smiled softly and nodded,'Yeah.I just got back two weeks ago.I...uh...live in New York now.I got a job at an adoption agency.' She averted her eyes downward,feeling uncomfortable with how he was looking at didn't like how it made her made her feel lousy and guilty for no reason at all.

She sighed,'So CZW, huh? Kinda different from your usual matches isn't it?' She knows what she is doing. She's trying to make small talk to delay the inevitable,which is breaking his heart and her own in the process.

"I guess." Jon cleared his throat. He couldn't do this small talk shit, not with anyone, and he didn't want to pretend he could do it with her. "Mary, why are you here?" He paused. "Is it...did you want that picture back?"

The picture she left for him in their bed stayed on a nightstand, propped up so he could look at it before he fell asleep every night. He never brought a girl back to their place, not after what had happened with Desiree. If he was going to screw a random girl, it was at her place or at a hotel or even backstage. None of the girls he hooked up with seemed to give a shit.

"I don't have it with me," Jon muttered, and rubbed his neck. "If you want, I'll get it for you..." He paused. "Not tonight, though." He didn't want to tell her that he'd make a copy for himself before giving the picture back to her.

Mary had forgotten about leaving that with him. She didn't know why she did it. She just wanted to leave him something to remember them the way they were, in happier times. She wanted to leave him something to remind him that she still loved him and always will.

She shook her head, 'Jon, I didn't sit on a train for over three hours with a guy snoring loudly next to me just for a picture.' She smiled softly, 'I came to see you. I...missed you.'

Jon squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't start that shit again, Mary."

Mary sighed. "Jon, it's the truth..."

"I'm serious." Jon opened his eyes and stared at her, not bothering to hide his pain. "I can't take any more of that, Mary. I can't."

She nodded, tears filling her eyes, 'Okay, I...understand. I didn't here to cause trouble, Jon. I really didn't. If you want me to go, I'll just go.'

Mary felt like blurting it out to him just to get it over with, but she just couldn't do that. She had seen the pain in his eyes and it killed her. She knew just by looking into his eyes that he remembered everything and was haunted by it, just as she was. He looked so sad, almost like a lost puppy. It was a cliched analogy, but it was the only way to describe him in this moment.

She knows she should tell him, but she cannot bring herself to do so. His vacant stare reminds her of a man on the edge. All it would take is that final push. She didn't know if she had the strength to do it. This seemed so much easier in her head. Then again she always did have a knack for lying to herself. She'll tell herself anything just to get some sleep at night. Even telling herself that she loved David and marrying him was the right thing to do, but she knew in her heart she was just playing it safe. She was choosing the simpler alternative. She was too fucking afraid of forever with Jon, giving herself completely to someone; mind, body and soul. She had done that once and look where it got her.

Mary forced a smile upon her face, 'I'm sorry to bother you. I'll just go. Take care of yourself, Jon.'

She turned around to walk out the door when she felt his hand upon her shoulder.

"Wait," Jon whispered, and she turned to face him. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. He knew he was upsetting her, but he couldn't bear to see her leave. Not yet.

Jon took a deep breath. "I miss you too, Mary. God, I miss you so much." He clenched his jaw, but his eyes still stung with tears. "I know you don't want me and you don't love me, but..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. What was he saying? "I just...I don't want you to think I hate you. I could never hate you, Mary. And...I don't blame you for choosing him." Jon wiped at his eyes. "I thought you should know that."

She wanted to tell him that she did love him and want him, even more so than she did before. Seeing him after all this time was like a shade opening up in a dark room. Everything was so clear to her. This man before her was her soulmate, the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. If so, then why was she marrying another man?

Mary smiled softly, 'Jon, I still lo-' She caught herself. No, she couldn't say those words. She couldn't do that to him. She had obviously hurt him enough.

And she was going to hurt him even more.

It killed her knowing she had to do this. It had to be the hardest thing she's ever had to do in her entire life. She found herself shaking she was so scared.

She took a deep breath and released it, 'I did come here for a reason, Jon. I mean, I did really miss you and wanted to see you, but there's something...I have to tell you.'

She took her hands out of her pockets for the first time since she's walked in here. She had kept them hidden in her jacket. She didn't want him to see the ring and figure out it out for himself. She needed to tell him. He deserved that much.

Mary bowed her head, staring down at the grimy linoleum floor below her. She couldn't look him in the eyes and see the pain there for what she was about to tell him. It was hurting her enough.

'David asked me to marry him, Jon. And I said...yes.'

Jon stared down at her hand. David had gone all out and gotten her a huge diamond ring. It was the kind of ring Mary deserved, a ring Jon would never be able to afford.

The woman he loved more than anything was getting married...to someone who wasn't him.

"Oh, god." Jon sobbed and covered his mouth, turning away.

"Jon." Mary sighed shakily. "Jon, I'm so sorry."

"Please go," Jon muttered, resting his head against a locker. His head felt like someone had just taken a hammer to it. "Just get the fuck out of here."

Mary stood there not wanting to leave him just yet. She didn't know if it was more for his benefit or hers. Tears ran down her face and she quickly wiped them away. She didn't want for him to see her crying. She knew it would hurt him even more.

She walked over to him and tentatively placed her hand upon his back, 'I am so sorry, Jon. I know that doesn't make up for it. I know, but I am. I just want to let you know that I didn't leave you for him. Nothing happened until...' She shook her head, catching herself. She wanted to spare him the details, 'I came here because I wanted to tell you in person. I didn't want you to find out through Cody or Kasey. You deserved to hear it from me. I didn't come here to deliberately hurt you, I didn't. It's just whenever something important happens in my life you're the first person I still want to tell. Even though we haven't talked this past year you're still my best friend. Regardless if you want me in your life or not, you'll always be my best...friend.'

That word tasted bitter upon her tongue. He could never just be her friend. He was everything to her and she was killing him. It was ironic, she had left him thinking that he was toxic to her, that all he did was hurt her, but in the end she was the one whom ended up hurting him the most. She was standing in front of the man she loved with all of her heart telling him she was marrying another man.

She's fucking scum.

Jon slid to the ground and hugged his knees to his chest, keeping his back to her. Tears fell down his face and his throat tightened.

It was over. It was all over.

He'd had everything...everything. Yes, he knew he never deserved her, but he'd wanted her. He'd needed her. He always would. And now...

A broken sob wracked his body, and he cringed as he felt her hand on the top of his head, petting him.

"Jon." Mary sounded like she was crying too. "I'm so sorry. Please..."

He shook his head, not looking up. He couldn't look at her. Never again.

If he looked at her he'd see the person he was meant to spend the rest of his life with, the same person who could never be his again. Who maybe was never truly his to begin with.

It was too much.

"I have to go," Mary whispered, and stroked his hair one last time before taking her hand away. "Jon...please take care of yourself. Please."

He waited until he heard the door close, then got to his feet. After a moment he staggered to the sink and numbly bent down to wash his face a few times. He had to forget this. He had to forget everything.

"Mox?" Frank poked his head in. "Hey, you're gonna need to get out here soon."

Jon nodded and grabbed some paper towels, wiping his face dry.

"Whoa." Frank sounded concerned. "Hey, you okay? You look like shit, man."

"I'm fine. Fuck off." Jon tossed the paper towels in the garbage and walked past him. "Let's fucking do this."

Mary ran down the hallway and frantically searched for the ladies restroom. When she found it, she ran in, pushing open one of the stalls. She closed the door and slid down onto the floor. Not even caring she was ruining her expensive clothes. They were such fucking uncomfortable clothes that she hated wearing, but she wore them so she'd fit in with David's circle of friends. She was merely playing the part of someone that wasn't her. There was only one person who truly knew the real her and she had broken his heart...broken him.

She looked down at her big flashy expensive diamond ring and sneered in disgust. She clutched her stomach and began sobbing, gut wrenching sobs that seemed to come straight from her soul. She didn't care if anyone came in and heard her. She cared about nothing but him and what she had done.

Mary had finally done it. She let go the one person who knew her better than anybody, who had seen her at her worst and still stuck around. She tightly closed her eyes as the tears fell down her face.

Memories flashed in her mind of the two of them. Of him chasing her down in the rain. The sound of his laugh whenever she called him a butthead and smacked his shoulder for saying something funny. The first time he kissed her, touched her, made love to her. It all came rushing back, cruelly reminding her of what she had. She had a love so beautiful, so pure and true and she threw it all away for a little security and dependability.

She doesn't know how long she sat there. It could have been minutes or hours. When she finally had the strength to get up, she slowly walked out of the stall almost like a zombie. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. She barely recognized the woman staring back at her. This wasn't her. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out, but she had made her choice and she would have to live with it.

Mary washed off her face with cold water and walked out of the bathroom. She walked down the hallway mindlessly. As she made her way to the arena she heard his name being announced over the speakers. She wanted more than anything to just leave here and get as far away from this place as possible, but she couldn't leave...not yet. She always was a glutton for punishment, especially when he was concerned. She stood in the back, obscured in the darkness and watched him walk out.

He walked down the ramp with confidence and arrogance. You would never know this was the same man who was sobbing just a few minutes earlier in the dressing room. Maybe that's because this wasn't the same man. This was Jon Moxley. Mox didn't get hurt, he didn't feel pain. He thrived upon the pain, it fueled his fire.

She envied that he could do that, be someone else that easily. Maybe that's how he had survived all these years. Mox was a defense mechanism. She didn't have that. She wondered how she could survive this, being without him.

She sure as hell was going to find out.

Mary shook her head sadly and walked away. She had to catch her train back home to her new life in New York, all the while leaving behind her heart in his hands.

For the first time in his life, Jon was relieved to not be himself. He dove into character and stayed there, relinquishing every punch, kick, and scratch. He lost himself in the match and for a short while, was able to forget everything...forget her.

It didn't last, of course. After the match he had to stumble backstage and clean the blood off his face so he could see. Then he slipped into the shower and stood under the water until the heat wore off and he began shivering.

Somehow he made it home.

The picture was still there, waiting to mock him. Jon picked it up and was ready to crumple it up or set it on fucking fire, but he couldn't. He was too weak. That was the whole problem - his weakness had cost him everything. Hell, he'd gotten the girl of his dreams and scared her away. And now...

Jon quickly shoved the picture in one of the drawers that had been hers and shut it. He took a few deep breaths and when he was able to see clearly again he went to bed. Alone. He curled up next to her pillow and tried to pretend she was still there with him, but he knew better, and fell asleep unable to ignore the depth of his solitude.

It was a little after midnight and Mary was still up filling out engagement party invitations. David was working overnight at the hospital, giving her some much needed time to herself. Sadly, she didn't have many people on her side coming. David was the one with all the family and friends. She hardly had anyone. She thought of inviting her mother, but quite frankly she was embarrassed and ashamed. Besides, her mother didn't even give a shit about herself. Why the hell would she care about her wedding? She had forgotten about her mother a long time ago and deemed her a lost cause.

In many ways she thought of Kasey as her mother. Shit, she's done more for her in the eight years she has known her than her mother has her entire life. She owes everything to that woman. She had taught her what it meant to be a lady and to have respect for herself. She will never be able to tell her how much that meant to her. She never thought she would have that.

Mary picked up the last engagement party invitation and heaved a laborious sigh. She had a difficult time keeping her hand steady as she filled his name and address out. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing by inviting him. It seemed cruel, like she was twisting the knife into his heart deeper and deeper. Shit, into her own heart. But she couldn't _not_ invite him. Regardless of what may have happened between them, she still wanted him to be apart of her life, even if he didn't want to be. She was making the first contact. If he didn't want to be bothered, she would respect that. As much as it would kill her to know he hated her, she would leave him alone. She has caused him enough pain and strife to last a lifetime.

They haven't talked since that day in Philadelphia. Over a year has passed and she has heard nothing from him. The last she heard was that he recently signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. He was now competing in matches in Tampa, Florida in one of their developmental territories. He had even changed his ring name to Dean Ambrose. She was floored when she read that on the internet. He had used her own last name. She wondered why he had done that. It gave her hope that he still loved her just as much as she loved him. In some small way it made her feel as if she were apart of everything he was accomplishing. She was so damn proud of him. He was really going for it. He was living out his dreams. He was doing everything he said he was going to do. He was becoming everything she knew he could be and more. She wished she could be apart of it, but she had raised the white flag upon that ship a long time ago. It was time for her to move on...without him.

With tears in her eyes, she closed the envelope and laid it with the rest to be mailed. She hoped to God he responded back to her. She doesn't know if she can live another day without seeing him. She doesn't know if she even wants to.

No one was more surprised than Jon when the WWE came knocking. He figured his persona wouldn't mesh with their family-friendly programming, but the scouts kept telling him that he had everything they were looking for and he represented what they needed. Eventually the shock wore off enough that he got his wits together and signed the contract.

For the first time in a long time he was thrilled. He couldn't sleep that night, and kept bouncing around the living room, his phone buzzing all night. He got messages from almost everybody he'd wrestled, and everyone he considered a friend.

He tried not to notice that Mary didn't call or text, but after the adrenaline wore off and he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, it sunk in.

She'd wanted to be friends, but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. A friend would have called him, right? Hell, he almost called her to tell her the news, but he couldn't. It would just make him look pathetic, and he was tired of being pathetic when it came to her.

Things escalated quickly after he signed. The brass swooped in and told him what he could expect, and the first thing was that he had to pick a different name. That wasn't surprising...Brian Danielson had told him that they'd give him a list of suggested names and he could pick his favorite...but when Jon looked at the names one stood out. Dean Adams. He'd misread it as Dean Ambrose, and before he could stop himself he asked if he could use that instead. Luckily the suits liked it, so that was it.

Part of him wondered if that was a stupid move. She'd see it, and she'd know it was his way of clinging to her. But shit, she had to already know how he'd lost himself in her along ago.

FCW was actually a lot of fun. The guys were cool, and people actually treated him with respect. Regal took a liking to him and took him under his wing. "You've got a fire in you," he told Jon at one point. "Don't ever lose that, son. It'll be what drives you."

They'd actually let him take control over his promos. He let himself loose, spilling out his guts while staying in character. It was cathartic and real. Things were going well.

Then one day he checked his mail and nearly had a panic attack when he saw Mary's handwriting. He tore into the letter and with shaking hands managed to see that she'd sent him a fucking invitation to her engagement party.

Jon had been stabbed before. He'd been beaten, thrown, kicked, and spit on. Some of it not even in the ring. But this...this destroyed him.

He managed to work that night. He cut a promo, ranting against Regal and went off script. All the shit in his past came up, and he looked in the camera and told the fucking truth. "This is all I have."

It was everything. It was nothing. He was nothing without wrestling.

That promo got him pats on the back from everybody. A couple of guys took him out for drinks - they'd insisted - and he was relieved to feel comfortable with them. He'd seen one of them around before - he was going by Seth Rollins now - and the other guy was a quiet, friendly monster who went by Layahki or some shit, Jon couldn't hear very well over the other people in the bar - but they were cool.

"So that stuff you said...was that real, man?" Seth asked, giving him a careful look.

Jon nodded.

"Shit." Seth motioned to the waiter. "We're gonna need another round."

The big guy - Jon was going to have to learn his name - glanced at Jon. "That girl at the bar is looking at you, man."

Jon glanced over and shrugged.

"You got a girl?" Seth asked, digging at the bowl of peanuts in front of them.

"I don't have anybody," Jon replied, and finished his beer.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author Notes: This installment was co-written with my down ass bitch Christina. Wouldn't know what to do without her. You rock on every level there is to rock.!**

Mary was standing by the door with David greeting guests at their engagement party. Her eyes lit up every time she saw a tall, lanky blonde man walk through the door, but her heart sank when she realized none of them were him. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. She knew he wouldn't come. She was a fool to think otherwise. There was still that naive fourteen year old girl inside of her who truly thought he would come and see her. She knew he was in New York. He had his first match in Brooklyn the next day. It was some pay per view event called, 'Tables, Ladders, and Chairs' where most of the matches consisted with them beating the shit out of each other with, you guessed it; tables, ladders and chairs.

Jon had debuted with the WWE a little over a month ago during another pay per view match and was now a frequent player on both of their syndicated television shows. Apparently, he was apart of some new renegade faction, called, 'The Shield' with two other young up and coming stars. She will never forget the first time she saw him on television. Tears filled her eyes and she was glued to the screen. He looked fantastic. He had gained more muscle definition and had a nice tan that gave him a healthy glow. He even grew some scruff on his face, making him look more mature and masculine. She had to admit, seeing him dressed all in black in that SWAT gear had to be the sexiest thing she has ever seen. It had ignited a flame inside of her that no other ever could. Not even her fiance. Jon had changed so much. He looked to be really taking care of himself. She was so fucking proud of him. The faction seemed to really be taking off. She had browsed the internet and he was growing quite a fanbase, especially with the younger women. She couldn't blame them. Even though they were a little crazy and overzealous at times. He had finally made the big time. He was now somebody. He belonged to world. He belonged to everyone but her.

All night she had searched the crowd, hoping he had decided to show. She would perk up whenever she saw a new person walk through the door, only for her hopes to be dashed. The party was winding down and people were starting to leave. That was it. He wasn't coming.

It killed her knowing he was in the same city as her and he didn't even bother to come see her. Then again, she gave him perfectly good reasons to stay away. One very important one being the man standing next to her.

David had noticed her distressed and wrapped his arm around her waist, whispering in her ear, 'You alright, honey?'

Her fiance. Her handsome, thoughtful and wonderful fiance. She should be happy in this moment. This was every woman's dream. This was her Prince Charming. It should be one of the happiest moments of her life, but she felt miserable. This isn't what she wanted. David isn't what she wanted. How the hell had she gotten to this point? She had become someone she despised.

Mary forced a smile upon her face and shook her head, 'I'm fine, just tired.'

David nodded and kissed her temple, 'I know. My family and friends are overwhelming. It'll be over soon, I promise.' He leaned down and whispered in her ear, 'I love you.'

Before she had a chance to respond, her eyes widened in shock and she gasped aloud at whom she saw walking through the door. She could not fucking believe it. Her eyes must be playing tricks upon her.

She stood there stunned and could only whisper one word, 'Jon.'

Jon asked himself for the millionth time what the fuck he was doing. He'd nearly tossed the engagement party invitation in the trash, but something made him hold onto it. On a whim, he asked if he could get time off on the same week as the party and he got it. He got a suit before he could change his mind.

It was stupid, it was torture, but he had to go. He had to see her. Maybe to show her that he was doing well without her. He'd put on some weight and was kicking ass in FCW. Shit, CM Punk had even agreed to wrestle him when he visited Florida for an autograph session. That was fucking surreal. Punk gave him props in the ring and backstage, and told him he was going to see him soon. Jon had laughed, but Punk had looked right at him and told him he was serious.

"It's gonna fucking happen," Punk swore, and he'd been right.

Jon, Seth, and Roman - that was the name the big guy was going by now - were called into the office one day, and they tried to act cool but they were nervous as fuck. One of the top suits had grinned at them and told them they were going to debut at Survivor Series - all three of them. They were going to form a stable and would interfere in matches to help out Punk and some of the other heels.

"Jesus, man," Seth had whispered when they got out of the office. "It's fucking happening. Fucking finally."

Jon could only nod, he was still in shock.

Everything went nuts after that. They fitted them for SWAT gear and went over how they could do promos. They told Jon he'd basically be the ringleader, or the mouthpiece. Luckily the other guys didn't have a problem with that, so it was cool.

Survivor Series was a pure rush. They jumped in, destroyed Ryback, and got everyone talking in one night. Suddenly Jon's phone wouldn't stop ringing. Everyone was calling him.

Almost everyone.

As much as he could push Mary out of his thoughts during the day, at night he still reached for her, expecting to feel her curl around him. Maybe it was that pathetic need that made him come to the party.

When he stepped into the hotel he felt his heart race. People might recognize him now. Plus the last time he went somewhere fancy with Mary, he'd ruined everything. But shit, he had nothing to lose now. Might as well face her.

He wondered if she knew about TLC. Punk had hurt his knee and they decided to give them their first match. They were being vague about who would win, but Jon was sure they'd give The Shield the victory. He couldn't fucking wait. The three of them were downright giddy about it, like fucking kids. It was the best time of his career.

Jon wanted her to know about it. She needed to see that he could be a fucking adult. Even if they never got back together he wanted her to see that.

Taking a deep breath, Jon walked through the crowd of glamorous people who gave him odd stares even though he was dressed up. Funny thing was, he probably was worth more than any of them at this point. He smirked and kept walking, but froze when he saw her.

She was even more beautiful than he'd remembered. How had that happened? Each time he saw her it was like a punch to the gut.

Mary spotted him and her eyes grew wide. She mouthed his name and he shivered.

How the fuck was he going to do this?

Mary watched as he made his way through the throngs of people. She stood there as if she were frozen to her spot. She looked over at David and the look of apprehension upon his face told her he noticed him as well.

David took her hand and held onto it tightly as he came closer to them, his male pride wanting to exert dominance over her. She scoffed inwardly. It was not as if he needed to prove a point. He had already won.

As he made his way toward her, she took the time to take him in. He was dressed nicely in what appeared to be a very expensive suit. It was all black with a dark purple silk shirt and a black tie. His hair was slicked back and his face was covered in two day old stubble. She had never seen him look like this before. He looked so goddamn handsome. He took her breath away. He seemed to be doing well without her. It made her feel sick to her stomach. He didn't need her anymore. He had finally moved on. She wished she could say the same for herself.

She took a deep breath as they made eye contact. Here it is, the moment she's been waiting for over a year. She just hoped with everything in her he behaved himself this time around, considering what happened the last time the three of them were in a room together.

Jon walked over in a daze, keeping his eyes on Mary. She seemed tense, which wasn't surprising, but then when Jon looked at David, he realized that it was the first time he'd seen David since the night of Mary's award. Jon had threatened him, accused him of trying to steal Mary away, and now look at them.

It was almost funny. Jon couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"Hey," he said softly, and took a deep breath. This would feel awkward as fuck, but..."I wanted to congratulate you two." Jon stuck his hand out to David and looked him in the eye. "Congratulations."

David's eyes widened and he looked down at Jon's hand like it was a snake.

Normally Jon would have rolled his eyes and put his hand away but he wanted to prove to them that he could be civil. He stood there and waited, grinning when David finally took his hand and shook it.

"Thank you," David muttered, quickly taking his hand away.

Mary cleared her throat. "I didn't know you were coming. You didn't RSVP." Her eyes got huge, as they often did when she said something she regretted. She cringed, and Jon couldn't help but laugh. It sounded bad, but he knew what she meant. His appearance was a shock.

"I've been kind of busy," Jon explained, and turned to David. "That's okay, right?"

David nodded. "Thank you for coming."

"Sure." Jon clenched his jaw, wondering how long he was going to have to stand there. He got there, made an appearance...now what? "Who else is here? Anyone I know?"

Mary nodded, 'Cody and Kasey are floating around here somewhere.' She chuckled nervously, 'Kasey's probably trying to pry him away from the buffet table.'

Jon curtly nodded and let out a slight chuckle, 'Sounds like Cody alright. I should find him. I haven't seen him in awhile. I wanna catch up.'

The three of them stood in awkward silence, not knowing what to say. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Jon and Mary averted their eyes, wanting to look everywhere but at each other.

As if sensing they wanted some time alone, David sighed, 'Well, I'm going to walk around and thank everyone for coming. I'll give you some time to catch up.'

Mary visibly sighed in relief and nodded her head, 'Okay, I'll join you in a moment.'

David smiled, 'Okay.' He turned to Jon, giving him an uneasy smile, 'Thanks again for coming.'

Jon nodded his head, 'Yeah...sure.'

David kissed her cheek and Jon bowed his head, staring down at the floor. Regardless of how much time passed between them he still didn't like the idea of anyone touching her other than himself.

He walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

Jon and Mary both stood there with their heads bowed. For two people who haven't seen each other in over a year they had no idea what to say. Maybe it's because they've said all they needed to.

Jon cleared his throat. "You look nice."

Mary glanced at him and smiled. "Thanks. So do you."

Jon shrugged and glanced around the room.

Mary chuckled. "Not used to seeing you without all your gear. The bulletproof vest..." her voice trailed off and she looked away, seeming embarrassed.

His breath caught in his throat. "You've been watching?"

She smiled shyly. "Of course."

He beamed. "How long?"

"Since you debuted. I must have watched that interview with Cole a million times." She laughed softly. "You were great, Jon. You've been great."

A thought occurred to him, and his smile faded. "But you never called. I never got a call or text from you.'

Mary bowed her head, feeling ashamed. She had wanted to call him so many times, but every time she picked up the phone she chickened out. She just didn't know what to say. What can you say to someone after breaking their heart? There are no words you can say that can make it easier, for either of them.

She shrugged, whispering, 'I wanted to. I really did. I just didn't think you would want to hear from me. You told me to leave you alone so I respected your wishes.'

Jon shook his head. He didn't know how to respond to that. Maybe coming here was a huge mistake. Why did she invite him to her engagement party if she was too afraid to send a fucking text to him congratulating him on the biggest achievement in his career?

"You've got a match coming up." Mary gave him a nervous smile. "You must be excited."

"I am." He eyed her carefully. "Are you going to watch it?"

She gave him a smile that broke his heart. "Of course."

Jon raised an eyebrow. "Your fiance won't mind?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, he won't. David doesn't control me, Jon. He's very understanding of our relationship.'

She cringed inwardly, regretting her words as soon as she said them. She had seen the pain flicker in his eyes, but once again they became unreadable, making it difficult for her to discern what he was thinking in this moment. She knew how her words sounded. It sounded almost as if she were comparing them. She had pointed out Jon's inadequacies and weaknesses, which wasn't her intention.

It seemed as if everything she was saying came out wrong. Even now after all this time he flustered her. She wasn't expecting for him to come. She was still trying to process that he was here, real and in the flesh standing right in front of her. She wanted to reach out and touch him so badly. The need was so bad she balled her hands into fists at her sides. She wanted to give him something to show him she still cared, still loved him.

Mary sighed and smiled softly, 'After all this time do I at least get a hug, Jon?'

Jon's eyes narrowed. A hug? A fucking hug? Was she serious?

"I'm going to see if I can find Cody," Jon muttered, and walked away.

Furious pride coursed through him. It was killing him not to touch her, but he was proving a point. He could go on without her. Hell, he was doing that. He was doing what he loved, making good money, was getting respect from the audience and his peers, and even made some new friends. He didn't need her.

Jon spotted Cody and grinned in relief. He'd say hello, maybe talk with Kasey a bit, and then he'd get the fuck out of there. No way was he going to make an ass of himself in front of Mary again.

Mary watched with tears in her eyes as he walked away from her. She saw him immediately go over to the bar and order a drink. She shook her head and scoffed. Somethings will never change. He always uses alcohol as a crutch whenever he's in tense situations. She just hoped he didn't get drunk and ruin yet another important night in her life.

She took a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control and went to go find David. She would much rather go and seek out Jon, but that would be the wrong thing to do. He obviously didn't want to be bothered with her. So she would go and stand by her fiance.

It's what was expected of her.

Spotting Cody was a total relief, especially after Mary had to pull her weird shit and ask for a hug, like nothing had ever happened between them. Cody was sitting at the bar, looking like he was trying to hide his boredom. Jon grinned and snuck up behind him, lowering his face so he could whisper in his ear. "Hey pretty boy."

Cody whirled around, eyes wide, and burst into laughter when he saw Jon. "Holy shit, dude!" He grabbed him in a hug and patted him on the back. "Good to see you, man!"

Jon laughed and sat down next to him. "Good to see you too. Been too fucking long."

"No shit." Cody waved over the bartender and ordered them two beers. "You've been kicking ass, man. I'm fucking proud of you."

Jon looked down, unable to suppress a huge grin. "Thanks, man."

"So how are you?"

"Good. Things are moving along. I'm fucking excited for tomorrow night."

"I'll bet." Cody cleared his throat and moved closer. "That's not what I meant, though." His gaze wandered over to Mary, who was watching them. "How are you?"

Jon shrugged, managing not to roll his eyes. "I'm fine. Wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"You sure about that?"

Before Jon could respond, Kasey came up behind him and put her arm around him. "Look what the cat dragged in! Holy shit!"

Jon laughed and took her in his arms. "Hey, you!"

"Fucking good to see you, _Dean_," Kasey teased, rubbing his back.

He smiled at that, but then saw Mary scowling at him. She was standing next to David while he talked to a few people. She tried to act as if she were interested in the conversation, but her eyes were solely focused upon him. What, was she jealous? Jesus, she was pissed that he hugged Kasey and not her? What was Mary's problem?

Jon ignored his irritation and smiled at Kasey. "Sounds like someone's been watching me."

"Fuck yeah!" Kasey punched his arm and grinned. "You're fucking famous now."

Jon snorted. "Yeah, I'm famous as fuck."

"Damn right." Kasey glanced over his shoulder...probably at Mary...and frowned. "Uh, I gotta go check on something...I'll be right back. Good to see you, Jon." She smiled at him and walked off

Cody waited until she left and moved closer again. "Jon...seriously. Are you doing okay?"

Jon smirked. "No one believes me when I say yes."

"It's just that..." Cody took a swig of beer and took a deep breath. "I'm worried about you, man."

Jon narrowed his eyes at him.

Cody shook his head. "No, not like that. I just know this has to be killing you. Did you come here to talk to her?"

"Already tried that." Jon laughed humorlessly and stared down at his beer. "I wanted her to see that I haven't completely fucked my life up."

"She already knows that, man." Cody laughed. "Shit, you're all she talks about."

Jon gripped the sides of the mug, the condensation chilling his palms. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, dude. She fucking takes the phone off the hook when Raw is on. When you guys swarm in and fuck shit up, she calls us. She's like a fucking kid, man. Gets all excited." Cody lowered his voice. "Mary still loves you, Jon."

David excused himself from Mary to talk to one of his colleagues, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room. She kept looking over at Cody and Jon, wondering what they were saying. She noticed Jon looking over at her, looking almost hopeful and scared. She smiled softly at him and he quickly averted his head, as if he were embarrassed that he was caught staring at her. She sighed, shaking her head. She really needed a fucking drink. Just being in this room with him and not be able to touch him or speak to him was torture.

She jumped when she heard someone, saying, 'Having fun?'

Mary smiled, recognizing the voice immediately. She turned to Kasey and scoffed saying in a sarcastic tone, 'Tons.'

Kasey smiled and handed her a glass of champagne, 'Here, thought ya might need this.'

Mary smiled gratefully and took the glass, downing it in one gulp.

Kasey chuckled, 'That kinda night, huh?'

She scoffed and nodded, 'I can't believe he came, Kase. I really didn't think he was gonna show. Then he just shows up here and acts like nothing even happened.'

Kasey nodded her head in understanding, 'Ya know how fucking men are. They're too damn prideful to admit they need an oil change let alone they care about somebody.'

Mary let out a dry laugh, 'I just wish he'd talked to me. I feel like he hates me. '

Kasey shook her head, 'He doesn't hate you, baby. He wouldn't be here if he did. He's just being stubborn. Ya know how Jon is.'

She nodded, 'Yeah.' She bowed her head and sighed, whispering, 'I haven't seen him for over a year and he comes back into my life and I fall in love with him all over again.' Tears filled her eyes and she shook them off. She couldn't do this right now, especially at her own engagement party. She didn't want David or Jon to see her tears.

Kasey wrapped her arm around her shoulder and smiled sadly, 'He loves ya too, ya know?'

Mary scoffed, 'I doubt that. I asked for a hug and he fucking ran away like I had a disease.'

Kasey shook her head, 'Ya don't have a disease, sweetheart. Ya have his heart.'

Jon managed to change the subject of Mary by telling a few stories about the guys in WWE. Cody nearly choked on his beer when Jon told him about CM Punk making a few grown men cry when they asked for his autograph in a hotel lobby at 3:00 a.m. He told him about Seth and Roman and how cool they were, even sharing a scary encounter with a crazed fan who tried to follow them after a show. They talked about TLC and Cody kept telling him how proud he was, and Jon was starting to feel good. A nice beer buzz had kicked in and he was finally able to relax.

"You're wrong, you know," Jon muttered as the bartender brought him another drink.

Cody frowned at him. "About what?"

"Mary doesn't love me."

"She fucking does."

"No, she doesn't. If she did, she wouldn't be marrying that guy." Jon took a sip and swallowed hard. "No fucking way. I wouldn't do that to her. I love her too much."

Cody exhaled. "So you do love her."

Jon chuckled humorlessly. "Of course I fucking do. I always will. So yeah, I'm fucked." He glanced at her and saw David giving her a kiss on the cheek, making her laugh.

"Christ, man. You should see yourself." Cody put his hand on Jon's arm, squeezing it. "You have to talk to her, Jon. You have to."

Mary stood next to David while he talked to a few of his friends. She scanned her eyes around the crowd, seeking out Jon and saw him sitting at the bar with his head hung low. A beer sat in front of him and she wondered what number he's on. The thought has suddenly occurred to her he's been sitting there all night and hasn't talked to anyone except Cody and Kasey, but they had left over two hours ago.

She politely excused herself and walked over to him. He sensed her presence almost immediately and looked at her over his shoulder.

"Hey." Jon sipped at his beer and hopped off his seat. He was clearly buzzed, but not drunk. Plus he didn't drive there, so he didn't care all that much. "It was good seeing you."

"You too." Mary crossed her arms and hugged herself. "Glad you came."

Jon nodded. "Was good to see Cody and Kasey." He paused. "And you."

She managed a smile. "Thanks."

He sighed deeply. "So the big day is coming up."

Mary grinned. "Are you excited?"

Jon stared at her, looking horrified. "What did you just ask me?"

She stepped back, feeling self-conscious. "For TLC."

"Oh." He blinked. "I meant your wedding."

Mary heaved a laborious the hell was she supposed to answer that question without giving herself away? She wasn't excited about the wedding as much as she should fact as each day passed and the date got closer she dreaded the day more and should be was supposed to be the happiest day in a girl's life, but she felt 's funny, she always thought Jon would be the man she was going to marry.

Never in a milion years did she think he would be at her engagement party to another seemed so was difficult to make sense of it thought marrying David was the right thing to do, but as she sat here looking over at Jon she could not help but feel as if it were all a big mistake, but it was too late to think about that had passed the point of no return.

She forced a smile upon her face and bowed her head,'Yeah...I...am.' She knew he would see right through her. There was nothing she could hide from him. No matter how hard she tried.

He nodded. "Good." He stared at her for a while, taking her in. She looked fucking miserable.

Jon shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled back and forth nervously upon his feet, 'Can we talk outside for a sec?"

She looked warily over at David, who is engaged in a conversation with one of his colleagues.

Mary reluctantly nodded her head, 'Okay.'

Jon curtly nodded his head and she followed him outside.

They're standing in the garden of the hotel. Mary looks sadly at the broken man before her. He looked so much older than his twenty-six years. His hair was slicked back and his hairline was receding slightly. His ruggedly handsome face was covered in two day old stubble and his eyes looked weary and restless. Regardless of that fact he was still as handsome as ever to her. Gone was the boy on the cusp of manhood she had fallen in love with all those years ago. Standing before her was the man she always knew he could be.

He didn't look like David, who was boyishly handsome, sophisticated and an all around gentleman. He was considered to be the perfect catch. He was brilliant, successful and people loved him. These men were like night and day. Maybe that's why chose chose to marry David. He was the complete opposite of Jon. He was safe and reliable. She could always count on him to be there. Jon...not so much.

Jon looked her over and shook his head. This was all wrong. "Why are you doing this, Mary?"

Mary shook her head in bafflement, 'Doing what, Jon? Marrying David?'

She bowed her head, refusing to meet his gaze, 'I love him.'

"Don't lie to me, Mary. If you don't love me that's...that's fine, but don't throw your life away." Jon stepped closer, looking her in the eye. "You're worth more than that."

Mary looked away so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. She knew him coming here was a bad should have never sent him that could always read her better than knew her better than she knew herself. He was right about everything.

She shook her head,whispering to him in a pleading tone, 'Please, Jon. Don't do this here.'

His eyes narrowed at her. "Don't do what, tell the truth?"

Mary spread her hands out. "What truth? The truth is that I love him and he loves me. He knows about my past and that I can't have kids and he still wants me."

"He's not the only one who doesn't care about your past or that you can't have kids, Mary." Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Jesus, can't you see that?"

Mary looked Jon in the eye. "At least I can trust him, Jon. That's more than I could ever say about you. As soon as I was gone you jumped on the next fucking groupie that came along.'

"You...you fucking think..." He stepped back, looking appalled."Christ, Mary...after all this time you still think that's what happened?"

"I fucking SAW her, Jon. I saw you with her."

Jon took a deep breath. "You know, you never let me explain exactly what happened that night, Mary. And I get it that it looked bad, and that I fucked up, but it's not what you think."

Mary sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could not believe this was happening. She hasn't seen him in over a year and he crashes her engagement party. He picked a hell of a time to make amends. She should be surprised or shocked even, but she wasn't. In fact, she sort of expected something like this to happen as soon as she laid her eyes upon him. He always had a way of making her feel so fucking guilty and happy at the same time. Here she was standing in front of the man she loved with all of her heart and he was saying all of these things she's been longing to hear ever since she left him. Except it was too late because she was marrying another man in no more than two weeks.

It was so fucking tragic it was almost comical.

She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, 'Okay, you came here tonight, Jon so I'll listen. Tell me, how was it not what it looked like?'

Jon took a deep breath. He was finally going to get to explain himself to her. He'd imagined this moment a million times, although it usually ended with her forgiving him and the two of them patching things up. Seeing as he was at her engagement party, that probably wouldn't happen.

But he had to tell her the truth, for both of them.

"It was after your awards ceremony. Things were really fucked up between us. That's not an excuse, but let me finish," Jon insisted when Mary rolled her eyes. "I was upset. I felt lonely as shit and I hated myself for what had happened. I knew I didn't force you into anything, but I ruined your night and I used you. So..." Jon cleared

his throat. "I kinda lost myself in Mox. Yeah, it's stupid," he admitted, "...but at the time it was all I had. I was sure you were gone and if I didn't have wrestling...I don't know what I would have done. So this girl gives me attention, and I thought..." He shrugged. "Fuck, I don't know what I was thinking. But we got back to our place and she kissed me, and I...I called her your name."

Mary shuddered in disgust. "Jesus, Jon."

"I know." Jon sighed. "She was pissed. I told her to leave but I think...I think she didn't want me to be alone. Not like that, but...I think she was worried about me."

"How nice of her," Mary scoffed.

Jon shrugged. "I don't know, okay? We fell asleep. Nothing happened."

She shook her head in disbelief as tears filled her eyes. No, this wasn't right. This could not be happening. She could not believe he was doing this now. She knew just by looking into his eyes he wasn't lying. She knew him well enough to know when he was bullshitting her. He looked directly into her eyes, his gaze never wavering.

Mary felt like such a complete fool. For so long she had blamed him for what happened between them, but in actuality she was to blame. Yeah, he made a mistake, but that's what people do. They're human and sometimes we make the wrong decisions without thinking about the consequences. She should have known he couldn't do something like to her. He loved her, more than anybody else ever has. By him coming here tonight it showed her how sorry he was. She knew he felt guilty for what happened. All she kept thinking in this moment was that she should have listened to him sooner. Maybe then she wouldn't have been in this predicament. She most likely would have been marrying Jon instead of David.

She sighed and let out a dry laugh, 'Ya know what the fucked up part about it is, Jon?'

Jon nodded his head, choosing to remain silent in this moment. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and scare her away. Fuck knows he's done that enough in the past.

Mary let out a dry laugh, 'Deep down inside I knew that you would never do something like that, but I was just so fucking immature and afraid. I was so afraid of how you made me feel.' She turned her back upon him, not wanting for him to see her tears, 'I loved you so much that I wanted to give myself over to you completely. You had this power over me I swore no one ever would again. So I found the perfect opportunity to run and that's exactly what I did.' She sighed, 'Maybe I'm more to blame than you are.'

Her words hit him like a freight train. Jon always had to struggle knowing he wasn't worthy of her, but knowing she felt the same way...it was all wrong.

"Mary..." Jon breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm himself. "Why didn't you say anything? The next time we saw each other, we..." Jon looked away. He didn't even want to think of when she told him that she was leaving with David.

Mary shook her head sadly, 'Because I didn't even realize it then myself.' She snorted, 'I have a knack for lying to myself. I convinced myself you were to blame just so I didn't have to face the fact I was afraid. I was so damn afraid, Jon.' She wrapped her arms around herself as she began sobbing softly, 'Now it's all fucked up because of me. Because I was being such a little goddamn fool. I hurt you so much, Jon. I'll never forgive myself for that. Leaving you in Philly crying on the floor was the hardest thing I ever had to do.' She scoffed, 'I don't even know how you can even be here looking at me.'

She turned around, looking into his eyes, 'You always said you never deserved me, but you had it all wrong. It was me that didn't deserve _you. _You gave me everything and it was never enough. I pushed you away and I'm sorry.' She bowed her head and covered her face in her hands, 'I'm so sorry, Jon.'

Jon stared at her for a minute, then ran his hands through his hair. "Jesus..." He laughed humorlessly. "You can't be serious."

"I am, Jon." Mary cleared her throat, trying to calm herself down. "God, this is all my fault."

Jon looked at her carefully, then walked over to her. "Mary...you're not the one that fucked this up. I am. I have to live with that every fucking day and it kills me, but I can't take you thinking that this is your fault." He hesitated for a moment, then stroked her hair. "I can't," he repeated, his voice breaking.

Mary cupped his face in her hands, thankful she was wearing heels so she could reach him, 'I wanna let you know that I didn't leave you for...him. I could never do that, Jon. I was a wreck in the beginning.' She bowed her head, sighing, 'I think the reason why David and I are...' She couldn't even say the words, especially in front of him, 'I don't love him, Jon like I...'

She shook her head sadly and dropped her hands from his face. She turned around once again with her back facing him. She stared off in the distance and saw two teenagers embracing and kissing. She smiled bitterly, thinking that used to be her and Jon. They could be doing that right now if only they weren't so stubborn and accepted the love they felt for one another.

For a long time Jon just stands there, watching her. After what felt like forever he walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He leaned close, breathing her in. "Please don't do it, Mary. Please"

She shook her head as the tears fall from her eyes, 'Do what, Jon? Marry David?' She sighs, 'It's too late for us, Jon."

"That's not true, and you know it. Mary...I love you." Jon moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I need you and love you and want you. Forever." He put a gentle hand on her stomach. "I want all of you, always. I don't fucking care if we ever have kids, Mary, I just want you. I've always wanted you."

Jon gently turned her around and put his finger under her chin, lifting her head up so she'd look at him. He felt tears run down his cheeks and was sure he looked like a mess, but he wanted her to look at him. To see him. "I came here to tell you not to marry him, baby. And yeah, I should have told you back then that I never touched that girl. But I'm telling you now, and I'm telling you it's not too late."

Mary smiled up at him, her own eyes wet with tears. "I wish that was true, Jon. But it is too late."

He smiled and stroked her hair. "Not if we want it to be." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her as gently as he could. Jon actually felt his body go weak when she pressed her lips to his, returning his kiss.

This was perfect, it was right. He had to find a way to make it last forever.

Reluctantly he broke the kiss and rested his face against hers, breathing in the same breath. He smoothed away her tears with his thumbs and smiled when she brushed his away with her fingertips.

She loved him. Of course she did. How could he ever doubt that?

He had to make it last. He had to do something, now.

"Marry me," he whispered. "Be my wife, Mary. I want to be your husband." He planted a small kiss on her lips and nuzzled against her cheek. "Marry me."

Mary bowed her head and pulled him away from her, 'Jon, this is wrong. I'm getting married in two weeks. I can't do this to David. I have to go, he's waiting for me.' She shivered and rested her hand on Jon's chest. "Wish you asked me this sooner."

He nodded, his throat tightening. "I know. It's not great timing, but you know I've always loved you. Always," he whispered, shivering slightly when she reached up and stroked his hair. "Baby, please. We can do this. We'll make it work. Come with me, Mary. He'll understand, okay? Everyone will...everyone knows you are I are meant to be together. It's you and me, Mary." He gave her a crooked smile, caressing her face with the palms of his hands. "You and me."

Mary was making it increasingly difficult for her to resist wanted more than anything to give in and be with him forever like she always wanted,but she couldn't do were was different.

Before she had a chance to respond to him she heard her name being called turned around to see David standing there looking at them with confusion written clearly in his eyes.

Jon cursed internally at the sight of David, but managed a smile and gave Mary's hands a gentle squeeze and managed a smile. "Hi. We need a little more time here, if that's okay. We're in the middle of something."

"Sure." David walked over and averted his eyes back and forth between them, 'Everything all right out here? I was looking for you.'

Mary looked up at Jon and nodded, 'Yeah, everything's fine. Jon's...leaving and was just saying goodbye.'

David nodded his head and looked at him, wearily, 'Well, all right. My parents are going back to their hotel and wanted to say goodbye.'

She nodded, forcing a smile upon her face, 'Sure, I'll meet you in there in a minute, all right?'

David nodded and smiled, 'Yeah, sure of course.' He extended his hand outward to Jon to shake his hand.

Jon let go of Mary's hands, which was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, and took David's hand, shaking it with a smile.

Jon had a thin smile upon his face as he said, "I, uh, never got a chance to congratulate you personally. Congratulations. Mary's a great woman." He looked at her, smiling sadly, 'Any man would be lucky to have her.

David smile and nodded. " I agree. I am a very lucky man. Thank you." He released Jon's hand and cleared his throat. "It's nice to see you again, Jon. It means alot to both of us that you made it here. Also..." David glanced at Mary, and took a deep breath. "I always wanted to thank you for everything you did for Mary. I just wanted to let you know that.' David shook his hand, 'Nice to see you again, Jon.'

Jon looked at the ground and nodded, counting the seconds until David left and Jon had Mary to himself again.

David reached over and kissed Mary's cheek, 'I'll see you in there, honey.'

Mary smiled sweetly and nodded her head, 'Yeah, I'll just be a minute.'

David nodded at Jon, "I know your schedule is busy, but we hope to see you at the wedding." He patted Mary on the back and grinned at her. "I'm sure she's already told you, but Mary needs someone to walk her down the aisle and told me she hoped you'd be the one to do it."

Her eyes widened at his words. Shit, she didn't even get to talk to him about that yet.

"Well, I'll let you say your goodbyes. Thanks again, Jon." David smiled and left, oblivious to the looks between Jon and Mary.

Jon kept perfectly still until David was gone. He was sure David was just fucking with him. There was no way she'd ask him that, right?

He turned to her and saw how frightened she was, and he had to catch his breath. No fucking way was she thinking of asking him that. She wouldn't do that to him. Mary isn't that cruel, she didn't have it in her. Not his Mary. No fucking way.

But the look on her face...

"Mary." Jon cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Was he fucking with me just now? Mary?"

Mary stared down at the ground and let out a sigh, 'I've been meaning to ask you all night, but just never found the opportunity.' She scoffed, 'Guess now is a good of time as any, huh? I want you to be the one who...gives me away. You're the only person I want to share that moment with.'

Jon brought his hand to his mouth. His stomach lurched and for a horrible moment he thought he was actually going to puke. He managed to calm himself, though, and stepped back. Everything seemed off...the air was too cold, too claustrophobic, too hard to breathe. He was standing here with the woman he loved more than fucking anything and she was asking him to hand her over to some other guy.

Jon laughed humorlessly and wiped at his face. "Fuck, Mary. Sometimes I wonder if you just fucking hate me."

Mary's eyes widened incredulously, 'Me hate you? I haven't heard from you in a year and you show up at my engagement party asking me to marry you' She shook her head in disbelief, 'You have some fucking nerve, Jon.'

His eyes widened. "I'VE got nerve? Are you fucking kidding me? I seem to remember you coming backstage before a match to let me know that you were engaged. Then you fucking took off and I don't hear from YOU in a year...it goes both ways, sweetheart...unless to update me on your bullshit wedding. Nevermind what's going on in my life, right? Fuck, do you even care that I've got my first fucking match in the WWE tomorrow? Oh, don't worry, it's only something I've been dreaming of my entire fucking life. And then you want me to walk you down the aisle and fucking hand you off to another guy? I'VE got nerve?"

Mary nodded and scoffed, 'You son of a bitch. I remember calling you when I was in Boston everyday and you would never return my phone calls. And don't you fucking tell me you never saw me calling, Jon. You always used to pick up before. When you did decide to call it was only to say 'hi', like I was some fucking obligation to you.'

She could not stop the tears from falling from her eyes, 'Do you know why I came home that night? It's because I wanted to see you. I missed you so much. I skipped an entire week of school and got on a bus just to come back and see you and then I find you with...' She shook her head, not wanting to bring up that can of worms again, ''I died that day, Jon. You broke my heart.' She started sobbing, her shoulders heaving up and down as tears streamed down her face, 'Do you even know that David hasn't even touched me?'

Mary placed her hands upon his chest and pushed him, causing him to stumble back a few steps, 'I'm still fucking in love with you and I hate you for it! I should be in love with my fiance. Not you and you come and give me this guilt trip. How dare you! You told me in Philly to get the fuck out and that's exactly what I did. That's exactly what I did!'

Jon grabbed her hands and stared down at her, his eyes wild. "What do you mean he hasn't touched you? You never...after me?" His jaw clenched and unclenched. He didn't know whether to start crying his eyes out or screaming from pure fucking joy. No one had ever touched her, had her like he did. Like he still wanted.

He shook his head. "You just fucking admitted that you're still in love with me and this guy hasn't even..." Jon brought her hands to his chest, right over his heart. "Why, then? Why can't we be together? Why are you DOING this?"

Mary smiled sadly, 'I'm doing this because he loves me. He lives up to his promises and doesn't run to another girl's arms when things get too hard to handle. He doesn't blow up at me whenever I talk to another guy or act irrational when something doesn't go his way. He's a good man, Jon.'

"A good man." Jon laughed and wiped at his face. "You mean not a piece of shit like me?"

Mary scoffed and shook her head.

"No, that's it, isn't it?" Jon glared at her. "I embarrass you, don't I? You don't fit in with this crowd, Mary, but you're sure as hell trying. What, you're too good to be a wrestler's wife? Is it money? Do you know how much I'm worth now, sweetheart? I could probably buy and sell half the assholes in there!"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and nodded her head, 'Is that all you think I care about, Jon? Money? What was it you called me before, lowclass slut right? I get in a fancy dress and act like a haughty bitch. Well, look at you. You get a little bit of money and you fucking forget what you came from.' She sighed, 'It has nothing to do with his money, Jon. It has to do with stability. David's simple. He doesn't ask anything of me. He treats me like I'm worth something. He makes me feel good about myself. '

She shook her head, 'If you think any of those things about me then you never really knew me at all.'

Jon snorted and began pacing around the garden. God, she always knew how to push his buttons. He was at the height of his career and as usual, she made him feel like he was so much lower than her. Mary had admitted to loving him but didn't want to be with him. It wasn't about the money, travel, or status...it was that she didn't want to spend her life with him, regardless of how she felt. "You're fucking unbelievable, you know that? Christ, do you get off on making me feel like shit?"

Mary racked her brain, trying desperately to find the words to say, but was failing miserably. She ruined everything all because of her own selfishness. She had broke the heart of the one person who ever gave a damn about her. She never hated herself more than she did in this moment. She wanted for him to hate her. It's what she deserved.

The dejected look upon his face broke her heart into a million pieces. It tore at her soul and she knew in this moment she had made a terrible mistake on all accounts. The worst part about it is she had no one else to blame but herself.

She didn't know what else to say. She was out of excuses, out of words. She had ruined the best thing that ever happened to her, all because she wanted some stability and security. Things she knew a man such as himself couldn't provide for her.

She shook her head as the tears began rapidly falling down her face, 'I love you. You gotta know that. Please know that. But we're in two separate worlds now, Jon. Ya gotta realize that. You need time to focus on your career.' She bowed her head whispering, 'You should find a woman who can give you all the things I can't. You deserve that.'

It killed her to say those words, but she had to say them. She could no longer hold him emotionally hostage. She loved him enough to want him to be happy. He deserved someone who would love him and thank God everyday they had such an incredible man in their lives.

Jon felt his face go slack at her words. He couldn't believe it...she was tossing him like trash. It was even worse than the times she'd rejected him before, because he knew she loved him, but it wasn't enough.

It would never be enough.

Jon's throat tightened and he backed away from her, feeling claustrophobic. He wondered if he was going to have another panic attack like he did when she dumped him after seeing him with Desiree. He'd checked out mentally, but he couldn't have that happen again. He couldn't let her destroy him.

"Do me a favor, Mary," Jon muttered. "Don't ever talk to me again." He turned and left before she could say anything else.

Mary stood there numb as she watched him walk away from her, knowing it would be for the last time.

After the engagement party, Mary retreated back to her apartment. She was thankful David was taking his parents back to their hotel, it gave her some time alone with her thoughts.

She stripped off her fancy dress and changed into jeans and a tee shirt. She felt more comfortable dressed this way, more like herself. Those dresses were so fucking uncomfortable. She felt awkward in them, almost as if she were playing dress up. Those designer dresses weren't her. She was Mary, the girl who preferred cotton over silk, sneakers over stilettos. She was lying to herself. What killed her was Jon knew it. He knew the real her. He loved her despite her flaws and shortcomings, just as she loved him in spite of his.

As much as she tried to deny it, David didn't know the real her, not really anyway. He only liked the idea of her. He loved the girl she gave him, which was nothing more than a fabrication, a mask she wore to hide herself from the rest of the world. She couldn't hide with Jon. He had seen her with bruises upon her face, covered in blood and still called her beautiful.

Mary sat on the bed in her apartment, staring straightforward at the wall in front of her as if in a daze. Tears fell from her eyes, but she made no attempts to heed them. She was alone. No one would even know that she was sitting here grieving for a lost love.

She sighed and took a deep breath. She couldn't stand being inside this room any longer. It felt as if the walls were closing in upon her. Suddenly the thought of spending the night with David in this bed did not seem too appealing, it felt wrong, almost as if she were betraying Jon.

Mary nodded her head. She knew what she had to do. It may blow up in her face, but she couldn't live with herself knowing she at least didn't try. She could not bear the thought of being so close to him and not being near him, holding him and loving him the way he deserved.

She grabbed her purse and scribbled a quick note to David, telling him not to wait up, she was going to have a couple drinks with Kat. Of course, it was a lie, but he didn't need to know that. The less he knew the better. She didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of her. She has done enough damage already.

Besides, if worst came to worst Kat would cover for her. They were best friends. Friends lied for eachother, no matter the circumstances.

Mary took a cab to the Ramada Inn in downtown Brooklyn. The hotel Kasey told her he was staying at. She got out of the cab and looked up at the sprawling building and let out a shaky sigh. She looked at each and every one of the windows, wondering which room he was in. She knows he probably doesn't want to see her. She had turned down his proposal, after all, but she owed him , she owed this to herself.

Deciding to just bite the bullet, she walked into the hotel, all the while praying he didn't turn her away.

When she knocked upon his door, no one answered. It was rather late. He did have a huge match tomorrow night. He very well could be sleeping, or maybe he was out drinking, which wouldn't be surprising.

She sighed and shook her head. He wasn't here. She was too late.

Mary turned around to leave when she heard the distinct sound of the door opening. She slowly turned around and saw Jon standing there wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. The look upon his face was startling.

A small smile formed upon her face and she said softly, 'Hi.'

Jon rubbed his eyes. Was he fucking hallucinating?

"You gonna invite me in?" Mary asked, looking nervous as hell.

Jon stared at her. "What the fuck are you doing?"

She twiddled her thumbs nervously and shrugged her shoulders, 'I wanted to see you, Jon.' She shook her head, 'No, I needed to see you. I didn't want our last conversation to be another argument.' She sighed, 'Look, I don't wanna do this in the middle of the hallway. Can I come in?'

Jon rested his forehead against the door and sneered at her. "You wanna come in? Why?"

Mary sighed. "I just told you..."

"You fed me a few lines of bullshit. I'm asking for the truth." His eyes narrowed. "Why the fuck are you here? Don't waste my fucking time, Mary. Be fucking honest with me. I had a shitty night, I'm tired as fuck, and I know you don't give a shit but tomorrow night's a big fucking deal for me. So why the _fuck_ are you here?"

She sighed, 'I give a shit, Jon. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. If you want me to go fine, but tomorrow you're going to leave New York and I'm going to...Seattle after David and I get married. He was offered a position at a hospital there.. ' She spread her arms out, 'I just fucking wrote a note to David telling him I went out to drinks with Kat just to come see you. What does that tell you?"

"Sounds like your marriage is off to a great start," Jon snapped. "Look, I came to your fucking party and you got what you wanted out of all that, congratulations. Now some of us haven't completely fucked up their lives and need their fucking sleep. Know what I'm saying, sweetheart? Tomorrow I'm gonna make history and you're gonna be fucking some other guy wishing it was me. That sound about right?"

Mary stared at him and covered her mouth, her face crumpling as she burst into tears.

Jon's heart ached at the sight of her and he opened his door. "Shit." No matter what she did or said to him, no matter how painful, he couldn't stand to see her like that. Christ, he'd just managed to make things even worse. "Mary. Hey."

Her shoulders shook with sobs. "Sorry," she gasped. "You're right, I'm sorry..."

"No, no." Jon sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He tightened his grip on her as she held onto him. They still had something. They always would.

"It's all my fault," she moaned, and shuddered.

"That's bullshit," he said softly, stroking her hair.

"No, it's the truth." Mary sobbed and rested her forehead on his neck. "I fucked it all up."

Jon couldn't help but laugh. "Baby, you and I both know that's a load of shit."

Mary reluctantly pulled herself away from him and took a few steps back. She shook her head, 'No you're right. It was wrong of me to come here. I should go. You need your sleep. I hurt you enough. I'll go...I'm sorry to bother you so late...I'll go.'

She was about to run down the hallway when he grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward him.

Jon pulled her close, searching her face. She looked exhausted, miserable, and scared. Something was underneath it...something he was used to seeing in the mirror. Desperation.

"Why did you come here?" he whispered. He took a deep breath. Did she change her mind about his proposal? Did she want to talk about it?

"Come inside," he murmured, pulling her toward the door.

"But you need your sleep," Mary protested.

He grinned at her. "I'll sleep on the plane tomorrow. C'mon."

Mary took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." She walked past him into his room and wiped her face as he shut the door.

Jon stood in front of the door and watched her. She seemed so much more at ease in regular clothes. Not that she didn't look beautiful in fancy dresses, but this looked more like the Mary he knew. His Mary.

He coughed and ran his hands through his hair. "So...you wanted to talk?"

Mary stood in the middle of his hotel room and looked around. Suitcases were on the floor with clothes piled on top of them. A few empty beer bottles were upon the night table along with empty cigarette boxes. The bed was unmade and empty food containers were littering the floor at her feet.

She smiled wryly. This made her feel oddly comfortable. He was still as messy as ever. He was the same old Jon. The man that she loved with all of her heart.

Jon leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he carefully studied her, wondering what in the hell she was doing here. After she had turned down his proposal he was pretty sure he was never going to see her again. He had truly given up tonight. He thought he had lost her forever. Then she shows up at his hotel room in the middle of the night asking to come in. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know if this was a game or what. He was too tired for games. As she had said, they were too old for this tug of war. He couldn't do this anymore. As much as he loved her, he had enough respect for himself when to say quit.

It took him a hell of a long time to realize that.

'Mary, what are you doing here? No more games.'

She nodded, a small smile forming on her face, 'No more games, Jon.' She ran shaky hands through her hair and took a few deep breaths to gather her courage for what she was about to say, 'Ya really wanna know why I came here tonight?'

Jon nodded his head not saying a word.

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I was sitting in our apartment waiting for David to come back when all I kept thinking is I wish it was you.' She scoffed 'I know that's a shitty thing to say, but ya wanted honesty. I came here tonight because I didn't want to marry David without knowing what it felt like to...belong to you again. Even if it was just for one night.'

She walked over to him and cupped his face in her hands, 'I love you, Jon. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. And that's my problem, not yours. But I couldn't have you leave here without knowing what it felt like to be yours again. I wanna be yours tonight, Jon. If I can't give you forever I can at least give you tonight.'

Mary dropped her hands from his face and took off her engagement ring, putting it into her pocket, 'Tonight I wanna forget that I'm engaged. I wanna forget about obligations and expectations. Tonight here in this room I wanna be Jon and Mary again...as it used to you don't want that, I'll leave and I'll never bother you again. But I just needed to know...that I'm not alone in this. I don't wanna live the rest of my life on old memories. I want to have something beautiful to remember you by. Remember us.'

Jon's expression was unreadable. He stood there not saying a word. She bowed her head, feeling foolish and embarrassed. She truly had blown it. He didn't want her anymore.

Jon stood in shock as he listened to her. She wasn't just looking for a cheap fuck...she wanted him. She loved him.

Part of him bristled at the idea that she knew he couldn't resist her. Another part of him was wondering why she'd do this to the both of them when it was obvious she was going through with her marriage to David.

All that went away when he looked in her eyes and saw the love and desire in them.

He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, moaning when she returned his kiss. She reached up and stroked his hair, pressing herself against him. Reluctantly he pulled away and cupped her cheek.

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

Mary cupped his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes. She didn't hide anything. She wanted him to see how much she loved him, wanted him, needed him. It's always been him. No one else could ever compare. This was the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with and she was giving herself over to someone else. She refused to think about that now. All she wanted was to spend the rest of the night with him in this room and forget about everything except the two of them and the undying love they shared.

She nodded and placed her hand upon his chest, whispering, 'Make love to me, Jon. I want you. Tonight I want it to be like it used to. When it was just us and no one else. Do you remember that?'

Jon nodded and stroked her hair. "I'll never forget us, Mary."

She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes.

"Look at me," he whispered, and smiled when she opened her eyes. "You and me, Mary. Always."

She nodded. "Always."

He led her to the bed and sat down, smiling up at her. "Come here."

Mary crawled into his lap, feeling slightly shy. She gasped when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"Love you so much." Jon kissed her throat and sighed. "So much." He rocked against her, humming when she began moving on top of him. "Love feeling you." Jon slipped his hands under her shirt and unhooked her bra. "Need to feel you."

Mary took off her shirt and bra, throwing it off to the side. He began sucking her left nipple, while tweaking the other with his thumb and forefinger.

He moved to her right breast and flicked his tongue against her hard nipple, grinning when this made her gasp.

"Missed tasting you," he murmured, and began sucking at her again.

Mary grasped the back of his head, gently grasping at his hair as he sucked upon her breast. He cupped them both in his hands and pushed them together as he bit her nipples, soothing the sting with his tongue.

She bit her lip to stifle her moan as she slowly began grinding her crotch against his growing erection, causing him to let out a muffled guttural groan. It reverberated within her chest and she could feel the gush of wetness between her legs that this friction created.

Mary tugged upon his hair, bringing his face up to meet hers as she kissed him hungrily. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. They both moaned aloud as their bare chests connected. It's been so long since they felt their skin against one another's. The feeling was overwhelming, captivating...everything. They knew right in this moment this is how they were meant to be, connected flesh to flesh, soul to soul.

She groaned in frustration, whispering in a ragged breath, 'Need more.'

"Yeah," he moaned, and slid his hand down the front of her pants. His fingers teased her, then moved up to unbutton her fly.

Mary groaned and stood up, quickly removing her jeans and underwear. She couldn't wait anymore. She had to feel him, all of him.

Jon undressed quickly, watching her. He knew she needed to make love, and didn't want a quick fuck, but he was desperate to feel her. As soon as they were both naked he pulled her back in his lap, moaning into her neck as she rolled her hips against his.

Mary gripped his cock and positioned him at her entrance. She leaned up to gain some leverage and stared directly into his eyes as she slowly impaled herself upon him inch by inch, wanting to feel every single bit of him.

Jon's eyes rolled back into his head at the feel of her, finally. He could not believe this was happening. He was pretty sure this was some alcohol induced dream. It definitely would not be the first time he's dreamed of her like this. He knew it couldn't be a dream though. No dream could ever be this good, this real.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she began moving her hips in tantalizingly slow circles. She ground herself against him. He put his hands under her ass, bringing her even closer to him and intensifying the feeling.

Mary drank from his lips, catching his gasps and moans in her mouth. She could feel the burn slowly building in the pit of her belly already, but she fought it off, wanting to make this moment last as long as she could.

She climbed off of him, sighing at the loss of contact. She laid down upon the bed with her legs sprawled out, opening herself to him.

Mary boldly met his eyes, whispering, 'Wanna feel your mouth on me, Jon...please.'

Jon gave her a lazy smile and positioned himself on top of her. He kissed her gently and gazed down at her.

"Do you have any idea how good you taste, baby?" he whispered, sliding his hand from between her breasts down her stomach.

Mary drew in a shaking breath, impatient for his touch.

"I dream about it, Mary." Jon stroked her, sliding his fingers inside of her. "I wake up with your taste in my mouth."

She gasped as he swirled his fingers inside of her, making her even wetter.

"But Mary..." Jon slipped his fingers out and put them in his mouth, moaning at the taste. "Oh, Mary...nothing...nothing beats the real thing." He leaned down and kissed her stomach, moving down until his face was between her legs. "Missed you..." He lapped at her gently, purring when she bucked against him. "Let me enjoy this, baby. Been so long..." He moved back in, licking at her until she was shaking and muttering incoherently. "I'll take care of you," Jon whispered, and placed his mouth over her clit while sliding his fingers back inside her.

"Oh god." Mary whimpered as Jon began licking and sucking at her. "Jon..." She reached down and stroked his hair as he started sucking at her. "God...you're so good to me...love you."

Mary grasped his hair with both of her hands,meshing her fingers in his thick hair as she gently tugged upon the strands. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his mouth upon her. For so long she has dreamt of this. She could not count how many times she stroked herself thinking about his lips, teeth and tongue upon her. Afterwards she felt empty and unsatisfied. He was right. Nothing compared to the real thing. She felt herself floating, tethering upon the precipice of oblivion, but she didn't want to let go just yet. She wanted to hold onto to this excruciating pleasure as long as her body would allow her.

She wrapped her legs around his neck, needing to feel his heated skin upon hers. She moaned, begged and pleaded, mumbling incoherent words. Her mind was fuzzy, every single nerve ending was alive fleshing Goosebumps upon her skin. It felt as if molten lava was coursing through her veins. She forgot how good this felt, how truly good he was at making her lose control.

Mary felt the prickles start at her toes. It slowly made its way up her body, feeling like static electricity. She felt the burning at the base of her spine. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't stop the feeling no matter how hard she tried.

She held onto him, keeping his head in place as she slowly moved her hips, grinding her pussy against his lips. She felt the fire in her belly. Her legs gripped him tighter as she felt her orgasm hitting her like a freight train.

Mary closed her eyes and moaned, whispering, 'I'm coming for you, Jon. Do ya feel it? Only you..only you make me feel like this.'

She let out a choked sob as she began violently shaking. She was so wet she could feel her juices pouring out of her onto his face. He held her hips as he rapidly moved his tongue inside of her, gently biting her clit. He rode it out with her as his teeth gently gnawed upon her outer lips. He moaned into her, intensifying the feeling even more. She cried out, pleading for him to stop. It was too much. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure she was going to die, but he didn't relent. He kept licking, sucking and biting at her. Eating her alive.

Her orgasm hit him like a wave. She shuddered around him in aftershocks as he kept at her, wanting her to feel as much pleasure as he could possibly give her.

"Oh god, oh god...Jon...Jonny..." Mary rode against him as she came again, her body spasming against him.

Jon moaned into her again, relinquishing the feel and taste of her. God, she was perfect. He drank from her, stopping only when she weakly pushed her hands against his forehead.

Mary mumbled incoherently as he sat up and looked at her. She was still spread open for him, glistening wet and shuddering. His cock throbbed at the sight, and he wiped his face on his arm.

"Need to feel you, baby," he murmured, and settled on top of her. "Have to be in you. Been wanting to feel you for so long..." Jon positioned himself at her entrance and stroked his tip against her, waiting for her permission. "I love you, Mary."

Mary nodded and cupped his face in her hands, gasping out, 'Yes, I love you.'

Jon entered her swiftly, groaning aloud at finally being inside her after all this time. He stayed still for a few moments, wanting to savor the moment for as long as he could. She raked her nails down his back and squirmed against him, urging him to move. He slowly began moving inside of her. He swirled his hips, wanting to feel every inch of her walls tightly wrapped around him. He never even pulled out. He wanted to revel in this moment for as long as he could, knowing this would be the only time he would feel her like this again.

He felt tears in his eyes at the sudden realization, but he shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts. He would think about that later when he was alone in bed at night, with only his memories to give him comfort. For now all he wanted was to focus upon the feel of her snugly wrapped around him. Being inside of her at this moment felt so good. Nothing could compare to this moment. She felt so fucking good, she felt like home.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hips along with his perfectly in sync. He grasped her hips, urging her to keep still. He wouldn't be able to last with her moving around like that. He wanted this moment to last as long as it could. He wanted it to last forever.

Mary reached up, grabbing his face and kissing him. She bit and sucked at his lips. He stuck his tongue out and she took it between her teeth to gently suck on it.

She shook her head in frustration. She needed more. This wasn't enough. She needed to feel him deeper.

Mary placed her hands upon his chest and gently pushed him off of her. She turned around with her back facing him and gripped the headboard of the bed.

She looked at him over her shoulder, asking him in a pleading tone, 'Please, Jon. I need...' She didn't even know what she was asking him for. All she knew was that she needed him to be inside of her again.

Jon positioned himself behind her and leaned over her. "You wanna feel me?"

She nodded and shuddered.

"Gotta ask me, baby." He caressed her sides, lightly scratching at her hips. "Wanna hear you say it."

Mary moaned and pushed back against him. "Please...please, Jon, I want to feel you. Need to feel you in me."

He grinned and kissed her in between her shoulders, right at the base of her neck. "Love you forever...gonna show you...gonna show you how much I want you." He slid inside of her, groaning loudly. "God...always gonna want you, baby."

Mary gasped and pushed against him, but he moved his hands to firmly grip her hips, holding her still. He began moving in and out of her, slowly building a deep rhythm.

Mary leaned up slightly and turned her head to kiss him. Their tongues tangled together as he moved inside of her in a

steadfast rhythm. She loved feeling him this way. He was so deep, she felt everything.

She slowly twirled her lips, causing him to falter slightly and let out a long groan.

Mary grinned against his neck and whispered, 'I love you so much, Jon. So much.' She closed her eyes, letting out a satisfied moan, 'Fuck, you feel so good. You're the only one who's ever had me like this, been inside me. '

Jon groaned aloud in response and her words seemed to spur him on for he started moving faster in and out of her.

She wanted, needed to take control. If this was to be the last time they were together she didn't want to miss a beat. She wanted to feel him in every way possible, in every position for as long as time would allow them.

Mary whispered raggedly, 'Lie down, Jon...please.'

He complied with her words and laid back down upon the bed without even leaving her body. She stayed in the same position, slowly riding him reverse cowgirl. She braced her hands upon his strong thighs for support as she slowly moved her body up and down upon him. She clenched her pussy around his cock every time she came back down on him.

Jon gripped her hips as he laid there mumbling incoherently. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. He was so fucking beautiful like this. No one else but her saw him this way. Sure other girls may get the wrestler, but she gets the man. He laid there, letting her take over the reigns, trusting her to take care of him. That's exactly what she was going to do.

"God..." Jon gritted his teeth as Mary rode him. It was total bliss, but he didn't want to come just yet."Baby...fuck...need...need to..."

Mary turned herself around, facing him and resting her hands on his chest. She ground her hips against him, gasping at the feel of him inside of her. "Tell me what you need, baby," she cooed, running her hands over him.

Jon reached down and pulled her off him, sighing as she whimpered in protest. "Wanna taste you some more," he growled, and pulled her up so she was positioned over his face.

Mary had to bite her lip to muffle her scream when she felt his tongue enter her. He moved his tongue in and out of her and bit her clit sucking it between his lips. He held onto her hips, keeping her in place.

She cupped his face in her hands, needing to feel his skin. She gyrated her hips in tantalizingly slow motions to increase the pressure, letting out a long deep moan that sounded like his name. Sweat was pouring off both their bodies from exertion. She ran her fingers through his sweat drenched hair, gently tugging at the strands. She always loved the feel of his tongue inside of her. The things he could do with his tongue alone could make her orgasm more times than she could count. She missed the feel of him this way. She didn't have anyone else to compare it to. Not really anyway. Her prior experience didn't count. Even though she has never been with anyone else, she knew that David would never be able to make her feel this way, for she would never be able to love anyone as much as she loved Jon.

Mary suddenly thought of something. It was something she always wanted to do for him and never got the chance. She knew this would be the last time she would ever have him. She wanted to make sure she got to experience everything she could with him before the night was over.

She slid off his face, causing him to let out an uncharacteristic whimper. She grinned slyly and turned around as she slowly made her way down his body. She poured herself over him like a blanket as she grasped his cock and started licking the tip of it experimentally.

Jon's head snapped back upon the bed and his eyes rolled back into his head as he yelled out, 'Fuck, yes. Please, baby. Always wanted...god..yes...'

Mary wiggled her hips, her glistening sex was right in front She moved herself closer to his face, as if enticing him.

Jon knew exactly what she wanted. He gripped her hips and put his mouth upon her once again, returning the favor.

Jon held her against him as she lowered her mouth on his cock. His eyes rolled with pleasure and he dug his heels into the mattress to keep from thrusting his hips up. He moaned and lapped at her entrance, slipping his tongue inside her when she hummed, the vibrations making him shiver.

The smell and taste of her filled his world as she sucked and licked at him. He couldn't help rolling his hips as she swallowed his precum and purred her approval. He rewarded her by licking and sucking at her clit, which made her moan and suck him even harder. His cock was so hard it almost hurt.

Mary slurped and sucked at him, and Jon squeezed his eyes shut. He was gonna fucking lose it. As much as he loved the idea of coming in her mouth, he wanted to do it inside her while making love. He wanted to see her face while he unloaded into her.

He forced himself to pull away from her and laughed slightly when Mary made a whining protesting noise. Fuck, she was sexy. He pulled her close for a kiss, the two of them moaning at the taste of themselves in each other.

They both fell down upon the bed together with Jon lying on top of her. They kissed for a while, running their hands upon every inch of skin they could reach. They wanted to delay the inevitable as long as possible, knowing this would be the only time they would feel this way again.

Jon swept her sweat soaked hair away from her face and stared down at her. She was so heartbreakingly beautiful it brought tears to his eyes. He knew that he could travel the world ten times over and never find anyone as beautiful as her, regardless if he loved her or not. He thought she was beautiful the first time he laid eyes upon her all those years ago.

Mary smiled softly, looking up at him with so much love and adoration it made him physically tremble.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and whimpered, whispering, 'Please, need to feel you.'

He grinned and slowly entered her.

Jon stared into her eyes as he moved inside her. She was so tight, so wet, so perfect. She gazed up at him in adoration, her eyelids fluttering as he pushed deep into her.

"So in love," he whispered, brushing a lock of her hair from her face. "I'm so in love with you. Always will be, baby. Always."

Tears filled her eyes as he whispered those words to her. She smiled through her tears as she cupped his face, whispering, 'I love you so much, Jon. So much.'

Mary kissed him hungrily, needing to feel as much of him as possible. As he slowly moved inside of her, he placed her legs upon his shoulders to get even deeper, increasing the pleasure. The new position made her feel every bit of him. He took his time, savoring each time he entered her, the feel of his hips colliding with hers.

She could feel her orgasm building. She tried to fight against it, not wanting to give in just yet, but she couldn't stop it. She arched her back and he placed his mouth upon hers swallowing her screams as she bucked against him.

Jon whimpered as she tightened around him. He could feel his own orgasm build inside of him and his thrusts deepened, losing his rhythm.

"Oh god, oh god..." He gasped as Mary came down from her climax, still shuddering around him. She gazed up at him with so much reverence and love that he knew he was gone.

"Mary," Jon whispered, desperate for her to understand, to accept him.

She smiled and held his face in her hands. "Jon...I love you more than anything. You're my world."

He moaned at her words and moved faster, losing himself in her.

"Let me feel it, Jon," Mary whispered, and that was it for him.

His orgasm hit him like a bullet. Jon couldn't help but cry out in utter pleasure as he spurted deep inside her, making her moan and arch up. He gave her everything he had, unable to stop moving even as he collapsed on top of her. Finally he spilled out the last of his seed and moaned in her neck, shivering with aftershocks.

They lay like that for a while, Mary stroking his hair and humming. He felt so loved, so safe...complete. Eventually he slipped out of her but pulled her close, holding her to his chest. She sighed and curled up on top of him, placing her hand over his heart.

He stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "Is there any way...?"

Mary reached up and held a finger against his lips. "Let's just have this moment, Jon."

Jon swallowed hard and turned his face to the wall. "Can't stay here tonight, can you?"

Mary burrowed closer but shook her head.

He sighed again and tightened his grip on her. "Can you stay until I fall asleep? Please?"

Mary nodded, smiling through her tears, 'Of course, I can, baby.'

He rolled over to lie on top of her, his legs tangled with hers. She held his head to her chest and stroked his hair, 'You just go to sleep, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.'

Jon wrapped his arms around her body and let out a satisfied moan. He curled his legs around her, wanting to crawl inside of her and never leave. His eyelids were drooping and he felt exhausted right down to his bones. He didn't want to sleep, for when he woke up he knew that she would be gone, lost to him forever.

Eventually he drifted off, the sound of her heart beating into his ear lulling him to sleep, giving him a solace and comfort he hasn't known since she left him.

She looked down at his shaggy head of hair and smiled sadly. He looked so peaceful, almost like a little boy. She didn't want to leave, but knew she had to. It was getting late and David would start to worry about her. She should feel shame and guilt with what she has done, but in all honesty she felt none. When you love someone as much as she loved Jon, it doesn't feel wrong. In fact, nothing felt more right.

Mary gently untangled herself from him and got dressed. Before she left, she kneeled down next to the bed next to him, just watching him sleep. He was lying face down upon the bed and his hair was falling into his eyes. He was gripping the pillow tightly to his chest and had a small smile upon his face. She was in such a deep sleep he didn't even know she was gone from the bed.

She smiled softly. He was so fucking handsome to her. So beautiful inside and out. Tears filled her eyes as she came to the realization this would be the last time she would see him like this ever again.

Mary leaned down and swept the hair away from his eyes and kissed his cheek whispering, 'Goodbye, Jon. I'll love you, forever.'

She took a few more moments to stay there and look at him, wanting to etch every single detail of him into her memory. As if she could ever forget. She could be old and senile and would never forget him.

Reluctantly, she got up off the floor and made her way out the door. She looked over at him one last time, hoping and praying that he would never forget her and the love they shared.

Mary felt her tears coming at full force and quickly left his room, not wanting to wake him up with her cries. She was sobbing as she made her way down the hallway.

She doesn't even remember how she made it back to her apartment. The last thing she could remember was looking upon the face of the man she loved and leaving him forever.

Thankfully, David was sleeping when she got back. She changed into her pajamas, not wanting to get a shower just yet. She didn't want to wash the smell of him off of her. She wanted his scent wrapped up in her, keeping her warm and making her feel safe.

Mary snuck into the bed, making sure she was careful not to wake him. She cringed as she felt him slightly stirring beside her.

David rolled over and yawned. He was still half asleep as he asked her groggily, 'Hey, ya have fun with Kat?'

She forced a smile and nodded, 'Yeah.'

David smiled lazily and nodded, 'Good.' He cupped her cheek and then rolled back over , falling back asleep.

Mary lie in bed with her back to him. She clutched her stomach and bit her pillow to muffle her sobs. She closed her eyes, wishing the man lying next to her was Jon.

Jon didn't remember falling asleep, but he woke to the jarring sound of his hotel phone ringing. He lifted his head and blinked, seeing that he'd been holding his pillow instead of the woman he loved.

He was alone.

With a groan Jon reached over and picked up the phone. "Yeah?" he muttered, wiping at his eyes.

"This is your wake up call, sir."

Jon looked around the empty hotel room, his gaze settling on his desk where tonight's itinerary lay waiting. He couldn't lay around feeling sorry for himself. He had to get up and keep living.

"Got it, thanks." Jon hung up and with a deep sigh, got out of bed.

When Mary awoke she blinked her eyes a few times and let out a shaky sigh. For a split second she thought she was still in Jon's hotel room, lying in bed with him. Tears filled her eyes at the realization she was back in her expensive Manhattan apartment with David. Reality cruelly reminding her that this would be the first day in which she would live the rest of her life without him.

She slowly sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She sat there for a few moments to get her bearings and bowed her head and sighed laboriously. She could still smell his distinctive scent upon her skin. His cologne, aftershave and a musky masculine scent that was uniquely his own. She had to get a shower quickly before David got back. He wasn't stupid. As soon as he got near her he would know. A small part of herself wanted to just stay this way, letting him discover the harsh truth on his own. It would be her escape, the out she so desperately wanted, but she couldn't do that to him. She had made a promise to him and she was going to live by it, whether it killed her or not.

After her shower she got dressed into her stylish and uncomfortable clothes and was just about to head out the door to meet Kat for brunch when David walked in.

Mary took a deep breath and smiled sweetly, 'Hi.'

David had a warm smile upon his face as he walked up to her, giving her a kiss upon the cheek, 'Hi, sweetheart. Sorry I didn't leave a note. There was an emergency at the hospital and they needed me.'

She nodded, 'That's alright. Is everything okay?'

He nodded, smiling, 'It is now. So, you got in pretty late last night.'

Mary tried to keep her breathing under control, not wanting to give herself away, 'Yeah, you know Kat. Always looking for a good time.'

David chuckled, 'I do.'

She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for lying to him. He was such a good hearted guy that he believed her. Maybe she didn't deserve either of them. Maybe she was truly meant to miserable and alone. Many would say she was wrong in what she was doing and maybe she is, but she looked in her heart to find shame and there was none. Last night was something she needed to sustain her for the rest of her life. It was something she could look back upon and relive over and over when the loneliness and heartbreak of losing him was too much.

David broke her train of thought by saying, 'A colleague of mine asked me if we wanted to have dinner with him and his wife tonight. Would you like to go?'

Mary's eyes widened. How the hell could she answer that? She had every intention of staying home tonight and watching Jon's debut match. She had already ordered the Pay Per View event and planned on watching it alone that evening. It was something she has been looking forward to ever since he came on television.

She shook her head, 'Oh, honey I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a little under the weather. I think it was all that excitement last night. If you don't mind I think I'm going to stay in tonight.'

David's face became etched with concern, 'You okay?'

Mary nodded, smiling, 'Yes, just feel a little tired, but you go on without me. I would hate for you to miss out on having a good time because of me.'

'Ya sure? I could stay here with you"

She shook her head, 'No, I insist. Really. I'm probably just go over some last minute preparations for the wedding and go to bed early. Really, just go.'

David smiled, 'Well, all right.' He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear, 'I love you, Mary.'

Mary closed her eyes and smiled bitterly, not having it in her heart to say it back.

Things were usually crazy backstage, but it was a fucking circus at the Barclays Center. Everyone was running around, lost in their own mind as they prepared for that evening. Jon felt like he was in a daze. He couldn't believe he was going to have a match that night - and that his team was going to win.

He found a moment to grab a snack with Daniel Bryan, who kept giving him one of his knowing smirks. Jon raised his eyebrows at him until Daniel laughed and shook his head.

"Have you been meditating?"

Jon nearly choked on his water. "What? Fuck. No!"

Daniel's smile grew. "You seem...at peace. It's unusual."

Jon shrugged and smiled. He could still feel Mary's presence all around him, and it calmed him. Sure, he was nervous as fuck and panic escalated the closer they got to show time, but he kept thinking of their night together. The fact that she didn't leave David for him hadn't really sunk in yet, or he wasn't letting it - not like he could, not now - but she loved him. She knew he loved her.

Things might work out.

"So I'm guessing you had fun last night. You mentioned catching up with old friends?" Daniel gave him a cautious look. He knew a bit about Mary, but not the whole story.

Jon bit back a grin and nodded. "I had a good time, yeah. Things went well."

Daniel snorted and began laughing. "Holy shit. I never fucking thought I'd ever hear Jon Moxley use a euphemism."

That got them cracking up to the point that Dolph Ziggler came by to tell them that they sounded like high school hyena bitches, which only made them laugh harder.

Mary was lying in bed as she patiently awaited his match. Thankfully, David had gone out a half hour before the show started, giving her enough time to settle in and prepare herself.

She didn't move from her spot once, not wanting to miss anything in case they showed a promo of The Shield or an interview. She watched the beginning of the show with slight interest. Sure, she liked wrestling enough, but that's not why she was watching it. There was only one person she cared about seeing.

Surprisingly, his match came on about forty five minutes into the show. Her eyes widened and were glued to the screen as she heard heavy metal instrumental music blaring in the arena. It amused her to hear the music. It sounded like the kind of music Jon would listen to when they were kids just driving around in his car. She bet he loved the music. It was so badass.

Tears of happiness and pride filled her eyes as she watched him walk down the stairs. He looked so fucking handsome. He walked down the steps through the crowd with swaggered confidence and assurance. He looked as if he owned it. He had his head bowed and his hands were balled into tight fists in front of him.

She shook her head in disbelief, unable to believe this was actually happening for him. Then again, she had not a doubt in her mind he would achieve everything he set out to do. Her only thought in this moment was that she wished she could have been apart of it. If she hadn't fucked up her life so much she could be there right now sharing this moment with him instead of sitting alone in her bed watching it on television.

Mary could also not help but notice how nervous he looked. Of course, everyone in the crowd would think he was being his typical unhinged self, but she knew the real him. She could tell just by looking at him how nervous he was. This was everything he has ever dreamed of. This is all he wanted to do ever since she has known him. It's most likely sinking in for him that this was it, he had finally made it. Tears ran down her face and she said a silent prayer for him, hoping everything would turn out well. She had not a doubt in her mind it would. Jon could always handle himself best under pressure. He was going to blow the fucking roof off that place, she knew it.

Mary watched the entire match in awe. He handled himself so well. She gasped aloud in horror when the monster house wrestler known as Ryback flipped him over onto a table. She knew it was fake, but it still made her nervous. She always hated to see him get hurt, fake or otherwise. She chuckled by how well he sold the bump he took. The look upon his face was comical. Yeah, he may have overdone it a bit, but if you got flipped onto a table, that's exactly what your reaction would be.

She almost had a heart attack when he did a double suplex with another member of The Shield off the top rope. The two of them were standing upon a table and flipped their opponent off the top rope. She jumped up in her bed with wide eyes as she watched the moment, hoping everything would turn out well. She sighed in relief when it went flawlessly. She clapped her hands, silently celebrating to herself. Tears filled her eyes once again. She was so damn proud of him.

The entire match was chaotic, making it difficult for to keep track of it all. Everything was happening so fast, but she tried to follow as best she could. In all honesty, she was solely focused upon Jon. She could care less what the other wrestlers were doing to one another.

Mary watched as the bigger muscled member of The Shield whose name was Roman flipped his opponent onto a chair, pinning him for the three count, giving The Shield the victory. Her eyes widened and she sat back in her bed in astonishment. She could not believe they won. They won the fucking match. He did it. He was officially a fucking WWE main eventer.

She covered her mouth as she sobbed tears of joy. She screamed out in excitement and clapped. She jumped out of her bed and threw her fist into the air. If anyone would to look into her window they would think she's a crazy person, but she could care less. She was so happy for him. She wished more than anything she could call and congratulate him, but she didn't know what to say.

Mary picked up her cellular phone and looked at it, debating if she should reach out to him. She knew he would most likely be busy and wouldn't see her calling him. But she would never be able to live with herself if she didn't give him kudos for what he had done. His words in the garden reverberated through her mind. He was still bitter about her not congratulating him for signing with the WWE. She could not make that same mistake again.

Her decision made, she went into her list of contacts and found his name. She took a few moments of deliberation thinking about what she wanted to say. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and hurt him all over again.

So, she said exactly what she was feeling in that moment, 'CONGRATS, JON. YOU WERE WONDERFUL. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! LOVE MARY.'

Mary looked down at the phone in her hand and read the text a million times, debating if she should send it. She smiled softly and pushed the send button before she had chance to change her mind.

She opened her laptop and went on Twitter to see what everyone was saying about the match. The Shield along with himself and the other members were trending worldwide. Everyone was talking about how awesome it was. She saw his ring name, Dean Ambrose over a million times each and every single time she scrolled down. She looked at the screen and smiled.

Jon was now officially a star

"Holy shit, holy shit. Okay." Seth was literally bouncing next to Jon as they waited for their music to hit. Jon was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

The call letters sounded out and Seth clapped Jon on the back. "Let's fucking do this!"

Jon nodded, too anxious to speak.

They made their way through the crowd down the ring, Jon's heart pounding in his ears. He kept his head down, wanting to stay focused.

In truth he was nervous as hell. Once he got in the ring, he knew it would be okay, but until then he was feeling like he was going to explode.

Sure enough, once he got out there, everything went great. No one botched anything, and the crowd was loving it. Seth, the crazy bastard, took a bump that guaranteed him a spot on the highlight reel, and Roman got the pin, but Jon felt like the match belonged to him. He couldn't help but ask Roman for a high five as they made their way up the ramp, he was so excited. Seth sold his injury like a champ and looked dazed as Jon leaned in for a hug.

"You okay?" Jon whispered, knowing the camera couldn't pick up his voice.

Seth nodded slightly but slipped to make it look like he was hanging on by a thread.

Backstage everybody was congratulating them, and when their opponents made it backstage, they gave them congratulatory hugs and pats on the back. "You guys were fucking great," Kane told them, which meant so much from a veteran like him.

They got checked by medical staff and then went to shower and change. The three of them were so high off the experience that they kept laughing like kids.

The rest of the night was a blur. Everyone was exhausted and they had Raw the next day, so they went back to their hotel rooms to get some rest. Seth and Roman were on their phones, sending tweets and checking messages from loved ones. Jon felt self-conscious but took out his phone while sharing an elevator with them. He'd gotten a lot of

messages, but there was only one person he wanted to hear from.

When he saw a message from Mary he nearly gasped in shock. He must have had an odd look on his face because the guys asked him if he was okay.

Jon managed to nod. "Yeah, just...got a message from an old friend." He smiled and put his phone away. He wanted to read her message in private, even if it was something short.

Once he got changed and lay in bed, Jon reached for his phone and clicked on Mary's message. His breath caught in his throat as he read it, feeling the love behind her words.

She loved him. She did.

Jon grinned and held his phone against his lips. He wanted to call her, just to hear her voice.

But then, she might not be alone...

He shook his head. Tonight wasn't the night for feeling shitty about anything. He loved Mary and she loved him. They'd work something out. They would. They had to.

"Love you too, baby," he whispered, and settled under the sheets, imagining her body curled around his.


	21. Chapter 21

It has been over three weeks and Mary has not seen or heard from Jon since that night. She had thought about calling him a few times, but just never knew what to say. She figured they had said and done enough. What more was there to be said between them?

He is never far from her thoughts. In fact, he is all she thinks about at times. She has difficult time focusing on tasks at work. She walks down the street and swears she sees him in the crowd. Fuck, she even found herself following a guy with his height, build and hair color, only to be embarrassed and ashamed to see she had been foolish to follow a guy for three blocks that was obviously not him.

Mary looks forward to every Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. It is the only time she can see him. She especially likes to watch Raw. It's live so she feels as if she is seeing him as he is in real time. She sits there, eyes glued to the screen when he makes his presence known. Every single time she sees him he takes her breath away. Every time he is on screen, her heart skips a beat and she gets Goosebumps. She especially loves when he cuts those promos with the other members of his faction. The self shot renegade style of the promos is right up his alley. He looked so self assured and confident. He seemed to really be taking care of himself. He looked well rested, in shape and...happy. He really seemed to be enjoying himself, not that she could blame him. He was having the time of his life doing what he loved and has been dreaming about doing since he was a kid.

There was a small part of her that was hoping to see just a spark of that sadness she sees in her eyes every time she looks in the mirror. That vacant and lost look, but it wasn't there. He really seemed to be doing fine without her.

She was so proud of everything he has accomplished. After his faction won their TLC match everything changed for him. She was not ashamed to admit she followed his progress on the internet. He had a growing fanbase, especially with the women. They loved him. Not that she could blame them, but they didn't love him like she did. They loved Dean Ambrose, the sexy and crazy leader of The Shield. They loved his eccentric persona. She loved the man, Jonathan Good. The man she has loved ever since she was fourteen years old.

Mary would like to tell you that she married David and lived happily ever after, but she would be lying to you. After her night with Jon it put things into perspective for her. Life was too short to settle. You had to go out and take what you want and do what makes you happy, regardless of the circumstances.

Just a week before the wedding she had told him she could not marry him. She just didn't feel as if it was the right thing to do. David was such a good man. He deserved a woman whom loved him, not someone else. It wouldn't be fair to either of them if she stayed. He was sad, but understood. She didn't even have to tell him the reason why. He had a sad smile upon his face and told her he always knew he would lose her to Jon. He knew that night in the garden when he came upon them. He kissed her upon the cheek and told her good luck, that he was surprised it took her this long to figure out. She had felt such immense guilt for what she had done to David, but it also felt as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She was free now. She could finally be with Jon without any insurmountable obstacles to overcome. They could love without fear or consequence.

She had called him that night to tell him the good news.

As soon as she broke it off with David, she started living at Kat's house in New Jersey before she found a new apartment. Kat was rarely home and was always traveling on business so it was as if she were staying there by herself. That night she was so excited and anxious. She could not wait to call him and tell him the good news. He would be so happy, just as she would be...forever.

Mary was sitting in Kat's spare bedroom with all of her suitcases upon the floor filled with her meager belongings. She stared at his number, taking a few deep breaths in order to get her frayed nerves under control. She pushed the call button and had a wide smile upon her face as she heard the ringing upon the other end. Her heart stopped when she heard the distinctive click upon the other end.

'Hello?'

Mary froze. That wasn't Jon's voice. It was a woman's, and with a heavy British accent.

'Hello? Who is this?' The woman sounded irritated.

She shook her head in disbelief, thinking for a moment she dialed the wrong number. Maybe he had changed it, but she knew very well this was still his number. This was his phone and someone else was answering it, another woman.

The woman on the other end kept calling out, 'hello', but she quickly hung up the phone, not having the bravery to say anything. Besides, what was there to say? She knew enough.

She immediately hung up and threw her cellphone on the bed as she cried. She knew there was something between them. No woman answers a man's phone in the middle of the night unless they're in bed with them. She had spent the entire night crying until she eventually fell asleep due to exhaustion. She felt some anger toward him, wondering how he could easily go to bed with another woman after telling her how much he loved and needed her, but she knew what he was doing. He was just trying to do what she asked...be happy. If that woman made him happy then she would respect that. It's what he deserved. He deserved someone who would love and care for him. Someone who would appreciate all the wonderful things he had to offer. She so desperately wanted to be that woman, but he had found someone to take her place.

The moment she had been dreading ever since she left him that night had finally come. He had moved on...without her. She did not blame him. He had thought she was married after all. He was just trying to be happy, but it still hurt her all the same. She had ruined everything all because she couldn't make up her mind.

Now here she was all alone with no one. Maybe it's exactly what she deserved given all she had done. She hurt a lot of people, herself most of all. But if she couldn't have Jon, she didn't want anyone. Where does that leave her now?

Things got even crazier after TLC. Everyone wanted a piece of them, wanted more of The Shield. It was exhilarating and terrifying; they had to be careful where they went as they were sometimes followed, but on the other hand there were definite perks to having moved up a few notches. It wasn't just the money, although it was nice to not have to

worry about paying bills; it was seeing the respect from the guys in the back. People like Triple H and Jerry Lawler would nod at them in the halls, and when they got to meet Ric Flair...that just blew Jon's mind. Plus he got to square off against him in the ring for a few moments, something he never thought he'd get to do. It completely blew his mind, and he ended up watching the footage online about a hundred times that night, feeling downright giddy.

In the meantime, the powers that be still had The Shield dropping in on NXT as Seth had never lost his title. That was cool, as the NXT guys now looked up to them, but Jon hardly felt like a veteran yet. Still, it was fun. Jon had noticed Paige eyeing him a few times, which was cool as she was sort of going for that anti-diva wrestler thing.

After one show, he invited her out for drinks, but panicked when she agreed, as he had assumed she was going to roll her eyes at him and stomp off. She kinda seemed like the type that would do that. Plus Jon felt almost like he was cheating on Mary, which was stupid since she'd made it clear that she wasn't going to leave David. Still, it felt weird.

Jon wasn't too used to relationships, but he didn't want Paige thinking that they were going to do anything long term. He still had hope that he and Mary would figure something out. There was no way that two people in love as they were couldn't make things work.

But then, Mary had told him to move on, so Jon figured he'd try.

Paige was funny, beautiful, and smart, but she was no Mary. He tried not to compare them, but he couldn't help it. Things got physical pretty quickly between them, but there wasn't a connection like there had been with Mary. Paige could sense it, and Jon often caught her giving him a distrusting stare.

One night Jon went out with Seth and Roman, telling Paige they were going to work on promo ideas, but in reality they were going to shoot pool and catch a movie. Jon felt pathetic for avoiding his sort-of girlfriend, but he figured he didn't have too long until he'd have to tell her about Mary. He doubted Paige would be okay with him admitting to being in love with another woman. A married woman, for that matter.

He knew shit hit the fan when he got to the hotel and she threw his phone at him. "You got a phone call," she announced, her voice flat.

Jon frowned. He'd realized that he'd left his phone at the hotel once he was out, but didn't see the point in going back to get it. "So?"

"So, the person didn't seem to want to talk to me."

He snorted. "No shit, if you answered my phone. Why would you answer my phone?" Paige didn't seem like the jealous type at all. He'd eye the other NXT girls (sometimes he couldn't help it, he was a fucking guy) and she wouldn't care. Still, something obviously got her all worked up.

"Well, I didn't know if it was you. The number came up as 'Ambrose'."

Jon froze. He'd changed Mary's name in his phone before he'd gone to her engagement party as it hurt just to look at her name. "She called?" he asked numbly.

Paige raised an eyebrow. "Who's 'she'? I doubt that was your mom calling."

He sighed. "No, it wasn't."

She nodded and sat on the bed. "So, what's going on here? Look, I'm not looking to get married here. I just want to know where I stand. I gotta be honest with you, I feel like I'm wasting my time with you."

Jon nodded. "Fair enough." He cleared his throat. "Did she say anything?"

Paige laughed. "You didn't answer my question. Who is 'she'?"

Damn. Jon sighed and pulled up a chair, facing her. "Okay. You're right. I should tell you the truth."

He told Paige nearly everything about Mary, feeling like he owed her. Luckily Paige looked more and more relieved as he explained things, and when he was done she exhaled and stood up. "That explains a LOT, Jon." She laughed softly and shook her head. "You know, I'm glad? I thought I was imagining things."

Jon slowly got to his feet. "You're not mad?"

She shrugged. "I wish you had been honest from day one, but nah. Like I said, I'm not looking to get married. And it's not like I'm hopelessly in love with you." Paige looked into his eyes. "But I'm guessing she is."

Jon smiled and nodded. "At least, she was."

Paige rolled her eyes. "She still is, you tossing idiot. No woman calls a man she declared her love to recently to discuss the weather. Now," Paige stepped forward and poked her finger into Jon's chest. "...you need to be a real man and go after her. No more of this ridiculous self-pitying shit. And don't try to replace her again! Christ." She lightly smacked his arm and walked past him. "I'm going to get another room, as staying here would just be odd for both of us."

He cringed. "Sorry..."

"There you go apologizing again. You've hardly broken my heart, dear boy. Besides..." Paige smiled to herself as she gathered her things, "...it's very possible you're not the only one who's been keeping things hidden."

Jon smirked at that. He'd heard rumors that Paige had a thing for Wade Barrett and had caught them speaking rather closely a few times. "I guess it all works out."

"I suppose so." Paige hoisted her bags on her shoulder and waved him away when he tried to help her. "Call her, Jon. Stop wasting everyone's time and get your shit together." She smiled and closed the door behind her, effectively ending things between them.

Jon waited a few seconds before grabbing his phone and dialing Mary's number, but he didn't get an answer and she'd turned her voicemail off. He kept trying, but couldn't get through to her, and fell asleep with the phone clutched in his hand.

Mary was lying in bed staring mindlessly up at the has spent almost the entire night sobbing into her pillow while in a fetal position. She has never known pain like this before. It felt as if someone had ripped her heart out. Maybe that's because it's exactly what happened. She is tossing and turning watching the hours pass by on the clock by her bedside needed to get at least some had work in three hours and needed a clear 's been messing up at work lately from not being had to get her shit together and move obviously had,but she didn't want to move on without him.

She was just about to close her eyes and fall asleep when she heard the distinct sound of her phone vibrating on the shook her head in bafflement,wondering who could be calling her at three in the picked up her phone and gasped aloud when she saw who called her.

Jon's number flashed on her phone over three times.

She shook her head in disbelief, wondering if she should call him had to wonder what the hell he was doing calling her so late. She thought about ignoring it, but thought maybe he was in trouble. This was Jon here and it was also in the middle of the night. It could be anything.

Mary took a deep breath and dialed his number. After a few rings, she heard his distinctive raspy voice upon the other end.

She closed her eyes and smiled softly. It felt good to hear his voice after all this time.

'Jon, it's me.'

Jon sat up and wiped at his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was still dreaming, but if he actually got a hold of her...

"Mary?" He gripped the phone tight.

"It's me." She sounded strange, like she was distracted. It was late, but there was something about her tone that gave him a chill. "You've been calling me."

"Yeah. I, uh...you called me before. I wasn't here."

"I know." Her voice was even, almost cold.

Jon gritted his teeth. Shit. She must have heard Paige and thought...oh god. "Let me explain..."

"Jon, there's no need. I told you to move on, and you obviously did. It's okay."

"No! No, I didn't." Jon's heart started pounding. "Mary, please listen..."

Mary leaned back in bed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. She could hang up right now and never talk to him again. It would be that easy, but not for her. She wasn't that immature little girl anymore who didn't understand reason or logic. She was a sensible twenty-four year old woman who had her own career and her entire life ahead of her, hopefully with Jon. She wasn't going to run away from him, not anymore.

She sighed into the phone, 'Okay, Jon...I'll listen...'

Jon sat up, his head spinning. "Okay, here's the truth. I've been kind of seeing someone..."

Mary sighed into the phone. "Jon..."

"But it's over. It's over, Mary. It was never anything important. I never really wanted her. It was just...I don't know. I'm sorry. You're the one I love, Mary, and I know I shouldn't say that, 'cause you have David, but I love you. I keep thinking about that night and I want to see you again. We can't just have that one night. We love each other. I need you, Mary." Jon clenched his jaw and punched the mattress in frustration. He was babbling like an idiot. "I'm telling you the truth, Mary, I swear."

Mary closed her eyes and smiled through her tears. This is all she's ever wanted, needed and dreamed of ever since she met him. Ever since she was a young girl she always knew this was someone who was going to have a monumental impact on her life. She didn't know how at first, but as the years progressed she realized this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. There was nothing holding them back, not anymore.

She smiled, 'I believe you, Jon.' She sighed, 'There's a reason why I called you so late. I told David I couldn't marry him. I'm not marrying him, Jon.' She laughed as tears fell from her eyes, 'I'm not marrying him cause I love you.'

Jon clamped his hand over his mouth. For a horrible moment he thought he'd imagined her saying what he'd been aching to hear from her. He drew in a shaking breath and exhaled. "Mary...are you serious?"

"Yes." She laughed and sniffled. "Yes, I love you. I didn't want to be another man's wife when I love you and want you."

Tears fell from his eyes as his entire body began shaking. "Jesus..." Jon bit at his knuckles to keep from sobbing into the phone. "Where...where are you?"

Mary let out a shaky sigh, 'I'm staying with Kat In Union City, New Jersey' She scoffed, 'I'm sort of homeless right now.'

She could hear him crying softly on the other end of the phone, but this time neither of them were crying tears of sadness. These were tears of joy. For the first time since they've known one another they weren't causing one another sadness or anguish. They were happy. For once in their godforsaken lives they were truly happy.

'Where are you?" She asked him.

Jon rubbed his eyes. "I'm in Tampa, Florida." He punched the mattress again. They'd finally gotten to this point and they were so far away.

"What's your schedule like?" Mary stayed focused, which made him smile. She was the anchor in his life; she always would be.

He took a deep breath. "We're staying in Florida for Raw and Smackdown...next week it's Texas. I can fly there, though, it's not like it's an all week thing..."

Mary laughed softly. "How about I meet you there?"

Jon blinked. "You wanna fly out here?"

"Florida, Texas, the fucking moon for all I care...I have to see you, Jon."

He beamed and began laughing. "God, you have no idea...I've been wanting to hear that for so long, Mary."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'And I've been wanting you for so long, Jon.' she sighed, 'God, I'm so sorry for putting you through that. I really am. I should have left with you that night.'

Jon sighed, 'It doesn't matter, baby. All that matters is that you're mine.' He chuckled, 'Shit, you're fucking mine.'

She laughed softly, 'Damn right I am, Jon.' She sobered up, asking him in a serious tone, 'What happens when I get there, Jon? Where do we go from here?'

Mary hated to ruin the perfect moment, but she wanted to be realistic. She didn't want to get her hopes up only for them to be dashed. They've had to deal with so much bullshit to get to this point and she wanted to be prepared. She didn't want anything to stand between them, not anymore.

Jon frowned. "What...what do you mean? We love each other..." He hated to admit it, but her question confused him. What was left to figure out? They'd been through everything together and now they could finally move forward.

Mary heard the sadness in his tone and regretted her words. She sighed, 'Jon, I'm sorry, I'm just scared is all. I don't wanna lose you again.' She whispered, 'You're all I have.'

Jon couldn't help but laugh. "Baby, you could never lose me. You never did. God, Mary, I've loved you for so long...you don't even know."

She smiled through her tears, 'I've loved you forever it feels like.' She leaned back in the bed and let out a contented sigh as she closed her eyes, 'I just wanna let you know. David and I...still never...you were the only one, Jon. You're going to be the only one who has me like that. You're the only one I ever wanted like that. I just wanted to let you know . '

Jon couldn't help but grin at that. Yeah, part of it was his male ego, but knowing that he'd been the only one she ever trusted with her body...it made him feel so honored. "I'm so in love with you, baby," he murmured. "I can't stop thinking about our night together. I still felt you with me the next day." He hummed at the memory and nestled against the pillows. "You felt so perfect. I was so afraid it would be the last time I'd get to touch you."

Mary rested her cheek against the phone, focusing on his deep ragged breath. She smiled lazily and leaned further into the mattress to get comfortable, 'It wasn't the last time, Jon. You're going to touch me all the time.' She let out a throaty laugh, 'You might get tired of me.' She sighed, whispering into the phone, 'I still remember too. It's all I think about sometimes.'

Jon licked his lips. "I'll never get tired of touching you, baby," he murmured. "God, I can't wait to touch you again. I'll never be able to get enough of you." He drew in a shaking breath. "You felt so good, baby...everything about you is perfect."

She felt the wetness between her legs at the sound of his heated words. She rubbed her legs together to soothe the ache, but it only intensified the feeling even more. She heard his heavy breathing on the other end of the phone and knew he was feeling exactly what she was in this moment.

Mary let out a breathy sigh into the phone and she whispered, 'Jon...' She hoped he knew what she was asking.

She needed something tangible, something real to let her know this wasn't a dream where she woke up sweaty and shaking. She needed something to sustain her while she waited to finally be with him.

He grinned. God, they were so in sync. "I think about that night all the damn time, baby. Best night of my life. I love the taste of you baby. And god, you're so perfect when I'm inside you...I feel _everything_, baby." Jon shivered, reaching down into his boxers to start stroking himself. "Tell me how it feels when I taste you, baby, when I'm inside you. I wanna hear you tell me how good it feels."

Mary groaned into the phone. She was touching herself lazily, circling her entrance in slow lazy strokes, 'It feels so good, Jon. So good. I feel like you're gonna eat me alive, tear me apart. I get so wet thinking about it. I love when you're mouth is on me, Jon. When you're inside me it feels like you belong there...no one else. '

She has never been so uninhibited in her words with him before. Fuck, she's never lost control like this ever, but shit she needed this. Maybe more than he did. She needed him.

He hummed, squeezing himself. "That's right, baby. I'm the only one who belongs there. You miss the feel of my face between your legs, don't you? God, I loved that...the smell of you, the taste of you. Feeling you getting wet for me. Getting ready to get fucked." He grinned, moving the phone closer to his mouth. "And you did get fucked, didn't you, baby?"

Mary groaned aloud at his words and added another finger inside of her as she pinched her clit between her fingers.

She moaned into the phone, whispering his name.

'Spit on your hand, Jon and touch yourself. Think about my mouth on you.' She groaned just thinking about it, 'God, you tasted so good. I couldn't even fit all of you inside my mouth you were so big for me. I wanna hear you do it, baby. Do it for me.'

"Jesus fuck," Jon whispered, and quickly followed her instructions, making himself shiver. "God, I'm so hard right now...want your mouth on me...felt so good, baby..." He shuddered as he tried to make his strokes match the sensation of her mouth around him. "Mary...oh god, Mary, your tongue on me...fuck, I almost came from feeling you suck on me. I wanna feel that again, baby. I wanna come in your mouth and feel you swallow me down."

Mary grinned. She loved hearing him like this. She felt a satisfaction in knowing she was the only one who could make him lose control like this. She was going to be the only one.

She added another finger inside of her and rubbed her clit with her thumb, focusing on the swollen bundle of nerves. She thrashed her head from side to side as she shoved her fingers deeply inside of her before slowly pulling them back out. She repeated this action a few times, working herself into a frenzy.

Mary let out a guttural groan into the phone, 'I'm gonna give that to you, Jon. I'm gonna give you everything. I'm yours.' She sighed, 'God, I'm so fucking wet for you right now it's dripping down my legs. I want you to lick it off me...so bad.'

Mary doesn't know where this was coming from. She's never been like this before. So free and wanton. She was at the point of not caring anymore. She just wanted 's all she ever wanted.

"I'm gonna do that real soon, baby," Jon growled. "You're gonna ride my face, baby, and I'm gonna suck your clit 'til you scream. Remember the first time I did that? I had to hold on to you, you fucking rode my face so hard. Fucking loved it, baby, and I'm going to do it until you beg me to stop. And then I'll suck harder." Jon shoved two of his fingers in his mouth and groaned, remembering the taste of her. He pulled his fingers out and tightened his hold on himself. "Know what I love, Mary? I love having the taste of your pussy in my mouth when I fuck you. My cock gets so deep in you, baby, and I can tell you love it. Get so tight around me when you come, so fucking wet. Can you feel it, baby? You feel me in you right now?"

Mary whimpered into the phone as she moved her fingers and out of herself at a rapid pace. She was gasping into the phone, mumbling his name over and over as if it were a mantra, 'Yes, I do. Fuck you feel so good inside me, Jon. You're so fucking big, so hard. It felt like you were gonna break me in half. I love it when you take me from behind. I can feel you so deep. Love it when you take me from behind and finger fuck me, baby. Feels so good. You feel so good.'

"Want you to come, Mary," Jon breathed into the phone. "Want you to come and feel yourself squeeze me. Feels so damn good when I make you come...fuck, you squeeze me so tight...come on my cock, let yourself feel it."

Mary groaned in frustration and rolled onto her stomach. She gasped into the phone, whispering in a ragged breath, 'I'm on my stomach, baby. I'm riding my fist wishing I was riding you. God, you feel so good...so good.' She tightly closed her eyes as tears slipped out. She could feel her orgasm creeping upon her. She let out a choked sob and saw stars as she screamed into the phone, 'Fuck, baby. I'm coming. I'm coming for you. Do you feel it, baby?"

Jon moaned and thrashed on the bed. "God yes...god, I feel you...I'm so damn hard, Mary, I'm fucking dripping all over the place...god, need to be in you...need you to be full of me, want you so full of my come that it drips out of you...and fuck, oh fuck after I'm done filling you up, I'm gonna lick my come out of you."

Mary felt another orgasm ripping through her at the sound of his words. She whimpered into the phone, whispering raggedly, 'Come for me, Jon. Come for your girl. God, I'm coming again.' She gasped aloud, 'God, I'm coming so hard. Come with me...please. I wanna hear you say my name when you come.'

"Oh god, yes...Mary...Oh fuck...god, Mary, I love you...fuck!" Jon's whole body seized and thrashed as he came. His back arched into his hand as his orgasm tore through him, so intense it fucking hurt. He gasped for air as he collapsed on the bed, still leaking and shuddering. "God...oh god...I love you, Mary...love you...love you so much."

Mary listened to him on the other end of the phone and smiled lazily. He sounded so fucking sexy she wanted to hop on the next plane and be with him.

She took a few moments to gather her bearings, as did he. Her breathing was erratic and sweat was dripping off of her, but she didn't care. She's never felt happier than in this moment.

Mary rolled onto her back and stretched her muscles, letting out a contented sigh. She whispered, 'Hey, you okay?"

"Mmmhmm." Jon sighed as he rested his head against a pillow. "Love you so much. When can I see you, baby?"

Mary smiled softly and got under the covers, 'And I love you, Jon. So much. So much.' She sighed, 'I have to let my work know I'm taking off, but they won't mind. I haven't missed a day since I've been there.' She chuckled, 'If they have a problem they can kiss my ass cause there's nothing standing in the way of letting me see you. Not anymore. Whenever you want me, I'm there.'

Jon took a deep breath. "Mary...I want you to know that I'm not the same guy. I mean, I'm still me, but I don't...I don't want you to think I'm the kind of guy who would humiliate you. Not again. And you'll never have to worry about me with another girl. I won't hurt you again, Mary. I can't take losing you. I did once and it almost killed me, so I'm promising you that I won't be that guy anymore." He closed his eyes and forced himself to continue. "I know it's kind of weird for me to say that now, but I need for you to know that you don't have to be scared of me fucking things up."

Tears filled her eyes as she listened to his words. These are the words she's been dreaming about hearing from his mouth ever since that fateful night she found him with another girl. She knew what he was saying. He was making a vow to her tonight. He was giving himself over to her completely; mind, body and soul.

Mary smiled through her tears, 'And I wanna let you know that if something should happen between us. If we have a fight or disagreement. I won't run away. Not anymore. I'm not the same person either, Jon. I've grown up. I'm not afraid like I used to be. I'm not afraid of you, of us.' She chuckled, 'So, you're kinda stuck with me, buddy.'

"Thank god," he murmured, and grinned when she started laughing. God, he was so in love. "So I'll see you soon?"

Mary murmured, 'Mhmmm. When? When do you want me, Jon?" She cringed, knowing how her words sounds. She let out a frustrated sigh, 'I mean...when do you want me to...come?" She rolled her eyes. Can she say one sentence without sounding like a complete jackass? He had her nerves so frazzled she could barely form a coherent sentence.

He giggled, unable to help himself. "As soon as possible, baby." Jon rubbed his forehead, trying to think clearly. "You wanna meet up in Florida or Texas? If you want Texas, that's next week." He paused, not wanting to put pressure on her - she'd have to get off work, after all - but he didn't want to have to wait a whole week. "I can fly you out, just let me know when you wanna do it."

Mary took a moment of deliberation and smiled, answering, 'How about both? I can get someone to cover for me.' She sighed, 'Or is that not allowed? I know they don't like girls traveling with you guys. I don't wanna get you in trouble.'

Jon sat up. "Seriously? You can take off that long?"

Mary paused. "Yeah, but I don't want to, you know, cause trouble or anything."

Jon rolled his eyes. "Mary, please. No one's going to give you crap. And it's not like you're some random girl, you're gonna be my..." Jon's eyes widened as he realized he almost said "wife". He cleared his throat and continued, hoping she didn't notice. "It'll be fine, I promise. If you want I can get you a seat at the shows. I mean, you don't have to. Whatever you want. We'll figure it out, okay?" He sighed deeply, exhaustion starting to settle in. "For now let's get some sleep and we'll get everything figured out tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

Mary smiled softly. She heard what he almost said and it made fresh tears form within her eyes. She would want nothing more than to be his wife. It's all she ever wanted ever since she was a teenager.

She sighed, 'Yeah, that sounds good. Count me in for the shows. There's no way I'm missing that. I always loved seeing you in action. ' She pulled the covers higher above her body and sunk further into the mattress to get comfortable, 'Can you we stay on the phone together until we fall asleep? Like we used to? Do you remember that?"

He laughed softly. "Of course I do." Jon settled into bed, keeping the phone close to his ear. "Love you so much, baby. You have no idea how happy you've made me."

Mary laughed, 'I kinda have an idea because I feel the same way. I've never been more happier than I am right now. I love you so much, Jon.'

She heard him whisper her name before there was nothing else but silence on the other end of the line. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of his heavy breathing. She smiled and closed her eyes, joining him in slumber. They were both content in the fact that this would be the last night they would be sleeping alone for the rest of their lives.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author Notes: Once again this was written with my girl Christina. Also, anything I write I've done before. I'm 27 years old and been with my man for 5 years. **

When Mary stepped off the plane at Tampa International Airport, her heart was racing at lightening speed. She tried to sleep on the plane, but couldn't. She was bouncing in her seat and couldn't keep still she was so excited. This moment has been a long time coming. It felt as if she has been waiting her entire life for this moment to come, it certainly felt like it.

She could not believe this was finally happening. This was to be the beginning of the rest of her life, with Jon. It felt surreal, almost as if she were living in a dream. Ever since that night she called him she could barely focus at work. Her mind was always preoccupied, thinking of the day in which she would finally be reunited with her soulmate, the man of her dreams.

Ever since that night they talked on the phone everyday. No matter how busy they were or what they were doing, they still managed to find time to talk to one another, whether it be a short text to say, 'I love you' or 'I'm thinking of you'. They refused to make the same mistakes they had last time. They needed that connection, just to remind themselves that this was real. This was actually happening.

The world wasn't ready for them back then. They weren't ready for each other back then, but now everything is perfect. There isn't any fiances, misinterpretations or fear standing in their way. No longer would they run away from what they truly wanted, which is each other. There is always room for an old love to resurface. It's a refining process, falling in love. It didn't work the first time, second time and the third time, but this time around it's going to work. She is sure of it. Because this time there will always be aspects of the first and second time. They learned through their mistakes and wouldn't make them again. Not this time around.

See, that's the thing about second chances. It's two people that are there for each other and support each other and care about each other no matter how much they want to deny it. It's about one person doing everything they can to make sure the other doesn't fall and vice-versa. Second chances are about holding on to that other persons hand no matter how hard they beg to let go. They're two halves of the same person and when they were apart they just weren't happy. This is their second chance and they refused to let it pass, not for anyone or anything.

She didn't get any sleep the night before and couldn't even eat she was far too excited, anxious and nervous. She was just counting down the time until she could see him, hold him and love him...finally.

Mary collected her two suitcases and waited at the gate. She had texted Jon as soon as she landed, letting him know she was here, but he hadn't gotten back to her yet. For just a split second fear and doubt crept in her heart, but it dissipated just as quickly. He was going to show. She was sure of it. She had spoken to him just before she got on the plane. He seemed so excited and happy to see her. He would not let her down, not this time around.

Five minutes turned into thirty and an hour passed, then another and he still hasn't shown up. Tears filled her eyes and she let out a shaky sigh. She was physically trembling she was so scared. He would have been here by now. He hadn't even texted her back saying he was coming. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. She wondered if he had second thoughts and decided to stay with Paige. She wouldn't blame considering all she has done to him in the past, but he loved her just as much as she loved him. She was sure of it. He would not be so cruel as to leave her stranded in some airport without even letting her know what was going on.

Another hour passed and she was sitting in the lobby with her suitcases at her feet. Tears were falling down her face and she stared down at her phone, clutching it in her hand. He still hasn't responded back. She felt so fucking foolish. He had bought her a ticket and she came all this way only to be rejected by him. Maybe he had done this to her on purpose. It was a sort of payback for getting engaged to another man and rubbing it in his face and even having the nerve to ask him to walk her down the aisle. He was giving her a taste of her own medicine and it was bitter to swallow. Karma is a fucking bitch.

Mary knew she couldn't just sit here all night waiting like some little lovesick puppy. She had to get out of this place, this town and away from him. She couldn't get a flight back until tomorrow so she would have to stay in a hotel...alone. It was funny, she always wanted to visit Florida. They had such beautiful beaches. She dreamed of her and Jon walking along the beach, horse playing in the ocean and making love on a towel in the sand. But that's all they were...dreams. It was something that could never be.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and picked up her suitcases. It was time to swallow her goddamn pride and get the hell out of here. It was obvious he wasn't showing up. She had taken off work and traveled all this way for nothing.

Mary was walking down the long corridor towards the exit. Tears were blurring her vision. She was sobbing uncontrollably, but people didn't even seem to notice. Crying was pretty much standard routine at an airport. They probably thought she was just sad to be leaving here. Little did they know she was grieving for someone she wanted and loved so much, but didn't want her back.

Jon spent most of his day trying not to be anxious and was failing miserably at it. He and the guys went over what would happen tomorrow night on Raw - interfering in Punk's match, nothing new but still exciting - but after that his mind went back to Mary.

It was actually happening. She was flying in that night and he would finally have her back in his life. He kept laughing to himself, unable to believe how goddamn lucky he was.

He'd nearly destroyed them the first time, and he knew that. His insecurities and childish temper had destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to him. When he thought of how he'd acted at her party and when he tried to mess around with another woman, he cringed. Hell, he used to go around punching walls, he was so pent up with anger. He used to walk around with so much hatred. Not only towards others, but himself as well. Sure, he still had some things he needed to figure out about himself, but it wasn't exactly surprising that he and Mary weren't able to make it the first time around. Jon was determined to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

Now they could be together. Nothing could keep them apart, not themselves or anyone else.

Jon had gotten her on the first flight he could find. He'd written down her flight information and kept checking it throughout the day. When it got closer to the time that she'd land, he sat in his hotel and tried to distract himself by watching TV, but his eyes kept going back to the clock. If anyone else saw him they'd think he looked like a psycho, but he was impatient to start his life with her. A new life. A better one, for both of them. Hell, he'd even gotten a hotel room with an extra bedroom in case she wanted to start slow.

Eventually Jon couldn't stand it anymore and he decided to get out of the hotel for a while. He made sure he had his wallet and rental car keys and headed to the nearest gym. An hour or so of working out would be good for clearing his head.

Not surprisingly, a few other wrestlers were there, and Jon ended up talking with them a bit after they were done lifting. He felt himself relaxing for the first time that day, but declined their offer to grab dinner. He still had some time before Mary's flight landed, but he didn't want to cut it too close.

When he got back to the hotel he noticed that he'd left his phone on the kitchen table. He checked his messages and felt his heart stop when he saw that he'd missed a message from Mary.

Her flight had landed an hour and a half ago.

Stunned, Jon checked his information for the flight. Something was wrong, she wasn't supposed to come in until about an hour from now...

Quickly he checked her flight information online and felt his stomach sink when he saw that he'd written down the wrong information. Her flight was right on time, but he'd kept her waiting. He got a sudden image of her waiting in the airport, then getting annoyed and grabbing the next flight back home.

Jon was going to lose her again, all because he wrote down the wrong flight time.

"Fuck!" Jon grabbed his things and ran out of the hotel, sprinting to his rental car. The airport wasn't far from his hotel, but knowing he might be too late just made him panic. Somehow he got to the airport without getting pulled over for speeding, and ran to her gate.

God, if she was already gone...

Jon took a deep breath and looked at the airport monitors, frantically looking for her flight information. He wasn't relying on his notes anymore. Plus there might have been a last minute change.

Mary had to be pissed. There was no way she'd forgive him for this, and after he gave her that speech about being a changed man. What had she said about David, that he was reliable? He'd never do this to her, not ever.

This might drive her back to David.

"No, no." Jon gritted his teeth and forced himself to concentrate. He found her gate and looked around for signs to point him in the right direction. Somehow he managed to run to the gate without knocking anyone down, but when he got there no one was there.

She was gone.

Jon swallowed hard and ran his hands through his hair. Did she already leave for home?

"Dammit, dammit..." Jon took a deep breath. He had to calm down, think rationally. Okay, maybe she was around the airport. Maybe she was pissed and wanted to fly home, but had to buy another ticket. Where would she do that? The gates were mostly empty, so she probably would have to go back to the main entrance to do that. It was worth a shot. If she was already on another plane, Jon would fly to her as soon as he could and would do anything to make it right.

But first he had to check the airport. She could still be around...

Jon turned and ran back the way he came, ignoring the stares of the airport personnel. He was sure he looked like some jerk who'd forgotten to pick up his girlfriend, and dammit, they were right. God, how the hell was he going to make this up to her?

No, he couldn't think about that. He had to find her first.

A few times he thought he'd spotted her, but no dice. Panic was starting to settle in. Should he page her? Was that stupid? Shit, he didn't know.

The main entrance. He needed to get there and regroup. Fuck, he'd never told her where he was staying, too. He just thought they'd head back to the hotel together, not banking on him fucking everything up.

Finally he got back to the entrance and looked for her, but he didn't spot her. He was too late.

Then he looked down a hallway and his breath hitched in his throat.

It was her.

She was carrying her suitcases, and her body was hunched over, like she'd just been humiliated. He'd done that to her.

But she was here. She was still here.

"Mary!" Jon ran toward her, his heart pounding. He couldn't lose her, not again, he couldn't take it..."MARY!"

She froze and turned. Her face was red and wet with tears, and she looked shocked. "...Jon?"

He nearly burst out crying at the sight of her and ran up to her, taking her in his arms. "Mary...oh god, oh god, I'm sorry..." He cringed as she started crying, her hands gently patting him as if to make sure he was real. "Baby, I'm so sorry, I'm so stupid..." Jon kissed her forehead, holding her face in his hands as tears welled up in his eyes. "Shh, I'm here, baby, I'm sorry, my baby, I'm here..."

Mary couldn't believe it. She was sure she had lost him for good. He held her face in his hands. She reached up and grabbed his face. She needed to touch him and make sure this was real, he was real.

She shook her head in disbelief, 'I thought...that...maybe you changed your mind. I...was so afraid...' She grabbed his shirt, bunching it in her hands, 'You're here...you're here.'

"I'm here." Jon held her face close to his. "I'm here, baby, I'll always be here. I love you so much, god I love you..." He kissed her gently, stroking her face.

Mary sobbed into the kiss, and Jon pulled away and held her tight. She was shaking. "Thought...you changed your mind," she whimpered. "Thought you were going to leave me here..."

"Never," Jon whispered. He buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply. "Mary, you're the love of my life. I'll always want you, always. You're my love, my everything."

"Would've been what I deserved," she muttered. "For hurting you...god, I was so cruel to you..."

"Shh," he whispered. "No more of that. The past is past. I've got you now, baby, and I'm never letting you go. You're stuck with me forever."

Mary closed her eyes and smiled softly, 'Forever.' She cupped his face in her hands and leaned up, kissing him, 'God, I love you so much, Jon. So much. '

Jon rested his forehead against hers and ran his hands through her hair, 'Baby, you're here. I'm here. Nothing's getting in between us again.' He chuckled slightly, 'Except maybe my fucking stupidity.'

She smiled, 'I'll let it slide. You're a guy. It happens.' He smiled at that and she sighed, 'Let's get out of here, Jon. I want to be alone with you. Just me and you, no one else. Nothing or anyone standing in our way.'

Jon nodded, feeling almost woozy with relief. "Sounds good." He grabbed her bags and led her to the parking lot.

The ride to the hotel was mostly quiet. Mary asked him about Raw but didn't want spoilers, so Jon just told her that she'd know when he was coming out. She laughed and put her hand on his leg, and he grinned like an idiot.

He waited until they got to the hotel room to let her know about the extra bedroom. She seemed surprised, but gave him a shy smile. That meant she probably wanted to stay in there rather than share a bed. Jon was utterly disappointed, but didn't let it show. He was okay with her dictating the pace of things; besides, after the stunt he pulled, he was happy that she was even willing to share a room with him.

"So, um, did you need anything? Room service can get you a snack, or..." Jon suppressed a groan. He hated feeling awkward around her, but the last time he'd seen her was that night before she went back to David. It was almost like they'd forgotten how to be themselves around each other, and it depressed him.

"I'm fine." Mary hugged herself, looking slightly uncomfortable. Shit, she obviously felt the same way. "I might grab a shower, though."

"Sure. There's only one shower, though, that's in there." Jon pointed at the main bedroom, where he had his things already laid out. "If you want, we can switch rooms..."

She laughed. "No, don't be ridiculous."

Jon nodded. "I just...I might lie down if that's okay. It's been kind of a crazy day." He grinned. "As you know."

"I know." She smiled. "I won't be long, I promise."

"No hurry." Jon stayed out in the living room while Mary set one of her suitcases on the couch and pulled out a few things. "Um, I'll see you later, I guess." He inwardly cringed at his awkwardness and sighed. "Uh, I gotta make a phone call." Quickly he grabbed his phone and headed into the other bedroom. He waited until he heard the bathroom door shut and leaned against the wall, letting his head thud against it.

God, he was acting like an idiot.

After a moment he went back into the main bedroom and got ready for bed. He tried not to think about Mary being naked and wet under the shower, the warm water dripping over her skin...but as much as he tried to distract himself, the image kept coming. Jon settled under the sheets, pulling the comforter over him so he wouldn't embarrass himself when she got out.

What if she came out wearing only a towel?

Jon groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. After Mary went to her room he'd probably have to take care of himself. There was no way he could go to sleep without losing himself in the fantasy of joining her in the shower, letting his tongue and hands wander all over her body, making her moan his name...

"Jon?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked over at her. She'd just gotten out of the shower he must have been too lost in his thoughts to notice the water being turned off - and she was...

She was wearing his shirt, a black t-shirt with "Explicit Mox Violence" screenprinted on it. It was one he gave her years ago, the one she used to wear to bed when they first became an official couple. Her hair was slightly wet and she was holding herself like she was nervous, but there was a look in her eye that made his heart beat faster.

"Jon..." Mary whispered his name and her arms dropped to her sides. God, she looked perfect. She took a deep breath and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Can I sleep here tonight? With you?"

Jon let his eyes wander over her, remembering all the times she used to wear that shirt to bed...letting his hands slip under it, feeling her..."God, yes."

Mary found herself shaking she was so nervous. The whole time she was in the shower, she debated on asking him to join her. It feels like forever since their last night together. She was desperate to have that connection with him. To feel his hands and lips upon every inch of her body. It was the only thing she could think about ever since she found out she was coming here. What made it all the more worse was she loved him. That alone intensified the need.

She still could not get over how much he has changed. Sure, he was still the same Jon she knew and loved, but there was a maturity that was not there before. He was more calm, complacent and at ease with himself. It was written all over him. Just being here with him felt as if she were falling in love with him all over again.

Mary didn't know what made her put his tee shirt on. She had packed it with her stuff just to show him, thinking he would get a kick out of it. She also wanted to let him know that no matter what she still had not forgotten him, forgotten them and what they shared.

When she got out of the shower, she was digging through her clothes in her suitcase and came across his shirt. On a whim, she put it on. She stood in the bathroom, looking at herself through the mirror. She was shaking violently and her heart was racing at lightening speed. She has never been more nervous in her entire life. Everything was riding on this moment. This is everything they've been dreaming about since they were kids. There weren't any insurmountable obstacles or hoops of fire they had to leap through. They were free to love each other for however long time would allow them. Hopefully, it was a very long time.

After finally getting the nerve to face him, she walked into his bedroom. The thought of sleeping another night alone in some strange bed was no longer appealing to her. She was tired of sleeping alone. She was tired of being without him. She vowed in this moment she would never be without him ever again.

The smoldering look he gave her put her at ease, letting her know she wasn't alone in this. Not anymore. The adoration in his eyes as he looked upon her made her weak at the knees and she found herself trembling. She felt like a fucking virgin in a sense. Maybe in a lot of ways she was. This was their new beginning. Tonight was the first day of the rest of their lives together.

Mary walked over to his bed and slipped in beside him, pulling the covers over herself. She laid her head upon his bare chest and he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer. She closed her eyes and smiled when she felt his lips upon the crown of her head.

She caressed his chest as she idly played with his chest hair. She looked up at him, whispering, 'I'm so happy, Jon. I love you so much. I just wanna let you know that.'

Jon hummed and nuzzled into her hair. "Me too, baby."

She took a deep breath and snuggled closer. "Tell me more about tomorrow night."

That made him laugh. "I thought you didn't want spoilers."

Mary giggled. "Yeah, but I'm impatient."

"Well, yeah, you're a woman."

She playfully smacked his arm. "Jerk."

He chuckled. "Okay, so what do you wanna know?"

"You gonna beat up Cena?"

"Not this time."

"Damn."

Jon laughed and stroked her back. "We're gonna make sure Punk stays champion."

"Mmmhmmm..." Mary began tracing invisible circles on his chest, making him shiver. "And how are you going to do that?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in how deep and sexy her voice was getting. "We're gonna give Ryback a little surprise."

"Sounds good." She moved closer, draping a leg over his. "You gonna show him not to fuck with the wrong people?"

"Damn right, baby."

Mary laughed softly and rested her hand on his stomach, nearly making him jump. "Gonna send a message to the boys in the back not to fuck with you?"

Jon chuckled. "You know it." He licked his lips as her hand slightly traveled down. "Anyone who fucks with us is gonna get hurt."

"That's right." Mary slipped her hand lower, running her fingers along his thighs. Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. She was driving him wild, playing with him like this. "How are you going to send that message, Jon?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feel of her fingertips teasing near his cock. "Well...he's gonna fight back at first..."

Mary let out a low growl and gently scratched at his inner thigh, making him moan. "You're gonna make him pay for that, right?"

"Right," Jon breathed. "We're gonna hit that fucker with a chair and then I'm gonna stomp the shit out of him.'

"That's right," Mary whispered, and grasped his cock. She held onto him tightly as he moaned and arched up into her hand. "Go on, Jon. Tell me more..tell me what you're gonna do."

Jon grasped the sheets as she worked her hand on him. "Ungh...gonna...drive that fucker...through...a table."

Mary threw her leg over his lap. He could feel her warm wetness near his cock and whined, trying to push his hips toward her. She purred and leaned close, gently biting his earlobe. "You like doing that, don't you Jon? You like showing everyone how fucking badass you can be?"

Jon nodded, reaching down to tease her opening with his fingers. She moaned and pushed against him, making him gasp. "Fuck...yeah, I love it."

Mary climbed onto his chest and sat on top of him. Her pussy was just above his cock. All she would have to do was move a fraction of an inch and he would be inside of her, but she didn't want that. At least not yet anyway. She wanted to take her time and enjoy him and this moment. A moment they thought they'd never again. It would just be one moment of many to come. She was so wet. She knew he could feel it and she grinned at the thought.

Jon lightly grasped her hips, letting her take the lead. The last thing he wanted to do was make a wrong move and scare her away. Fuck knows he's done enough of that in the past

She took off her shirt, slowly peeling it off as she stared directly into his eyes. She threw the shirt onto the floor and laid her body over him. They both sighed as their bare flesh collided. It feels like forever since they felt each other like this.

Mary kissed his chest, running her tongue over his nipples, making him gasp aloud. She lightly bit his left pectoral muscle, causing him to shudder and let out a moan. She smirked and did it to the other.

His head fell back onto the pillow and he tightly closed his eyes as he gritted his teeth. She was driving him fucking wild. He wanted nothing more than to throw her upon her back and drive himself right into her, but he couldn't do that. At least not yet anyway. There would be plenty of time for fucking. Right now he just wanted to go slow and enjoy her. He never thought he'd have her this way again and he wanted to take his time.

Mary trailed open mouth kisses upon his chest, making her way up to his neck. She lightly bit his pulse point, causing him to let out a growl.

Jon gritted his teeth as he whispered raggedly, 'You're gonna fucking make me lose control, baby ya keep doing that.'

She grinned and bit his ear, swirling her tongue around the outer shell of it, 'That's the idea.'

Jon exhaled slowly. "You sure you want that?"

Mary purred and licked at his throat. "Damn right I am." She leaned close to his ear. "Show me how much you love being a badass, Jon."

He grinned and grasped her hips, flipping her on her back. He positioned himself over her, her legs spread over his thighs, but instead of entering her he placed his hands on her pussy and caressed it with his fingertips. She moaned and tried to push against him, but he put one hand on her stomach and held her down.

"You lie still like a good girl," Jon growled. "I'm gonna make sure you're wet enough for what I wanna do to you." He kept one hand on her stomach and teased her with his other hand, running his fingers along her opening.

Mary moaned and squirmed. "You gonna fuck me, Jon?"

He smirked. "Mmm, yes, but first I want to taste this sweet pussy. Wanna make sure you're wet, 'cause I love it when you get my face soaked." He licked his lips and pushed a couple of fingers inside of her, making her squeal. "That's right...you're gonna get my tongue in you, baby. Gonna lick you up and taste your little clit. You want that? You want me to make you come with my mouth?"

Mary bit her lip to stifle her moan and nodded, 'Yes...please...Jon...please.'

Jon smirked, 'Baby, ya don't have to beg me. I'll gladly do it any fucking day.'

He bent down and slowly licked her from top to bottom, causing her to let out a guttural groan. He repeated the motion several times until he had her gasping and whimpering. He grinned and put her legs upon his shoulders, opening her wider for him. He lightly stroked her with his fingertips, loving how responsive she was from just a simple touch.

Jon shook his head in disbelief, 'Missed this, baby. Missed seeing you like this. All fucking wet and begging for it. Just thinking about it made me so fucking hard, baby.' He licked her, dipping his tongue in between her folds and let out a satisfied groan 'You taste so fucking good. Ya know what ya taste like?"

She shook her head. She was so far gone she couldn't even form a coherent sentence. He smiled in satisfaction, loving that he was the only one who could make her lose control like this. He was going to be the only one who saw her this way, had her this way. That thought alone could make him come.

He pushed two fingers inside of her, pinching her clit between his fingers, causing her to let out a gasp. He licked her again, savoring the taste of her upon his tongue, 'Ya taste like mine, baby.'

Mary arched her back and gasped out,' Please, Jon make me come. Please.'

"Fuck yeah," he whispered, and lowered his face to kiss her clit.

Mary whimpered and squirmed as he kissed and nipped at her, reaching down to run her fingers through his hair. She lightly scratched at the back of his head and he moaned, sending vibrations around her. She moaned and arched her back, pushing herself closer to him. Jon grinned and began licking her clit, running his tongue along it.

She was beyond words now. Mary could feel her orgasm approaching, the anticipation of it making her legs shake.

Jon closed his eyes and sucked at her, wrapping his arms around her hips to bring her even closer. Her whimpers turned to shouts, and suddenly her body stiffened and began shaking so hard she was almost convulsing. Mary's nails dug into his shoulders, her screams almost sounding like his name.

He didn't relent until she was nearly sobbing and gently pushing at his forehead. Jon sat up and watched her regain her breathing, and then she opened her eyes and grinned at him. "Come here," she whispered.

Jon grinned and leaned over her, gently kissing her. She purred and nuzzled his neck, making him sigh.

Mary licked his earlobe. "Your turn," she murmured, and pushed him on the bed so he was laying on his back.

Mary placed her hands upon his chest, slowly caressing him as she placed open mouth kisses upon him. She lightly bit his nipple, making him arch back into the bed as he moaned her name. She turned her attention to the other, repeating the same motion. She took her time as she trailed down the length of his body with her tongue making him whimper and squirm on the could not help but feel a satisfaction in knowing she could make such a strong man beg and be at her mercy.

Mary decided to put him out of his took him in her hands, gently stroking him from base to was leaking out of him, intensifying the sensation as she stroked took him in her mouth, sucking upon the tip and swirling her tongue around the licked him from top to bottom as she cupped his balls in her took him in her mouth as far as he could go and looked up at him,smiling around him as she watched his head thrash from side to side.

He was gripping the sheets, mumbling incoherently.

She released him from her mouth with a was still stroking him as she whispered,'Want me to make you come baby? Ya wanna come in my mouth like you always wanted?'

His eyes rolled back in his head and he thrust his hips up, unable to help himself. "Wanna...fuck you..."

Mary kissed his tip and smiled. "We've got all night, baby. But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to come in my mouth, Jon?"

Jon groaned and nodded, pulling hard at the sheets. "Fuck...shit, yeah...want it...please, baby..."

Jon arched his hips, thrusting himself into her meshed his hands in her hair, gently tugging at the strands as he gasped out,'Fuck yes!'

She grinned and slowly put her mouth upon took her time as she slowly moved her mouth down upon him inch by stroked him lazily, loving the way he gasped and moaned her worked him into a frenzy, bobbing her head upon and down as she cupped his balls and worked her mouth upon could feel him tensing removed his hands from her hair and grasped the bedsheet as he gasped aloud, he let out a choked sob as he felt his orgasm hitting him with such a force he was sure he was going to lose consciousness.

Jon whimpered, gasping out,' Oh god baby...fuck...baby...Mary...love you.'. He shot his seed inside her come hit the back of her throat, making her gasp. She continued her ministrations, milking him for all he's worth. He collapsed back on the bed and she laid her head upon his was breathing heavily, his body trembling. She looked up, whispering, 'You okay, baby?'

Jon laughed softly and shivered. "Fucking amazing. Fuck." He gave her a lazy grin. "Come here."

Mary beamed and moved up, settling in his arms. He pulled her close, stroking her hair as she rested her head on his chest. His heart was still pounding like crazy as his body came down from one of the most intense orgasms he'd ever had.

Jon kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay, baby?"

Mary smiled softly, kissing his chest, 'Never better.' He chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him.

She looked up at him. His hair was drenched with sweat and his face was flushed. His body was shivering and he had a contented smile upon his face. He has never looked more beautiful to her than in this moment. Tears filled her eyes as she came to the realization that she loved this man with every fiber of her being and always would. She wanted to make this moment last forever. She wanted him forever. She didn't want to waste anymore time. She wanted to belong to him in every way possible.

Mary rolled over, climbing upon his chest. She cupped his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes as she whispered, 'Marry me, Jon.'

He stared at her in shock, then blinked. "I...what did you just say?"

Mary smiled through her tears,'Marry me, Jon.I want you to be my husband. I want to be your wife." She hoped he remembered these were the same words he said to her in the garden. Mary smiled softly, 'I have loved you since I saw you back in...Slim's didn't give up me. No matter how much I tried to push you away you never gave up. In all then ten years we have known each other never once did I stop loving you...ever. Even when I thought that you...'She shook her head not wanting to bring that up again,"I should have said yes to you when ya asked me, I'm saying yes now...marry me."

Jon sat up and put his arms around her. "You're serious?"

She grinned. "I'm serious."

Jon laughed and held her close, then flipped them so he could stare down at her. She was so goddamn beautiful that it broke his heart. "Mary..."

Mary smiled and stroked his face with her fingers. "Is that a yes?"

He laughed again, leaning down to kiss her. "You gotta let me ask you again." He smiled when she laughed. Him and his fucking male pride. "I'll marry you if you marry me. Will you marry me?"

Mary rolled her eyes and lazily slapped his shoulder,'Well,I guess.I have nothing else better to do.' She sobered up and her face looked serious,'Yes,Jon.I'll marry you.' She sighed and chuckled,'Bout damn fuckin time,huh?'

Jon laughed and rested his face against her neck. "Bout time," he agreed, and nuzzled against her. "You're gonna be my wife." He sat up and laughed, pulling her close. "You're gonna be my fucking wife!"

Mary smiled softly and kissed his neck, 'And you're gonna be my fucking husband!.' She shook her head, 'When, Jon? How long do we have in Florida before we have to go?' She hated ruining the perfect moment, but she needed to know. Mary didn't want to waste another minute more not fully belonging to him the way they she's been dreaming about ever since she was a teenager. Some would say they were moving too fast, but they have practically been in a relationship for ten years. In her opinion they weren't moving fast enough.

Jon rubbed his forehead. Shit. Reality was kicking in. "Uh, I can look at the schedule. Next week we're in Texas. Do you wanna do it here, or...?" He blinked at her. Truth be told, he had no idea what kind of wedding she wanted. He always imagined her looking beautiful in a big white gown, but he could also see her in jeans and his tee shirt at a courthouse. "Whatever you want, okay? Anything you want. I'll make it work." He kissed her and smiled. "Anything, baby, anything for you."

She leaned up and cupped his cheek, 'I don't wanna waste anymore time belonging to you in every way possible.' She smiled as tears of joy fell from her eyes, 'I wanna marry you as soon as possible, Jon.' She averted her eyes downward, whispering, 'Unless, ya know, ya wanna wait until things settle down for you. I understand if you want to wait a bit.'

Jon shook his head and smiled. "Baby, I don't want to waste time either. We've waited long enough, don't you think?"

Mary returned his smile and nodded. "I do."

He felt his heart swell at her words. "Love hearing you say that, baby," Jon whispered, stroking her face.

She giggled and laid her head upon his chest. She was so fucking happy. What the hell was she thinking getting engaged to David? She felt so foolish to think that someone else could replace her soulmate, the man she's loved ever since she was a little girl.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud, 'Oh, shit. I almost forgot.' She climbed off his body and smiled slyly, 'Wait here a moment.'

Jon smiled as he leaned back in the bed with his hands resting under his head as he watched her naked form walk out of the room. He closed his eyes and smiled. He was so fucking happy it was pathetic. He had a wide grin upon his face. He was downright fucking giddy. He could not believe he was getting married to the woman he's loved since he was a snot nose punk kid angry at the world. She loved him back then just as she loved him now. This is all he's ever wanted. Not just someone to fill the void of loneliness in his life. He wanted her. Now that he had her he would be damned if he gave her up.

He shook his head, laughing to himself. Wait until he told the guys about this. He could not fucking wait to see the looks on their faces when he told them.

Jon smiled as he saw her walk back into the room.

Mary got into the bed, climbing back upon his chest. He rested his hands upon her hips and noticed she had a small jewelry box in her hand.

He looked at it curiously, asking her, 'What ya got there, baby?'

She smiled shyly and shrugged sheepishly, 'Just something that belongs to you, to us.' She opened the box and took out a ring, handing it to him, 'I always wanted ya to have this.'

Tears filled his eyes as he stared at the ring in his hand. His eyes widened as he came to the sudden realization of what it was. It was the ring she had gotten for him all those years ago. The ring that he didn't want because it was a painful reminder of how he fucked everything up.

Jon shook his head. He was so overcome with emotion he could barely speak. He could not believe she kept it after all these years.

With shaking hands Jon put the ring on his finger and stared at it. He could not fucking believe it. He was going to be a married man. He was going to marry the woman of his dreams.

Jon looked up at her and saw that she'd put her ring on too. She smiled down at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you so much," she whispered.

He sat up and reached for her. She laid her head upon his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Jon held her close and kissed the top of her head, tears running down his face. "I'm gonna spend my life loving you, Mary," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'll do anything for you. Anything. I love you, Mary, I always have." He took a deep breath and held her tighter. "My beautiful wife-to-be. I'm so fucking lucky."

Mary smiled through her tears and kissed his chest, whispering, 'I'm the lucky one, baby. I'm so happy you're giving me another chance.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'I'm sorry I can't give you children, Jon.' He opened his mouth in protest and she placed her finger upon his lips, silencing him. She shook her head, 'I know that doesn't matter to you, but it matters to me. I want to give that to you so bad and I'm sorry I can't.' She closed her eyes and let out a choked sob, 'I'm so sorry.'

Jon cupped her face in his hands and looked in her eyes. "Mary. Look at me. Look in my eyes."

Mary opened her eyes and returned his gaze.

"The only thing I want from you is to love me, and you do. You've proven that." He smiled, but then he got serious again. "We have plenty of time to decide if we want kids. To be honest, I don't know if I want any. Can you imagine me as a dad?" He laughed and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "I just want to be your husband. That's all I want, baby."

She closed her eyes and smiled, 'That's all I want too, Jon. It's all I ever wanted.' She sighed, 'You're wrong though, baby. You would be a great dad. You were wonderful with Olivia.' She smiled sadly, 'I wanna be a mom one day, Jon. I mean, not right this minute of course but...someday.'

Mary hated to bring up this conversation so quickly, but she wanted to be honest with him. She didn't want there to be any secrets between them, not anymore. She could see him tense a bit and she immediately regretted her words. She cursed inwardly, wondering if she scared him off.

Jon took a deep breath. "What if I fuck it up?" he whispered. "If I ruined my kid's life, I'd..." He shook his head and looked down, unable to face her.

Mary leaned up and cupped his face in her hands, smiling softly, 'Did ya ruin my life, Jon? I remember you taking pretty good care of me when you first met me.' She rested her forehead against his, 'You don't give yourself enough credit, honey. Ya never did. You have so much love in your heart. So much to offer. Any child would be lucky to have you as a father. I would want nothing more than to have a family with you.'

Jon smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "We'll have one. I promise you, baby. We'll do it." He took a deep breath. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared as shit, but I'm excited." He beamed and kissed her again. "First things first, though. You gotta tell me how you want to get married. What do you want, baby?"

Mary tilted her head thoughtfully, taking a moment of deliberation to think about his question. She laughed, shaking her head, 'I honestly don't know.' She scoffed, 'I just don't want anything fancy.' She sighed, 'I almost about lost my fucking mind planning...' Her eyes widened when she noticed the pain flicker in his eyes. She bowed her head, whispering, 'I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't mean...'

He nodded. "No, it's okay. I mean, it happened." Jon cleared his throat. "But we can do whatever you want. I don't care, I'll do anything. If you want to do it here in Florida, we can. I looked it up, we don't have to live here, just gotta apply for a license. It's the same with Texas..." His voice trailed off as he saw her eyes widen. "Uh, I thought it couldn't hurt...in case, you know..." Jon ducked his head, feeling self-conscious.

Mary smiled. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and her heart raced, knowing that he loved her enough to want to do this, marry her. Like herself, he didn't want to wait. They had wasted so much time focusing upon the bad that they never realized how good they had it. She was through with the sadness, the tears and self-pity. She just wanted to be happy with Jon...forever.

She snuggled closer to him and nuzzled into his neck, 'Lets do it as soon as possible.' She chuckled softly, 'I would like sometime to get something nice to wear though. I want to look nice for you. I think we should just do it and tell people afterwards.' She scoffed , rolling her eyes 'I mean if I told Kat now she would come down with like a hundred of her closest friends' She smiled, cupping his cheek' I wanna marry you with no one else. Me and you, just like it used to be. How it's going to be for the rest of our lives.' She sighed, 'I just don't want this to interfere with your schedule, Jon. Ya have a couple shows coming up. Ya need to focus, ya know?'

"Yeah, we need some time. Gotta tell Cody and Kasey." Jon grinned. "They're gonna fucking freak."

Mary laughed. "They'll say the same thing we did; 'About damn time'."

"No shit." Jon sighed and rubbed her back. "Next week we're in Texas, we have a show and we shoot a promo. We'll have time to get everything done." He stroked her hair and smiled. "Would that work?"

She nodded and smiled, 'Yes, Jon. Yes of course.' She leaned up and kissed him, resting her forehead against his, 'I can't fucking wait, baby. I've been wanting this forever.'

Jon chuckled softly, 'I know what you mean.'

Mary sighed, 'Where will we live, Jon?" She laughed uneasily, 'Where do _you _live exactly?'

She hated to ruin the afterglow of the moment, but she needed to know. They could not go into this without planning. She just didn't want anything to ruin what they had. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Well, as perfect as it could be anyway. It was their lives, after all. Hardly anything comes easy for them. The thought suddenly occurred to her they really did not know much about each others lives. They've been apart for so long. She wanted to be logical and sensible. They were going to be married for Christs sakes. She wanted to make sure there were no surprises, not anymore.

Jon sighed and settled back against the pillows. "Um...well...I've been kind of staying in hotels. I still have most of my stuff in the apartment in Ohio, but you know..." He shrugged. "I wasn't sure what I was going to do, to be honest."

Mary settled next to him, resting her head on his chest. "Did you want us to stay in our apartment?"

Jon put his arm around her and shrugged. "Not sure. I mean, we're gonna need a bigger place eventually. Plus I wanna get you a nice house."

"But where?" Mary wondered. "I mean, you're all over the place."

"Still need a place to come home to." He kissed her forehead. "And a wife to support. We don't have to decide right now, though."

Mary sighed. "Well, if you don't want to live in New York I'll just need to find a job somewhere else. Shouldn't be too hard."

Jon started snickering. "Aw, man."

She glanced up at him. "What? Fuck you, I can find work anywhere." Mary smirked and smacked his arm. "Jerk."

"No! No, I was just thinking of me living in New York. Those Homicide fans would just eat that shit up."

Mary laughed aloud, knowing exactly what he was referring to. When they were apart, she had followed his career enough to know the heated feud he had with the wrestler known as Homicide when he was still Jon Moxley. She remembered watching the promo and laughing hysterically as he shit talked New York and everyone living in it.

She nodded and kissed his chest, 'You're right. We don't need to think about right now.' She smirked and trailed her hand down his chest to grasp his cock, causing him to gasp aloud, 'Besides, all I want right now is to fuck my soon to be husband.'

"Fuck yes," he moaned. God, just knowing that she'd officially be his forever turned him on more than anything in the world. He grabbed her hips and pulled, causing her to fall against the bed. With one swift movement he aligned her to him and shoved himself deep inside her. "Fuck!" She was still soaked from before, and tight as ever. Jon moaned and began pumping into her. "Mary...love you, baby...gonna love you forever..."

Mary wound her legs tightly around his hips and held on as he slowly moved in and out of her. She bit her lip to stifle a groan. He pushed himself all the way out before slowly entering her again. It was as if he wanted her to feel every movement of him inside of her. She tightly closed her eyes as a few tears slipped out. She was so goddamned turned on she could barely think straight. It felt as if it's been forever since their last time, but him being with her like this felt as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She missed the feel of him inside of her, filling her up and cherishing her. Never has she felt more like a woman than she did in this moment.

But it wasn't enough, she needed more from him. He was going too slow. He was treating her as if she were made of glass.

She ran her nails down his back as hard as she could, hoping that he caught on with what she wanted. When he didn't take the hint, she leaned down and bit his shoulder. She bit him so hard she could taste some of his blood in her mouth. She grabbed onto the back of his head, tugging upon his hair forcefully to whisper in his ear, 'Harder, Jon. Fuck me harder...please.'

Jon growled and bit at her neck. "You wanna get fucked hard? Want to feel me all day tomorrow, don't you, baby?"

Mary grinned and nodded, 'Yes, baby. Please, I missed you.'

Jon smirked and grabbed her legs, throwing them over his shoulders. He pushed her knees against her chest and rested his hands upon the headboard as he pounded into her. The headboard banged against the wall and he was sure that they would get complaints from the neighbors next door, but he could care less. All he could focus upon was finally being inside of her, feeling her body grasping him so tight it felt like suffocation.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and bit his shoulder causing him to growl out. She lightly bit his neck as she trailed her tongue up the length of it.

Mary whispered raggedly in his ear, 'Harder, Jon. Please...I love you.'

He grabbed her hips and leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Tell me if I go too hard, okay?" Jon began fucking her as hard as he could, keeping her still so he could push in her as deep as possible. Her moans turned to screams and she clawed at his back, but she didn't tell him to stop. She wanted this. She needed it.

"Gonna come in you," he panted, losing himself in the feel of her. "Gonna fill you up and lick you clean."

She nodded dumbly. Her mind was so frazzled she could barely speak let alone know what he was saying. He grasped her hips and pushed into her so hard she arched off the bed. She could feel the buildup at the base of her spine, the burning in the pit of her belly and the tingling right down to her toes.

Mary grasped the back of his head and rested her forehead upon his own as she whispered, 'I'm coming, Jon.' She closed her eyes and let out a choked sob, 'My god, come with me, baby. I wanna us to come together. I love you.'

They felt their orgasms build until they were spasming and shuddering against each other. Mary wailed and thrashed against Jon as he screamed and unloaded in her. He collapsed on top of her, gasping and moaning as she whimpered and petted him, her body shivering.

After a few moments Jon managed to prop himself up on his elbows so he could kiss her neck, sighing as she purred and stroked his hair. "Love you," he murmured, and gently slipped out of her.

"Love you," Mary whispered, and gasped as he lazily kissed down her body.

"Made a promise," he muttered, and gently lapped at her entrance. Most of his seed had already spilled out of her, but he came so hard there was still a bit of him in her. He licked at her carefully, moaning at the taste of the two of them combined. Mary shuddered and moaned slightly as he cleaned her, sighing as he kissed his way back up her body. "Love you," Jon whispered, and kissed her deeply, sharing the taste of them.

Mary wrapped her arms around him as he laid his head against her chest. She stroked his hair as he closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her heartbeat. Their sweat slicked bodies stuck together along with their bodily fluids and their muscles were sore from overexertion, but neither wanted to move. They were far too happy and sated. Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at him. It reminded her of their last night together in a hotel room similar to this one. Except this wasn't their last night together. This was just the beginning of the rest of their lives.

She leaned down and kissed his head which was drenched with sweat as she whispered, 'I'm going to take care of you, Jon. I'm never going to leave you again.'

Jon mumbled her name and his love for her before he closed his eyes falling into a blissful sleep. Mary smiled softly and snuggled further into the bed with her arms wrapped around him. They were both content in the fact they were finally together at long last.

Neither of them wanted to get out of bed the next morning, but eventually they got up, and after sharing a very long, very intense shower, got ready to face the world.

Mary called Cody and Kasey, who were beside themselves with excitement. When she told Kat she practically had a coronary, thinking it was the most romantic thing ever. She has always been their biggest supporter. She was a little disappointed she couldn't come to the wedding, but she understood. She just made her promise that they could have a celebration afterward, which she reluctantly agreed. Jon decided not to tell the guys until later that night, as he figured it would be weird to break the news over the phone.

"What time do you have to get to the arena?" Mary asked, the two of them tangled comfortably on the couch.

"Another couple of hours." Jon bent down to kiss her forehead. "I got you a good seat. You excited?"

Mary smiled and nodded,'Yeah.I'm used used to seeing you in action on television.' She ducked her head shyly,'It'll be nice to see you in person, _Dean_'

Jon snorted and flicked her arm. "You might be the only one cheering for us. Ryback's pretty well over at this point."

Mary rolled her eyes and scoffed,'Please...Goldberg 2.0?'

Jon giggled and held her tighter. "Well, they get pretty pissed when we show up. Gotta tell you, I love hearing them get riled up. Good thing we're not in ECW, they'd be throwing all kinds of shit at us."

She chuckled, 'Like you would fucking care. I clearly remember you being in matches where you had blood literally covering your whole fucking face.' She scoffed,' Damn near gave me a heart attack.'

His smile fell. "Well, you know..." He let his voice trail off, unsure of what to say to her.

Mary kissed his arm. "I'm just glad you're not doing that stuff anymore."

Jon nodded and stroked her arm. In truth he was kind of nervous. Sure, he wasn't going to do the sort of crazy matches CZW had, but he was still going to take bumps and basically get his ass kicked for a living. He could only hope Mary would be okay with that once they were settled down and had a family.

Mary sighed and snuggled closer, making him grin. He was too damn paranoid. She loved him, and she chose him. He needed to calm the fuck down and be happy. God knew he's suffered enough.

They kept watching tv, relaxing in each other's arms. After a while Jon checked the time and rubbed her arm. "Gotta get going, babe."

Mary nodded and reluctantly got up off the couch, 'I have to get dressed. I'll take a cab and meet you there. Sound good?'

She noticed the crestfallen look on his face and cursed inwardly. She knew just by looking at him that her words hurt him.

Jon looked away, not wanting her to see how disappointed he was. He'd been hoping that they could go to the arena together, not that he intended on taking her on a tour backstage, but it was the first time she was going to see him live. He wanted to share as much of that as possible.

Mary sighed and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to him. She grabbed his hand, 'Hey, I didn't mean anything by it, Jon.' She cupped his cheek, smiling softly, 'I just don't want ya to think that's why I'm here now is because of all that. I don't love Dean. I love _you._ That's all I want and need.'

Jon put his arm around her and sighed. "It's fine, baby. It's just...you haven't seen me wrestle in WWE yet, and, you know..." He kicked at the table in front of them, feeling awkward. "I'm glad you're coming, though."

Mary kissed his cheek. "Me too. Just give me a sec, I gotta change." Her face fell. "Shit, what the fuck should I wear?"

Mary decided on wearing a gray v-neck tee shirt, skinny denim jeans and a pair of boots. It was Tampa after all. She couldn't find much of her Summer clothes considering it was Winter in New York. This was the best she could do. At least she managed to make her hair look somewhat decent. She was anxious and nervous around him. She felt as if she were that shy, awkward fourteen year old girl again, which was odd considering all the things they've done together in the past twenty four hours. She just wanted to please him. She wanted to show him that she was mature and independent. Yeah, she loved him, but she didn't need him in her life, but she sure as hell wanted him there.

She walked out into the living room and saw him sitting on the couch as if waiting for her. He was engrossed in some sports game. She crossed her arms over her chest. Typical guy sitting around and waiting for his fiance to get ready. They were like a normal couple. If their former selves could see them now. They would probably be laughing and calling them pussies. It just goes to show you how much has changed over the years, how much they have changed.

Mary grinned, 'So,are _we_ going or what?'

Jon could not stop the wide grin from forming upon his face. He curtly nodded his head, clearing his throat, 'Yeah, we're going.'

Mary kept fidgeting in her seat as they got closer to the arena. Jon caught her and chuckled, but in truth he was starting to get nervous himself. He still wasn't used to the gig (although Punk told him he'd never get used to it, and why would he want to, that would make him an asshole), and knowing his Mary would be in the audience just added to his tension.

They pulled in the back and Mary looked out, seeing some fans already wandering outside. A few of them looked like they were tailgating. "No Shield shirts yet, huh?"

"Not our style," Jon replied, and parked the car.

"Huh."

He looked up at her. "What's wrong?"

Mary pointed at the back entrance. Security was all over, which was normal, but there were a slew of fans standing around with notebooks and cameras under their arms.

Jon rolled his eyes. "Some people do that."

Mary frowned. "That seems...weird."

Jon looked over at her. "Are you okay?"

She scoffed. "I can handle a few jackass fans."

Her words made his blood run cold. He hadn't told her about a recent encounter he and the guys had with a fan who'd followed them back to the hotel. The three of them had to call security and circled the parking lot until the fan was detained and they could escape inside. Once they got in the elevator, Roman kept frantically pushing the Door Close button and Seth stood in the corner, his head hung low. It had scared the shit out of them.

If anything happened to Mary...

Mary got out of the car with Jon and stood next to him, fidgeting nervously. She wasn't used to all of this. She was just a simple girl from the slums of Ohio. She felt so out of place. This wasn't her world, it was Jon's. Sure he may not be all that comfortable with it himself, but at least he was used to it.

Being here and witnessing it for herself. It suddenly sank in for her. This was going to be her life just as much it would be his. They were going to be married. Everything he does will affect her in some way. She didn't know how to comprehend that, but she would get through it. She wasn't going to be afraid of him anymore. Her days of running are long gone.

She shoved her hands deeply into her pockets, 'Well, I guess I'll go find my seat.' She smiled, 'Don't wanna miss the show.'

Jon nodded, a small smile forming upon his face, 'Yeah...'

Mary smiled, 'Good luck tonight, honey. I can't wait to see you.'

'Yeah...thanks.'

She stood there, wanting so much to kiss him, even if it was on the cheek, but didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable in front of people. Even though they were engaged their relationship was still fairly new. They were still getting acquainted to one another. She also didn't want any of his fans to get upset. She had done her research this past week. She had seen what some of the sites had said about him. Some of it made her downright sick to her stomach. They treated him as if he were an object, not even caring about the gifts he was blessed with to share with the world. The last thing she wanted to do was break the illusion Dean Ambrose created.

His persona was seen as a loner, enigmatic and unhinged man who lived only for The Shield. What would the world think if they knew the man was actually capable of passion that didn't have to do with taking down injustice?

A small smile formed upon her face, 'Well, I guess I'll see ya later.'

As she was about to turn around, she felt him grab her hand and ask her, 'Not even going to kiss your future husband goodbye, darlin?'

Mary drew in a breath, turning to face him. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

He blinked, letting her hand go. Jon had to admit, that stung a bit. Sure, she was probably worried about how it would look if fans saw him with a girl - Christ, he could imagine the goddamn dirtsheets having a field day - but he didn't care about all that. Besides, he wasn't asking for a makeout session, he just wanted to give her a goodbye kiss. A man should be able to kiss his future wife, regardless of his social status.

She smiled and grabbed his hand, squeezing it, 'Good luck tonight, baby. I love you. Kick ass.'

Jon crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, 'Thanks, baby. Love you.'

Mary smiled softly and turned around, walking away. He stood there in the middle of the parking lot watching her walk away until she disappeared around the corner. He shook his head, clearing it of the paranoid thoughts he had swirling around in his head. Now wasn't the time to start over analyzing shit. His head had to be in the game. He needed to get in the right mindset. He needed to be in top form tonight. He not only had millions of people watching him, he had Mary in the audience. That alone made this one of the most important nights of his life.

Once he walked past the fans and through the backstage entrance, Jon realized that Mary had been right. They didn't seem to notice him at first as they were too busy taking pictures of The Rock, but once people spotted him they got their smartphones out.

Jon was going to have to ask the guys how they got their wives in a show or backstage without hassle. He knew a lot of them would tell him not to have her come at all, but Jon knew that wouldn't fly with Mary. Plus once they had kids she wouldn't be able to travel as much.

God...once they had kids...he couldn't believe how his life had changed. Jon now had everything he'd ever hoped for, everything he thought he could never get.

He laughed to himself as he walked in the dressing room, making his way toward Seth and Roman.

Seth looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Holy shit, he can smile." Seth smacked Roman's arm. "You owe me a hundred bucks."

Jon chuckled and threw his bag in a nearby locker.

"I didn't say he couldn't smile, I said he doesn't smile." Roman glanced at Jon. "No offense."

Jon snorted. "None taken." He took a deep breath. "But, uh, yeah, things are good. I'm getting married next week."

Seth and Roman were taken aback, but after Jon explained everything they gave him pats on the back and congratulated him. They asked if he wanted a bachelor party, but Jon declined. He doubted Mary would be okay with that, and it wasn't like he really needed one. He had all he wanted.

Mary got into her seat and was anxiously waiting for the show to begin. The show was live so everything was chaotic before the show. They had a couple dark matches to get the crowd hype and excited. There was nothing more embarrassing than a dull wrestling crowd, but thankfully Tampa was a huge wrestling town so the fans were really into it and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

She watched the matches with interest, but stayed in her seat as the fans around her stood up and cheered and heckled the wrestlers. It was fun and sure she liked wrestling enough, but it's not really why she was here. She was here for only person.

As the show progressed, Mary was bouncing and fidgeting in her seat. She was tapping her hands nervously upon her legs, wondering where in the hell he was. The show was halfway over and there was no sign of him. He had told her some spoilers pertaining to the show, but didn't tell her when he was making an appearance. He said he didn't want to ruin the surprise for her and she respected that. Besides, he seemed to be so excited for her to be here, almost giddy. Many would not think giddy and Jon would be synonymous, but then again many people wouldn't think he was the marrying type either.

Mary's eyes widened as she heard the sounds of CM Punk's music blaring throughout the venue. A wide smile appeared upon her face. She remembered him telling her when they were lying in bed that The Shield was going to interfere with his match with Ryback. Here it was, the moment she has been waiting for all night. She was finally going to see him live out his dreams right in front of her. The magnitude of it all brought tears to her eyes.

The memory of them being teenagers flooded into her mind. She could see her younger self in Cody's wrestling gym back in Ohio watching him in the ring. He was so young and passionate about wrestling. Standing inside of that ring, he looked like he belonged there. They both have come such a long way since then. They truly have come full circle. He has done everything he set out to do. He has become all she knew he could be and more. Her heart swelled with pride and she used all of her strength she could muster in this moment not to cry. She didn't want the people around her thinking she was marking out for CM Punk.

She watched the match with interest and anxiousness, wondering when in the hell he would show up. Thankfully, the match was exciting enough to where she could take her mind off of him and just be in the moment. The two of them went back and forth, hitting one another with chairs, throwing each other through tables and tossing each other into ladders.

Just as the powerhouse known as Ryback was climbing up the ladder to get CM Punk's World Championship belt, the lights went dark. Her eyes widened in wonder and she sat at the edge of her seat in anticipation.

They suddenly came back on and she gasped aloud in shock. Ryback's fighting with Seth Rollins and Jon or Dean Ambrose as he's known by the people are at the top of the ladder. She gets up from her seat and covers her mouth. She understands it's fake, but it still doesn't ease her fears. He was up so high without a safety net. She was scared to death he would fall and get himself hurt. That would just be their luck. They finally get to be together after all this time of being apart and he breaks every bone in his body right before their wedding.

Mary's eyes widened in horror as he fights them off, knocking both of them off the ladder. She watches with tears in her eyes as he falls down onto the ground, pretending as if he's hurt. At least she prays he's pretending anyway.

Thankfully, Roman Reigns comes from behind and knocks him down from the ladder. She stands and watches the match in awe and fear, hoping everything works out. Ryback fights all three of them off and out of the ring. He goes back for the title but they attack him and knock him off. The Shield beat Ryback with chairs and take him outside of the ring. She could not help but notice how beautiful he looked. Not just his outward appearance by in the way he carried himself. He was so unlike the man she was in love with. Dean Ambrose was fearless, reckless and unpredictable. He liked pain and thrived upon it. Every single time he got hit he came back for more. In many ways it reminded her of Jon Moxley, which did not sit right with her for some reason.

The Shield manhandled Ryback and triple powerbombed him through a table onto steel steps. After their work is done the three of them stumble out of the ring and disappear into the back.

Mary plops down in her seat and takes a few deep breaths. Her heart is palpitating and her adrenaline is pumping. She was so overcome with emotion as she came to the realization that she was sharing something so special with Jon. This meant as much to her as it did to him.

She could also not help but be a little shaken up as well. The crazy stunt he pulled almost gave her a heart attack. She could only wonder what was in store next.

That man was going to be the death of her...

Mary was standing in the parking lot by Jon's rental car waiting for him to come out. He had shot her a quick text after the show telling her he had to get a quick shower and change beforehand. She didn't mind. It gave her some time to settle down. The show was really exciting. She was also a nervous wreck on account of the stunt he pulled on top of the ladder.

She was standing there when she saw a few girls waiting near the back entrance where Jon was to come out. One of the girls was wearing an old tee shirt of his back when he was known as Jon Moxley. Oddly, it was the same one she owned and had worn to their bed. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable in knowing that these women were here to see him. She didn't know what to think. She thought about clearing the area, but didn't want to worry him. She leaned back against the car and patiently waited for him, hoping he would show soon.

He was never going to get used to this.

It was too fucking amazing.

The crowd lost their shit. Sure, the lights go off and people think of the Undertaker and Jericho, but they seriously didn't fucking see this coming. Everyone seemed sure Ryback was gonna win this one.

Yeah, not fucking likely. Not with The Shield around.

They'd planned it so that Ryback would hand out some punishment, but once again they made their presence known with their powerbomb. Jon was able to get some of his characteristic weirdness going afterward, standing over Ryback and muttering to himself.

It was so fucking exciting.

And it was all the better, knowing Mary was watching him.

They ran backstage and watched the rest of the match, beaming as Punk stood victorious. It was more than a storyline; Punk was a hero to guys like them. He hated seeing himself as a role model, but Jon knew if it wasn't for guys like him, he'd never have made it to WWE.

Afterwards they reviewed the promo, which looked good, so they showered and changed. He tried to hurry as fast as he could so he could go outside to meet her. He texted her, letting her know he would see her soon. Shit, he could hardly wait.

Once the show was over Jon got ready to leave and put his ring back on. Seth and Roman told him they wouldn't tell anyone about his engagement, figuring he'd do that when he was ready.

He stared down at his ring. He was actually fucking engaged.

Jon headed out to his car, keeping his head down. Roman was going to stay back to hang out with the Rock, and Seth was talking with a few of the guys about a band that was coming to town. Luckily Brodus Clay had already headed out and was signing autographs and taking pictures. He was used to that shit, though; the dude had travelled with fucking Snoop Dogg for years.

It was still weird for Jon, though. Sure, he'd met some cool fans and yeah, had screwed around with some rats, but he couldn't help but think of how fucking scary it was being followed that night. Once they'd gotten to their floor, all three of them holed up in Roman's room, drinking beer and staring blankly at the TV for hours. None of them said a word for a long time. It had scared the fuck out of them. Some people were just goddamn crazy.

Jon walked faster. Mary would be waiting. If someone knew she was with him...

He spotted her and nearly broke in a run. She seemed annoyed and concerned, but gave him a small smile when he got close.

"Let's get out of here," he muttered.

Mary nodded and sighed,'Yes, lets.'

Just as they were about to get into the car, they both heard someone saying. 'Dean, can we get your autograph?'

They both turned around and Mary's eyes widened as she saw two girls standing there. She recognized the one girl from earlier, whom was wearing his old tee shirt.

She took a few steps back and cringed inwardly. She could see the looks upon their faces as they stared upon her. She didn't have to be a psychic to know what they were thinking. Shit, she was a woman herself. There was a slight difference though. She was with him, but they didn't know that. At least not yet anyway. Judging upon the looks on their faces, they had a pretty damn good idea.

The girl focused her gaze on Mary and her smile turned into a sneer. "You his manager or something?"

Mary averted her eyes between the girl in his tee shirt and Jon, who smiled uneasily. She stood there, trying to figure out how to handle the conversation. This was so far from her realm of understanding. She didn't know what to say without causing any unwanted trouble.

She shook her head, 'No, I'm not.'

Jon took a deep breath. He could handle this. Shit, they'd had meetings about this kind of shit. "Maybe next time, sorry. We've gotta get going."

The girl glanced at him, then back at Mary. Her gaze was almost blank. "So who the fuck are you, then?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, 'Why does it matter to you?'

She regretted her words as soon as she said them, knowing she was just going to make the situation worse, but she just couldn't help it. You could take the girl out of the slums, but you can't take the slums out of the girl. She didn't like how condescending this girl was with her. She looked at her as if she couldn't wrap her psyche around the fact that Jon was with someone of the opposite sex.

Jon sighed, shaking his head and gently grabbed her arm, 'Lets get going.'

The girl looked at Jon's hand, the one that was wearing the ring she gave him. Her eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp, shaking her head in disbelief.

Oh shit...

The girl let out a strangled laugh and poked her friend. "You fucking see that shit? Do you see that?"

Her friend scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Un-fucking-real."

Mary gritted her teeth and her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. She hated how they were mocking her. They were snickering and laughing at her. It reminded her of how the girls would treat her in high school, like she was shit. What made it even worse was that these girls looked to be her age, maybe even a little older. It was quite sad really. She knew that she should have just walked away and been the bigger person, but she just couldn't help herself. It was as if they couldn't understand why Jon was with her.

Mary stepped up to them and scoffed, 'Do you have something to say to me, ladies?'

That weird laugh came out of the one girl and she stepped forward. Her blond hair hung in her face, but Mary could see that strange stare. Her eyes were almost glassy. "I fucking dare you," blondie sang.

Her friend sneered and stepped forward to join her. "I'll bet you think you're hot shit," she spat.

Mary took a few steps closer and got into the one girl's face who was wearing his tee shirt, 'Wanna repeat that?'

Jon sighed, shaking his head and put his hands on her shoulders, 'Get in the car, Mary. We don't need to do this here.'

She just stared down the girl, not even listening to him.

"Uh...should we call somebody?"

Mary and the girls turned to see two women staring at them, their phones out and ready. They looked concerned and eyed the girls with trepidation.

The taller woman cleared her throat. "I think everyone should take a step back. Now."

"Or we call the cops," her friend added, and glanced at Jon and Mary.

Blondie laughed. "Fuck off. I'll talk to whoever I fucking want!"

The woman exchanged a glance. "Yeah, you're fucking crazy."

Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'No, you don't have to call anyone. They're not worth it.'

Blondie's eyes widened and she snorted, 'I'm not worth it, honey? Go fucking look in the mirror.'

Mary could feel her anger rising every single time the girl opened her mouth. She knew she should act rational, but as she looked at the blonde girl before her all he could see was that woman she found Jon lying in bed with all those years ago. It was girls such as this which ruined them in the first place. These were the types of women Jon slept around with. She wasn't stupid nor naive to think that she was the only woman he had been with since they broke up. She had seen the pictures and read the stories.

She knew he loved her and he has changed, but it still didn't make her feel any better. She felt her insecurities creeping to the surface. Even though she knew in her heart he didn't cheat on her, it still didn't make her feel any better. She still has not fully gotten over what he had done. We women do forgive, but rarely forget.

Mary could never forget.

Without even thinking, she went to raise her hand to slap her, but Jon grabbed her hand before she even had a chance.

Jon heaved a laborious sigh, 'Get in the car, Mary.'

Mary shook her head, 'No, Jon. I'm not done here yet.'

He wiped a hand over his face and let out an irritated sigh, 'Get in the fucking car, now!'

Mary's eyes widened incredulously. Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. She could not fucking believe he had just humiliated her, especially in front of these girls. Anyone but these girls.

She nodded and scoffed as she shook her head. She said not a word as she stormed over to the car and got in, slamming the door.

Mary could hear the girls laughing at her, saying in a mocking tone, 'Get in the car, Mary!'

"Fucking Christ," Jon muttered, quickly getting in the car and starting it. Mary was obviously pissed, but shit. She'd almost hit a fan. A total fucking psycho bitch of a fan, but still.

Jon checked his mirrors, looking to see if the psychos were standing behind his car to try to trap him. That had happened to him before. Luckily the sane fans had waved over security and were pointing at the crazy girls, who were trying to sneak away.

He sighed in relief and began backing up, peeling out of the parking lot.

The ride back to the hotel was quiet. Mary was still fuming, staring out her window. Jon could understand her being annoyed, but something had really set her off. He decided to give her some space. It had been a frightening experience.

Maybe he'd offer to sleep in the other room. If it would help things, it would be worth it.

They got back to the room without saying a word, and Mary plopped onto the couch, turning her head away from him. Damn, she was furious. Jon took a deep breath and rubbed his neck. "If you want, I'll stay in the other room tonight."

She whirled her head, her eyes glistening with rage and hurt. "Can't fucking stand the sight of me, huh?"

Jon recoiled. "What the fuck are you talking about? I'm trying to give you some space!"

Mary snorted. "Yeah, 'cause that's what I need right now, Jon."

He threw his hands up. "What did you want me to do back there, Mary? You almost hit that girl!"

Mary scoffed and shook her head, 'Sorry, If I'm such an embarrassment to you, Jon. Maybe it's best I just don't fucking go anywhere with you at all. I'll just sit in the hotel room and wait for you to get back like a good little wife. What's the matter? I cramp your style?'

Her eyes widened when she saw the look upon his face. It took her back to the times of when they were younger. The wild look he had in his eyes reminded her of the old Jon.

Jon breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. She was upset. She'd just gotten harassed by a crazy fan. "Mary, you don't embarrass me, okay? I don't want you getting hurt. Those girls were fucking crazy. What if I wasn't there?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Always have to be the hero, don't you, Jon?"

He glared at her. "Why are you so pissed at me? Do you honestly fucking think I should have let you hit that crazy bitch?"

She gritted her teeth. "Oh, so you were trying to protect _her_ then? She one of your fucktoys, Jon?"

His jaw dropped. "How the fuck can you ask me that? Are you fucking kidding me with this shit? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Mary got up from the couch and shrugged her shoulders, 'Ya did it to me before. Who's to say you won't do it again?'

Jon wiped his mouth, feeling his heart race. "You don't trust me. Fucking..." He turned and stared at the bedroom they'd shared the night before, and that morning. "Do you not remember me telling you I never had sex with that girl? And that was fucking years ago, Mary!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're real fucking innocent."

He sneered. "You're right, I should have been more respectable and gotten engaged to someone else. That would have been the right thing to do, huh, Mary?"

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head, 'You son of a bitch. At least he had his shit together. I could take him in public without having to worry about him getting shit faced drunk and starting with any fucking guy that looked at me the wrong way.'

Jon closed his eyes and swallowed. "Okay. Okay. You're right, I was fucked up. I needed to get my shit together." He opened his eyes and stared at her, his gaze hard. "But you nearly fucking married him. You almost gave your life to another man. That shit still fucking hurts, Mary! Jesus, I've never loved anyone but you. I've never lived with anyone but you! I've _always_ wanted this!"

Mary nodded, 'You think I don't feel like shit that I did that, Jon? Ya wanna know why I said yes? It was to forget about you.' She shook her head, 'And I couldn't. I couldn't even let him touch me because it wasn't you.' She scoffed, 'Sure didn't stop you though, did it? No more than fucking two weeks later you're in bed with someone else. You're the only fucking person who's ever touched me. Do you know what that fucking means after...?'

Tears were falling from her eyes and she wiped them away. She took a deep breath and shook her head, 'We're fucking doing it again, Jon.'

Jon sunk onto the couch, feeling dejected. Were they ever going to stop this shit?

Mary managed to take a deep breath. "Jon...do you want to sleep in another bedroom tonight? Is that what you need?"

He looked up at her and shook his head, trying to blink back tears.

She swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat and looked down at him.

Mary whispered, 'If you don't wanna get...married. I'll understand. I didn't mean to start trouble.'

His eyes widened and he stood up, taking her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and began crying as he stroked her hair.

"Don't ever say that, baby," Jon whispered. "You're what I want, Mary. I've always wanted you and I always will."

She nodded against his chest, sniffling.

He sighed and pulled away, kissing her forehead and wiping away her tears. "Baby, I know tonight got scary but I need you to talk to me. What got you so upset? You know I'm not gonna screw around, right?" Jon braced himself for her answer. With his life, he'd be on the road more often than being home, and he needed to make sure that this would work.

Mary sighed and pulled away. "That fucking girl..." She let out a bitter laugh and wiped away her tears. "She reminded me of that girl I found you with that night."

Jon cringed. "Jesus, baby..."

Mary shook her head, 'I know it's stupid, but when I saw her I just...geared all that anger toward her.' She sighed, 'I know you're not gonna do that, Jon. I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I did. I trust you more than I trust myself. I've always trusted you, even when...' She sighed, not wanting to think about that again. She would just get even more angry.

She cupped his face in her hands and leaned up to kiss his forehead, 'I love you so much, Jon.' She smiled shyly and took his hand, 'Come to bed. I wanna show you how much.'

Jon said not a word. He just nodded dumbly as he let her lead him toward their bedroom.

When they got inside, she smiled softly and held up her hand, 'Wait right here. Just sit right down on the bed and wait for me.'

He shook his head in bafflement, 'Mary, what's going on?'

She grinned, shaking her head, 'You'll find out soon enough.'

Mary gave him a sultry smile and walked into the bathroom, closing the door.

He sat on the bed, wondering what in the hell was going on. For a moment, fear crept in his heart wondering if she was planning to slip out of the bathroom window. He laughed aloud at that. There he was being fucking paranoid again.

A few moments later, the door creaked opened and Mary came walking out.

Jon's eyes widened when he looked upon her and he shook his head in disbelief, whispering, 'Ya gotta fucking be kidding me.'

Mary laughed shyly. No matter what had already happened between them, she always felt self-conscious around Jon. He made her feel beautiful. "Do you like it?" she whispered.

Jon sat up, taking her in. She was wearing a white sheer little dress with what looked like a matching lace bra and panties set under it. Incredibly gorgeous and ridiculously sexy. "Come here," he murmured, reaching for her.

She slowly walked over to him and sat down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, 'So, I'm guessing Kat's idea of making me buy this was a good one after all, huh?'

Jon nodded eagerly and ran his hands up and down her sides, making her shiver. "You're so damn beautiful, baby." He grinned and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "How'd I get so lucky?"

Mary ran her hands through his hair and lightly scratched her nails at the nape of his neck, making him tremble. She smiled softly, 'I asked that same question to myself.' She gently gyrated her hips, grinding herself onto him, causing him to let out a groan, 'Ya know, you really fucking scared me on top of that ladder tonight. Almost gave me a heart attack. You're gonna have to make it up to me somehow.'

He gave her a lazy grin. "I've done crazier shit, you know."

"I know," she whispered. "But still..." Mary bit her lower lip and rocked her hips against him.

Jon slid his hands under her, reaching up to pull at her panties, gently scratching at her ass. She moaned and started grinding harder on his lap. He moved up and kissed at her neck, licking at her ear. "What did you have in mind, baby girl?

Mary bit her lip to stifle her groan as he ran his hands up the length of her body. She ran her hands underneath his tee shirt and lightly scratched her nails down his abdomen.

She grinned, 'You can start by taking all these clothes off. I feel a bit underdressed here.'

He grinned and tore his shirt off. "That better?"

Mary hummed and slid her fingers into the waistband of his pants. "It's a start..."

Jon chuckled as she unbuckled his pants and tugged at them. She scooted over so he could continue undressing and giggled when he pulled her back into his lap.

"Much better," Mary sighed, running her hands over his chest.

"Well, now you're _over_dressed," he murmured, and reached down to stroke her through her panties. "I'm thinking we should fix that."

Mary shook her head and grinned wagging her finger in front of his face, 'Not so fast, baby. I didn't pay all this money just to wear this for a few minutes. You want this off me. You're gonna have to earn it.'

Jon smirked and nodded his head, 'Oh, is that so?'

She nodded and smiled, 'Very so.'

He grabbed her hips, bringing her closer against him and rested his forehead against hers, 'Lets see what I can do.'

He picked her up and laid her down on the bed, beaming when she shrieked with utter delight. This was how they were supposed to be; not arguing over all the bullshit in the past or the many stupid ways other people tried to come between them, but in love.

So in love.

Jon kissed her, making her hum with content, then broke away and began covering her entire body with kisses. Mary sighed as he gently kissed around her clothing and moved down between her legs. He nuzzled against her, making her moan, and moved up to cover her with his body.

She was so beautiful.

His future wife.

"I love you," Jon whispered, and stroked her cheeks. "I'm yours, baby. All yours. Always have been, you know. Loved you since we were kids."

Tears filled her eyes as she cupped his face, staring up at the man she's loved ever since she was a little girl. It still never ceased to amaze her this was the same guy who chased her in the rain and offered her a ride, who gave her food when she was starving and too proud to ask. Who gave her so much love that she never thought she'd have or was worthy of. He gave her something no one else ever could, hope. He restored not only her faith in humanity, but in love. She never knew any of that existed before she met him. He showed it to her. He showed her everything.

Mary could not wait to spend the rest of her life with him. She felt so foolish thinking she could replace him. There's no one else out there like him.

She stared up at his ruggedly handsome face and swept the hair away from his eyes, whispering, 'I've loved you forever it feels like. I'm so sorry I tried to replace you.' She took his hand and placed it over her heart,wanting him to feel it beating, 'This was always yours, Jon. Always. I'm yours forever.'

There was a time when he would have told her he didn't deserve her heart, that he was unworthy of her love, but Jon didn't believe that anymore. Sure, he would always put Mary on a pedestal, but he didn't think of himself as utter shit anymore. After they'd broken up, all Jon had was wrestling. It was still his life, but now he had Mary. He knew he wouldn't be engaged to her now if he hadn't gotten his shit together.

They'd both tried to move on, but they couldn't. Paige didn't even come close, and not surprisingly, Mary hadn't been completely happy with David. They were meant for each other, and each other only.

Jon smiled at her, stroking her hair. "Know when I first realized that I loved you?"

Mary smiled back and shook her head.

He laughed softly at the memory. "I'd just come back home after being on the road for a couple of years. You ran up to me and put your arms around me, and I knew. God, it fucking scared the shit out of me. I tried not to feel it, but I did. I was yours, baby. I just never thought you'd be mine." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "But you are. You've been mine, baby."

Tears of happiness ran down her face and she smiled softly, 'I've always been yours, Jon. Always.' She chuckled,'Even when I didn't wanna be.' She cupped his cheek, 'Ya wanna know when I first realized that I loved you?"

Jon nodded. He had tears in his own eyes as he stared down at her, but this time he didn't hide them. He was through with hiding himself from her anymore. He never wanted to hide from her again.

Mary smiled, 'It was when you asked me to the prom.' She laughed, 'I know how ya hate getting dressed up, but ya did it...for me. Just to make me happy. No one's ever cared if I was happy, but you did.' She scoffed, 'Just wish that night ended a bit better. Do you know I was thinking about kissing you that night? I had it all planned out too.' She averted her gaze, feeling like that shy and awkward teenager again.

Jon blinked. "You were?" He shook his head. "Jesus. I remember I tried to kiss you after you graduated..." He closed his eyes, ducking his head at the memory. She'd pushed him away, he could still remember it clear as day. It had been one of the most painful experiences of his life. It still was, even after everything else.

But none of that shit mattered now. They focused too much on the past. It was time for them to focus on their future...together.

He opened his eyes and grinned down at her. "Well, we've made it all up to each other." He took her hand and kissed her ring. "And we're gonna keep making it up to each other." Jon squeezed her hand. "I meant what I said, you know. I'm gonna try to be the man you deserve. I'll never stop trying."

Mary smiled through her tears and took his hand, caressing the ring he wore, 'And I promise that I'll never run away from you again. I am so sorry I tried to replace, Jon. I'll never be able to forgive myself for that. I hated that I did that to you. I'm going to love you for the rest of our lives. I can't fucking wait to be your wife.' She wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning, 'Now get these clothes off of me and make love to me.'

Jon smirked, 'I earned it, huh?'

She nodded and smiled, 'Oh yeah.'

Jon hummed and ran his finger down her side, hooking it into her panties and tugging down. "You knew this would drive me crazy, didn't you?"

Mary ducked her head shyly and chuckled softly,'Ya want the truth? I was scared to death.I never worn anything like this before.'

Sure, she wore that lingerie for him the last time they were together, but that was modest compared to this. When Kat made her buy it, she was hesitant, thinking it was too much, but when she saw the smoldering look in his eyes it erased all of her doubt and reservations.

Jon took a deep breath and sat up, staring down at her. "You look so fucking sexy, baby"

Mary grinned and ran her hand down his chest. "Think so?"

"Fuck yeah." He reached down with one hand and tugged at her underwear, grinning when she lifted up to help him slip them off of her. "There we go..."

She spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist as he sat up, resting on his knees so he could reach down and run his hands along her back, reaching for her bra clasp.

Mary took off her bra and slip, lying there naked before him. He ran his hands over her body and gently cupped her breasts, tweaking her nipples with his thumbs. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

She opened her eyes and grinned, running her hands over his chest, 'Ya know what I've been thinking?'

Jon was exploring her body with his hands as he nodded, 'What's that baby?'

Mary smirked and ran her finger down his chest, stopping just below his groin, 'I've made love with Jon, got fucked by Mox, but I've never had Dean.' She gently grasped his cock, causing him to gasp aloud, 'Kinda wanna know what Dean's like in bed. All that crazy energy...gets a girl's mind racing.'

His eyes widened. Holy shit, she got his blood racing.

Mary grinned at his reaction and stroked him. "So what's a girl gotta do to get fucked by the baddest, sexiest member of The Shield?"

He leaned down and bit at her neck, making her cry out in pleasure. "That's a good start," he growled, digging his nails into her hips.

Mary giggled softly and rolled over so she could sit on his chest. She ran her hands down his chest, stopping just above his groin. She lightly tapped her fingers near there. She smirked as he squirmed and arched his hips up, silently pleading for her to touch him.

'Ya want me to touch you, baby?"

Jon eagerly nodded his head and arched his hips, gasping out, 'Fuck yes.'

She laughed and shook her head, 'Is Dean the kind of man who begs or takes what he wants?"

He reached up and grabbed a handful of her hair. "That wasn't a plea, bitch."

Mary gasped in pleasure as he tugged on her hair, exposing her throat. He sat up and licked it, sucking at her shoulder. "It was a command. You gonna do as you're told?"

She tightly closed her eyes at his heated words. She had to admit in all candor, she liked him this way. She wanted to let him know that she trusted him with all that she is. She accepted every facet of him he had to offer. Tonight she was going to show him how much she loved him, needed him and wanted him. Only him. Always him. She loved him and accepted it all.

Mary chuckled softly and cupped his face in her hands. She stared directly into his eyes, saying in a defiant tone, 'What happens if I don't?'

He sneered down at her. "You trying to piss me off?"

Mary smirked at him. "I just wanna know, Dean."

His sneer turned into a smirk. "I'll fucking punish you." Leaning close, he licked at her earlobe. "You want that?"

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I want that. I trust you. I...love you.'

Jon growled and threw her on the bed, smirking down at her. "Think you can handle me?" he demanded, pinning her arms above her head.

Mary hooked her legs around his waist and leaned up to bite his shoulder, causing him to let out a growl. She grinned, 'Are you gonna keep talking about it or are ya gonna show me?'

He glared at her and reached down with one hand to shove a few fingers inside of her, his thumb pressing down on her clit.

Mary moaned and arched up as he moved his fingers around inside of her.

"Got some mouth on you," Jon growled. "Maybe I should fill it with my cock, shut you up."

Mary took her hand and grabbed his cock, gripping it firmly, 'There ya go with the talking again. I thought Dean was more of a take action kinda man.'

He bared his teeth at her and released her other hand, grabbing at her hair. "You want action, you little bitch? You got it."

Before she even realized what was happening he grabbed her hips, hoisting them up. She gasped and let out a loud moan as he entered her quickly and forcefully.

Jon leaned down and pulled at her hair. "I want you to taste your own pussy when you suck my cock," he hissed, and dragged his nails down her back. He rested his hands on her hips and began pounding into her.

Mary tightly wrapped her legs around his hips as he pounded into her. He gripped her hips, keeping her still as he entered her over and over again in long deep strokes. He was moving so fast she could hardly keep up.

She gripped his biceps and leaned up, biting his shoulder hard enough to draw blood. She ran her nails down his back and smirked knowing he would have scratches in the morning. He let out a guttural groan and sped up the pace so fast the bed was shaking.

Mary bit the cartilage of his ear and whispered, 'This the best ya can do? I'm not impressed.'

Jon chuckled. "I'm just getting started." He withdrew from her and tossed her on her stomach. "Grab the headboard."

She did as she was told, shivering when he raked his nails down her back.

"Mouthy little bitch," Jon growled, and slammed into her.

Mary shrieked into the mattress as he fucked her hard and fast, holding onto her hips so tightly that she knew she'd have bruises tomorrow. His nails dug into her and she moaned as he moved even faster. Jon growled again and grabbed her hair, pulling it back. "Wanna hear you scream."

Mary gripped the headboard tightly as he took her from behind. He was pounding into her so fast the headboard was cracking sharply against the wall. She leaned up in the bed upon her knees and turned her head to kiss him, but he smirked and moved her head before she got a chance.

She used all of the strength she could muster in this moment to turn around and throw him off of her, causing him to fall back against the bed. He looked her at her wide eyed, as if he were completely off guard by her actions.

'What the fuck ya think you're doing, girl?' He sneered at her.

Mary grinned, 'Ya want more of me? You're gonna have to catch me...Dean.'

She gave him a small smile and jumped off the bed, running out of the room in a steadfast pace.

"You little bitch!"

She laughed and ran down the hallway into the living room, squealing when he ran into her and wrapped his arms around her.

She squirmed, but he tightened his hold.

"You seriously thought you could outrun me? Are you fucking kidding me?" Jon growled and lifted her up, carrying her into the other bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them and threw her on the bed. "No one runs from us, especially not me, sweetheart."

Mary laid back on the bed and leaned up upon her elbows. She looked up at him in astonishment, unable to believe this was going to be the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She could not get over how much he has changed. He looked so different from the lanky kid she had met all those years ago. He put on more weight and muscle definition and his face was covered with a beard. His sweat soaked hair was swept back with some of it falling into his eyes. His face looked older, but he was still so handsome and he was all hers.

Before she even had a chance to finish her thought, he pounced upon her and grabbed her head and yanked her hair to whisper in her ear, 'Ya fucking think this is a game?'

She chuckled softly, 'Isn't it?"

His eyes were wild and ferocious. She's never seen this side of him before. Maybe it's because she never has. This was what she's always wanted and dreamed about. This was how a real man treated his woman. She's never felt more like a woman than in this moment.

Mary grabbed his hair and tugged it as hard as she could, causing his neck to snap back.

She whispered into his ear, 'Now that ya caught me, what ya gonna do with me?

"I'm gonna take what's mine," he hissed, and crawled onto the bed. Jon rested on his knees and grabbed her arm, pulling her forward so that her face was close to his waist . "Get that smart mouth of yours on my cock and start sucking. I've fucking earned it, bitch. You saw what I did tonight." He dragged his nails over her shoulder, making her moan. "I did what I always do. I made history and fucked shit up. Now be a good little bitch and suck me off."

Mary looked up at him and gave him a sultry smile. She got on her knees and took his cock in her hands. She wrapped both of her hands around him as she put her mouth upon him. She stared directly into his eyes as she lowered her mouth down upon him, inch by inch. She used her teeth, scraping the sides, making him hiss and moan. He put his hands in her hair and meshed the thick strands in his fingers as he moved her head up and down to increase the pace. He thrust his hips and she found herself gagging as his cock reached the back of her throat, but she didn't stop, she didn't want to. She just kept moving her hands and mouth upon him as fast as she could go.

She looked up at him and smiled around his cock. She released him and whispered, 'That good enough for you, baby?"

He smirked down at her. "It's a start. What else can you do for me?"

Mary grinned up at him. "Lie down and I'll show you."

Jon narrowed his eyes as he lay back on the bed and crossed his arms behind his head. "Better make this good, you little bitch. Don't forget who you're dealing with here."

She purred and stroked his cock. "Mmm, you're Dean Ambrose, the sexiest fucking guy ever to step in the ring."

He chuckled. "There you go."

Mary bent down and licked his shaft, moving down to suck and lick at his balls.

Jon gritted his teeth and moved his hands to the sheets, gripping them tightly. He knew this was a fantasy for her, but he loved getting her unhinged. She was fucking insatiable and he loved every second of it.

She kept working on him, driving him fucking wild. Not wanting to cut the evening short, he pulled her back by her hair and sat up. "Not bad. Now..." He picked her up and threw her on the bed, making her giggle. "Oh, think that's funny? Well, guess what." Jon bent down and bit on her hip, grinning as she gasped. After he pulled back he noticed he'd left teeth marks on her and smiled, tracing them with his finger. "I'm not a gentle guy, sweetheart. Now, you've proven your worth with that sweet mouth of yours, so I'm gonna see if you taste as good as you feel. And since you're such a fucking mouthy bitch, I want you to tell me how much you love seeing me fuck shit up in the ring. Got that? You tell me how much you've wanted to fuck me, how you get wet seeing me come out of the crowd and destroying everybody who gets in my way. Do that and I'll keep tasting you. You stop and I stop. That's the fucking deal." He smirked up at her and put his face between her legs, licking around her entrance.

Mary arched her back in the bed and grabbed his hair as she felt his tongue deeply embedded in her. She bit her lip and groaned as he added three fingers inside of her while his tongue sucked on her clit. She remembered his words, knowing he would stop if she didn't start talking, but he had the ability to make her forget her own name let alone his instructions.

Not wanting him to stop, she gasped out, 'I fucking love when you walk through the crowd, acting like you don't give a shit about anyone or anything.' She groaned aloud when she was rewarded with another finger inside of her increasing the pressure, 'Ugh...and when you...get into the ring and start pouncing...' She chuckled softly, 'Oh, baby it gets me so fucking hot. Fucking love it when ya go crazy. You'd get me so wet I had to fuck myself just to take the edge off...'

He kissed and hummed with his lips around her clit, moving his fingers around her, waiting for her to continue.

Mary writhed on the bed, gasping with pleasure. "God...love seeing how fucking scared they are of you...they see you coming and they wanna run...but they can't...mmmm...'cause you catch up with them and...and..."

Jon raised his head and smirked at her. "Keep going, bitch. Haven't even gotten started here. Keep fucking talking, I'm loving the taste of your pussy."

Mary tightly closed her eyes as tears spilled out of mind was hazy, she could focus upon nothing but his mouth upon her, slowly working her to oblivion.

She gasped and whispered raggedly,'Ugh and when you...stomp on those fuckers...baby gets me so fucking wet I have to change my panties...'She chuckled softly,'I love that you share my...oh my god don't stop...my belong to me.'

"Keep going," he growled, and leaned in to suck at her clit.

"Oh _fuck_..." Mary's legs began to shake as her hips rose up. She could feel the burn inside her stomach, knowing her orgasm was approaching. "Oh god...fuck...I...I can tell you love it too...you love...oh _god_...being...a badass...motherfucker..."

Jon grinned and moved his fingers faster inside of her as he started sucking on her clit as hard as he could.

Mary felt her orgasm ripping through eyes widened and she let out a choked of her hands was gripping his hair while the other was gripping the screamed so loud she was sure she would have a sore throat tomorrow.

She thrashed her head from side to side gasping out,'Oh fucking god...shit..baby...stop...please.'.

Jon smirked around her pussy and bit her clit as he worked two fingers inside of had no intentions of was so wet her juices were wetting his face and spilling onto his hands.

Mary pushed at his forehead, pleading for him to stop, but he held her hips down with his hand and whispered,'You fucking lay there and take it, bitch.'

Mary was sobbing, muttering incoherently as he kept working on her. He sucked on her, swallowing her wetness and she whimpered and writhed against him. Jon looked up and watched her completely lose it, moaning and thrashing helplessly. He was the only one who got to do this to her. God, he loved knowing that.

Her sobs turned to shrieks as she began convulsing again. Jon rubbed her clit with his thumb as he sat up and watched her tear at the bedsheets. She was coming so hard he could feel her clench around his fingers. He grinned and positioned himself in between her legs, pulling his fingers out and quickly shoving his cock in her as she continued to orgasm.

Mary squealed and arched up, her body accepting him eagerly. Jon grabbed her hips and began fucking her again, groaning with pleasure as she kept shuddering around him.

Mary wrapped her legs around his waist as he gripped her hips, digging his fingernails into her skin. She groaned at the pleasure/pain. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her hair as he rode gave her a bruising kiss, biting and sucking her tongue as she gasped into his swallowed her screams as she moved her hips up to meet his. Her hipbones were clashing against his, the friction making his eyes roll back into his head.

Jon bit her neck,whispering, 'Ya fucking love my cock in your pussy, dontcha, bitch?'.

Mary nodded dumbly, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He pulled her hair harder, yanking her head back,' I fucking asked you a question.'

Mary shook her head, hoping he would gripped her hips even harder, pulling her roughly against him every time he pushed into her

Jon grabbed her by the throat and her eyes widened as she gasped out, ' Jon...please.'.

He dropped his hand from her throat and recoiled away from her, knowing he went too far.

Jon froze, feeling horrified. All he could think about was the night in the car, when he'd treated her like a cheap sex toy.

He'd gone too far again.

Shame and humiliation filled him and he looked away from her, focusing his gaze on the wall. He began to pull out of her but she grasped his hips.

"Wait," she whispered.

She swept his sweat drenched hair out of his eyes and smiled softly,'Baby, you're not going anywhere.'

Jon shook his head and averted his eyes downward.

He couldn't even look at her, 'I don't wanna hurt ya anymore, Mary.'

Mary put her finger under his chin and lifted his head up to meet her gave him the loving look that he deserved and smiled,'Baby, ya weren't hurting me.' She grinned,' If ya haven't noticed I was enjoying myself. ' She arched her hips, making him gasp, 'Now come on, Dean. Fuck your girl. I'm yours. You said ya don't ask. Then take it.'

Jon was about to ask her if she was sure but she rolled her hips against him and smiled. The love in her eyes was so overwhelming that it swept away any doubt he had about himself.

They still had a lot to learn about each other, and that was fine. But they'd always be in sync, they'd always have this love, this connection.

He opened his mouth to tell her how much he loved her, but Mary began grinding against him, clearly wanting to save the declarations of love. She wanted the fantasy.

"Dean," she moaned, stroking her breasts and sighing. "God, please fuck me. You make me crazy."

Jon grinned. If his wife to be wanted the fantasy, she was gonna get it.

"You're so fucking wet," he muttered, rocking his hips against her. "I'll bet you rub your pussy every time you see me on TV."

Mary grinned and nodded her head,'Fuck yeah I do.I bet you knew that didn't you? You knew exactly what you were doing to me.' She reached down between their conjoined bodies and played with her clit as he pounded into her, 'I want you to come in my mouth, baby. I wanna taste you again.'

He shoved himself as deep in her as he could go and stayed still for a moment, smirking when she moaned and squirmed against him. "You want that, huh?"

Mary shivered and nodded, still moving against him.

Jon kept still and held her hips. "Well, I want to come in your pussy. But I think I know a way to make us both happy." He pulled out and lay down. "Now get on top of me and ride me. I don't have all fucking night."

Mary rolled on top of him and impaled herself upon him, groaning aloud at the sensation. He was so deep inside of her she could feel him in her womb. She braced her hands upon his chest and rode him. She jerked herself upon him, gasping at the sensation. He gripped her hips and pulled her down roughly, matching her movements.

She could feel another orgasm ripping through her, causing her movements to become weak and uncoordinated. He kept his grip upon her hips, setting the pace for her. She could feel his nails digging into her skin hard enough to draw blood.

Mary leaned down and grasped the back of his head resting her forehead upon his own, ''Please...fuck...God...' She didn't even know why she was pleading to him.

All she knew was that she didn't want to go through this alone, she needed to hold onto him. She wanted him to make the aching, the burning go away.

Jon nodded and flipped her on her back and began pounding into her. "Come for me, wanna feel it," he murmured in her ear. "Make me feel how much you want me. How much you want this."

Mary clenched her pussy around his cock and scratched her nails down his back. She bit his neck, sucking upon the pulse point as she came around him. She was so wet she could feel her juices dripping down her legs and drenching his cock. She arched her hips and rode him, wanting him to feel what he did to her.

She bit his ear and whispered, 'Let me feel it. Tell me how much you want it. I wanna hear you say what I do to you. How I make you feel.'

Jon closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "So tight...gonna make me lose it..."

"Want you to lose it," Mary moaned, squeezing herself so that she was milking his cock. "Want to feel it, want to feel it in me, all over me..."

"Fuck." Jon grasped her shoulders as he pounded into her. "Oh fuck, god, you're so tight...so wet...fuck, I'm getting close..."

Mary reached down and cupped his balls and massaged them. She leaned up and braced her hand upon the bed as she rode him as hard as she could.

She whispered in his ear, 'Come on, baby. Come for your girl. Come on. Ya feel so fucking good. So big. So hard for me. Come on, baby.'

Jon couldn't talk anymore, he was so close. He could feel it building up and he dug his nails into her, unable to help himself.

"Come in me," Mary moaned. "I want it, give it to me, make me feel it..."

With a shout he came inside her, feeling himself shoot deep in her. She purred and grinded against him, gasping when he pulled away and quickly scooted up her body. Jon moaned helplessly as she took him in her mouth, sucking him deep and hard.

"Fuck," he groaned, falling back on the bed as she continued to suck him down, humming at the taste of him. Knowing that she had his come deep in her mouth and pussy made him shiver.

Mary finished swallowing him and crawled up to rest her head on his chest, sighing with content. Jon smiled and stroked her back, his body still tingling.

They stayed like that for a while, but before he could fall asleep Jon got up and gently picked up his fiance, grinning when she burst out laughing.

"What are you doing?" Mary asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Practice. I'm gonna carry you over the threshold, right?" Jon carried her through the living room and headed into the master bedroom.

She giggled. "What the hell?"

Jon shrugged. "I have no fucking idea. Saw it on a wedding site. There's a lot of weird shit people do."

"So why practice?"

He shrugged again. "This bed is better anyway. Plus those sheets are all fucked up now. My wife-to-be deserves clean sheets." He grinned and set her on the bed, crawling in after her.

Mary scoffed and quickly took him in her arms, holding his head to her chest. "With all the sex we're gonna have, I'm gonna get used to dirty sheets."

"Sounds like a plan." Jon nuzzled against her. "Love you, baby. Love you so damn much."

Mary rolled over and rested her head against his chest, smiling softly, 'I love you too, Jon. So much.'

They both fell asleep in each other's arms with smiles upon their faces, content in the fact they would wake up in the morning in each other's arms. Just as it should be. As it was meant to be.

Mary awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window. She lifted her head up from Jon's chest and stared up at him smiling softly. He was in a deep sleep and he had a small smile upon his face. His hair was messy falling into his eyes and his face was lack in sleep. He looked so young, almost like a little boy. She reached up and kissed his forehead. He looked so peaceful that she didn't have the heart to wake him up.

She grinned. She had really tired him out last night.

Mary rolled off to the side of the bed and stretched her taunt muscles that were aching and cramped due to overexertion of last night's activities. Even now she blushed just thinking about all they had done to each other. She felt so happy being here with him that she didn't want to leave the bed, but bathroom duty called and she couldn't hold it in any longer.

She climbed out of the bed and found his tee shirt on the floor, throwing it on. She looked over at him and smiled softly before leaving the comfort and solace of the bedroom they shared.

After going to the bathroom, she went out into the living and grabbed her cellphone to check to see if she had any missed calls or messages.

Mary smiled when she saw a few missed calls from Kasey and a text message asking for her to give her a call. She probably wanted to discuss wedding details.

She shook her head, giggling to herself. She still could not believe she was getting married...to Jon. It's all she ever wanted and never dreamed possible. It still felt so surreal, like she was living in a dream.

Mary dialed Kasey's number and she picked up after a few rings, 'Hey, Kase. What's up?'

She heard Kasey let out a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone, 'Hey, Mary. How are ya?'

Mary smiled beamingly, 'I am wonderful. What's up?'

Kasey sighed into the phone, 'Look, honey. I don't know an easier way to say this so I'm just gonna say it.' She let out another deep sigh, 'Your mama was found in a back alley last night. She's...gone...Mary... I'm so sorry.'

Mary's eyes widened as tears filled her eyes and she sat down upon the couch as if in a daze. It seems as if when something goes right in her life, reality has a way of kicking her in the teeth, cruelly reminding her that her life can never be as simple as she wishes it could be.

Jon stirred in bed, sensing Mary's absence. He opened his eyes and looked around the room, but didn't see a sign of her. It reminded him of when he'd woken up by himself after she'd left to go back to her then-fiance.

He shook his head, rubbing at his face. No, _he_ was her fiance now.

Still, he wanted to be able to wake up next to her. He could never get tired of that.

Jon sighed and got out of bed, throwing on a pair of boxers. He was hoping they'd get to spend the day together, maybe looking at more wedding shit. The Shield wasn't scheduled to make a live appearance on Smackdown, but they were still expected to be there in case of last minute changes.

He wandered out to the living room and smiled when he saw Mary, but then he noticed that she was huddled on the couch, holding herself. Her eyes were red and she had a strange, faraway look in her eye.

"Mary?" Jon hurried over to her and took her in his arms. She took a deep breath and seemed to relax a bit, but she didn't reach for him. Something was wrong. He looked at the small table next to the couch and saw that her phone was on it.

His heart plummeted. Did she get a call from David? Did he say something to her that had her rethinking things?

No, he couldn't just jump to the shittiest conclusion. He needed to focus. Mary was upset, and needed him. If David did call and upset her, they'd handle it together.

"Hey." Jon kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. "Hey, it's okay. What happened, baby? Tell me what happened."

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'I just got off the phone with Kasey. My mom was found dead in an alleyway last night. She died of an overdose.' She scoffed, 'Big surprise there, huh?'

Jon cringed and shook his head,'Shit, baby. I'm sorry.' He scooped her up to rest upon his lap and brought her head to his chest, 'How ya feeling?'

'Ya wanna know the truth?'

He nodded his head.

Mary let out a bitter laugh, 'I'm actually relieved.' She shook her head, 'I'm actually fucking relieved. How horrible is that?'

Jon shook his head, 'It's not horrible, Mary. Your mom had...problems.'

She snorted, 'That's the understatement of the year.'

'Ya gonna go back to Ohio?" Jon asked her.

He hated to think she would be leaving him so soon, especially since they had just reunited, but he would understand. Her mother had just died after all. It was only natural for her to want to be there and make sure everything was taken care of. In all honesty he didn't think her mother deserved it, but he would support her. He loved her. When we love someone we support them no matter our opinions. It took a hell of a long time for him to realize that sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, regardless of the circumstances.

Jon was her fiance. They were sharing their life together. He just didn't have himself to worry about anymore. Everything he did affected her. He needed to be there for her in this moment. It was during these trying times which made us realize how short life is. You have to grasp the moments while you can. You never know how long they will last. You have to let the people in your life know you love them. Every second counts and he didn't want to waste any more time. Not anymore.

Mary shook her head, 'Ya know I was sitting here thinking about it and I thought to myself; Do I really wanna go back there to lay to rest someone in death who never even cared if I lived or died?' She wiped the tears from her eyes and let out a shaky sigh, 'All my life she never cared about me, never loved me the way I wanted her to. The only fucking thing she cared about was getting high. She died doing what she loved. Good for her.'

He sat there silent, not knowing what to say to her in this moment. Even now delicate moments such as this were difficult for him to handle, to grasp. He just never knew what to say. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset her. Lord knows he's done enough of that in the past. He decided the best thing to do was be to just sit here and hold her. To listen to her. She needed him to be her anchor, her touchstone and that's exactly what he was going to be.

She took his hand and tightly grasped onto it as if it were her lifeline as she cried, her tears soaking his bare chest, 'Do you know the first night Slim ever touched me my mother didn't even care? After he...' She took a moment of deliberation to gather her courage for what she was about to say. She took a deep breath and continued, 'All I wanted to do was clean myself. I felt so dirty...so used. I was sitting in the bathtub, washing my blood and...him off me. I scrubbed my skin so hard it was raw. I couldn't get clean enough. My mother came into the bathroom, high out of her fucking mind. She looked at me sitting there in the bathtub filled with my blood and ya wanna know what she said to me?"

Jon had tears in his eyes as he kissed the crown of her head. He swallowed the sadness down as much as he could, not wanting her to see him crying. She needed him to be strong now more than ever. He gritted his teeth in anger, wanting to get on the next plane to Ohio and stain the pavement with that bastard's blood.

He squeezed her hand, asking her, 'What did she say?'

Mary let out a dry laugh, 'She said to pick her up a pack of cigarettes. Her thirteen year old daughter was just raped by her forty year old boyfriend and all she was worried about was a pack of fucking cigarettes. A fucking smoke was more important to her than her own fucking daughter. I was crying and reaching out for her, begging her to hold me and she didn't care.' She sobbed into his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, 'She didn't even fucking care.'

Jon held her tightly, careful not to hurt her. She cuddled close to him and cried as he stroked her hair.

There wasn't anything he could say to make the past disappear. All he could do was be there for her, and he would.

For the rest of his life.

It was hard to keep back the rage that would always be there for Slim. Even if he hadn't fallen in love with Mary, Jon would always want to kill that sick son of a bitch for what he did. Nothing Jon ever did would come close to the evil that Slim did to people. Slim wasn't a man, he was a piece of shit. Part of him wanted to finish the job, track him down and kill him with his bare hands, but that would destroy Jon's future, and it would tear him and Mary apart.

What Jon _could_ do is make sure he did everything in his power to make sure Mary was happy and safe, and he knew he could do that. He would do it.

Mary sniffled and sat up, wiping at her face. "God, I'm such a mess."

Jon shook his head. "You're beautiful and strong."

She scoffed, but smiled. "You're so damn good to me." Mary took a deep breath. "I don't think I'm gonna go to Ohio."

Jon was careful not to show his relief. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She nodded. "I don't wanna dwell on the past. It hurts too much, you know? I want to think about the future. Our future."

"I hear that." Jon pulled her down for a quick kiss. "You wanna get room service or head out?"

Mary shrugged, running her finger along his left arm. "Maybe we can stay in...not sure I want to put clothes on just yet..." She scowled and looked closer at his wrist. "What is that? I never noticed that before."

Jon looked away, feeling his heart race. "I've got scars all over me, babe."

"This one looks different." She looked up at him and frowned. "What's it from?"

Jon gritted his teeth. "It's..." He cleared his throat. "It's from a broken beer bottle."

"On your wrist? Who did that to you, some guy in CZW?"

He felt himself go pale. "I did it to myself, Mary."

Mary shook her head in bafflement, not quite comprehending what he was trying to say. She held his hand and caressed the scar upon his wrist, 'What are you trying to say, Jon?"

He looked away, unsure if he should tell her. He'd never told anybody about that night.

It wasn't a good time for this. She'd just gotten news that her mother was dead, and didn't need to hear this now.

"It was a long time ago." Jon gave her a weak smile. "It's not important now. Trust me."

Mary turned around and cupped his face in her hands. She could tell just by looking at him that something happened in his past he didn't want to revisit again. She could see the pain clearly written in his eyes. His body was tense, as if he bracing himself for something.

She rested her forehead upon his and stroked his cheeks, 'Baby, if there's something that ya wanna tell me, you should. I love you more than anything in this world. I won't judge you, I promise you that.'

Jon averted his eyes downward and shook his head, remaining silent.

Mary lifted his head up to look at her. She could see the unshed tears in his eyes and he was gritting his teeth, as if he were holding back something.

She gave him a warm smile as she stared directly into his eyes, 'You've seen me at my worst, Jon. You know everything there is to know about me. We've been through Hell and back and we're still here, together. Whatever you tell me is not going to change anything. Next week I'm still going to pledge my life to you. No matter what. I'm here, baby. I'm not going anywhere.'

Jon squeezed his eyes shut. He'd pushed this memory so far back in his head that he'd nearly forgotten about it a few times. It was always there, though, lingering like a hateful shadow.

"I'm here," Mary whispered, stroking his face. "I'll always be here. Always, Jon. Nothing you ever tell me will make me stop loving you. No matter what's happened with us, I've never stopped loving you. I never will."

Jon opened his eyes but kept his gaze down. He wiped a hand across his face and sighed. "Okay," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll...I'll tell you."

She kept stroking his hair, waiting patiently for him to continue. After a while Jon was able to speak again.

"I was selling on the corner. I hadn't been doing it for very long...he..." Jon cleared his throat, not wanting to say Slim's name, "...I was so fucking scared of him. He gave me a shit load of stuff but there weren't many people that night...I knew he'd be pissed." Jon sniffed and wiped at his face again. "I didn't have shit to live for. I didn't have anybody. I figured he was gonna kill me anyway, so I...I was by a dumpster and I saw a bottle nearby, so I smashed it on the wall and cut myself."

Jon laughed bitterly and stared down at his scar. "I got impatient. I was bleeding, but I didn't feel woozy or anything. So I figured I had all that shit, so...I used it. I took all of it. My nose started bleeding and my heart felt like it was gonna fucking burst...I remember walking around and finding a parking lot, and I passed out. I remember thinking, 'Thank fuck it's over' and I blacked out."

He swallowed hard, tapping his hands on his legs. "Someone found me and called 911. I woke up in a hospital but snuck out after they told me they were trying to find my parents. I didn't know what the fuck to do, so I went home. He found me, and saw how fucked up I looked and asked what happened. I told him I got in a fight with some asshole who stole all the stuff. I don't know if he knew I took all of it or if he thought that's what actually happened, but he...he nearly beat me to death. He threw me all around the house and kept saying he should kill me, and I remember...I remember asking him why he didn't just do that and he laughed and said I had to prove my worth."

Jon crossed his arms, trying to stop himself from shaking. "After he left my mom came over and just fucking stared at me. I got up and washed my face in the sink...how I fucking was able to move, I have no idea, maybe it was all the shit in me or the stuff the hospital had me on...but I put my head under the faucet and watched the blood run down the drain, and she walked over and leaned in real close and said 'That's why they took Olivia, Jonny boy, 'cause you're fucking useless.' And then she left. I didn't see her again for days."

Mary had tears running down her face as she sat there listening to his story. She held him against her chest as he cried softly. She kissed the top of his head and stroked his face, letting her know she was there for him and wasn't going to leave him.

She took his face in her hands and lifted his head up to stare into his eyes, 'Baby, I'm so glad that you didn't succeed. Cause if ya did I would've never met you and fell in love with you. We would not be here together right now.' She took his wrist and gently caressed the scar as she bent down and kissed it, 'Ya know this is my favorite scar. Cause everytime I see it, it will remind me that fate brought us together. You weren't meant to die that night, Jon.' She smiled through her tears, 'I am so fucking happy that you didn't.'

Jon said not a word. He was too overcome with emotion to speak. He just sat there, letting her stroke and soothe him. He laid his head upon her chest and sobbed. They were gut wrenching sobs that came straight from his soul. He hasn't cried like this since he was a child. He should feel weak in this moment, but he didn't. He felt stronger than ever. It felt good to finally get this burden off his chest he's been carrying inside of himself for years. There was no other person in the world he wanted to share this with.

Mary kissed his forehead and whispered, 'You're not worthless, Jon. You're beautiful, inside and out.'

He snorted and wiped his nose, 'Yeah...sure.'

She shook her head, 'You are. I am so proud to be by your side, Jon. So proud.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'Ya know you're not the only one who wanted to die.'

Jon looked up at her surprised, 'What?'

Mary swallowed the large lump in her throat and let out a shaky sigh, 'It was the first night...he...' She shook her head, not having it in her to say his name. She never wanted to utter his name ever again. He wasn't worth her breath.

She nodded, 'I remember being so...sore I could barely walk. I kept...bleeding...' She took a moment of take in a few deep breaths and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I saw one of my mom's needles and drugs on the table. I...picked it up and held it in my hands. I just wanted the pain to go away. I didn't care how. I knew had to do it. I seen my...mom enough times to know what I was doing. I got as far as getting the belt around my arm until I saw my mom walking into the living room. She was so fucking high out of her mind she could barely talk or walk. I remember thinking I don't wanna die like that. I don't wanna end up like her.' She shook her head and let out a choked sob, 'Look at her now.'

Jon shook his head. "You've never been anything like your mom. Never will be, either. You're everything she couldn't be." He sighed and pulled her close for a hug. She sniffled and moved closer, putting her hand on his heart.

A thought occurred to him. "I think I have an idea. Where you really hungry for breakfast or do you wanna wait?"

"I can wait." Mary laughed, wiping at her cheeks. "I don't have much of an appetite now."

Jon nodded. "Cool." He gently pulled away and took her hand, leading her away from the couch. "Come with me."

Mary tightly held onto his hand as he led her down the hallway into the bathroom.

She shook her head in bafflement, 'What's going on?'

Jon smiled and nodded toward the bathtub, 'I think we both need to get clean, Mary dontcha think?'

She watched, her eyes wide as he leaned down and turned on the faucet, letting the bathtub fill up. Fresh tears filled her eyes as she averted her eyes between the bathtub and him. She knew what he was asking of her and knew what it meant. He wanted to bathe her, purify her. In a way it was as if he were rectifying her mother's wrong.

He walked over to her and grabbed the edge of his tee shirt she was wearing and slowly lifted it up, never taking his eyes off of her. She lifted up her arms, letting him pull off her shirt the rest of the way. She stood there naked before him as he gently picked her up in his arms and sat her down in the bath,

Mary extended her hands outward, whispering to him, 'Aren't you going to join me?"

Jon grinned. "Of course." He peeled off his boxers and settled in the tub with her, holding his arms open so she could settle against him.

She took a deep breath and smiled up at him. "I feel so safe with you, Jon."

He smiled, her declaration bringing tears to his eyes. Jon had plenty of horrible memories, but two would always haunt him. One of them was the night of her award show, when she'd looked at him with disgust. The other was after she'd found him in bed with the valet, and he lost his mind in the parking lot, not wanting to accept the idea of Mary leaving him. Mary had looked at him in pure horror, even backing away at one point. It wasn't a look from an opponent who was legitimately wondering if he was sparring with a guy a few bricks short of a building; it was the look of someone who was wondering if she should have never involved herself with such a loose cannon.

But he wasn't Moxley, or Dean. He was Jon, and Mary loved him. She trusted him. And after all the shit they'd had to deal with, they came out of it strong. Together.

They lay there for a while, Mary resting her head on his chest and Jon keeping his arms wrapped around her. After a while they got out and dried each other off. They spent almost the entire day lying in bed together, making love and sleeping. They shut the blinds and closed the curtains, wanting to escape from the outside world for a bit. It was moments such as this in which they cherished.

In the past, it was rare for them to get moments such as this, but they didn't have to worry about that any longer. This was just a moment of many they would be sharing for an entire lifetime...together. Finally.

After Smackdown's taping, Mary and Jon flew out to Houston, Texas. They got another hotel room, but this time with just a master bedroom. There was no use in getting another room. They were to be married in just a few short days after all.

Jon was off preparing for tonight's taping of Raw, while Mary was busy preparing the last minute details for their wedding. As soon as they landed, they went right to the courthouse to apply for a marriage license. They didn't want to waste anymore time. They wanted to share their lives together as husband and wife as quickly as possible.

Mary unzipped the bag carrying her dress and stared at it in awe. She could not believe she was doing this. She was really getting married to the man she's been in love with ever since she was a child. Tears filled her eyes as she ran her hands down the length of the dress. It wasn't anything too fancy. It was a simple white spaghetti strap dress with lace embroidering at the bottom. It was modestly cut and fell at her knees. It was so unlike the dress she had picked out for her wedding to David. The other dress was so fancy and intricate. Not to mention uncomfortable. The bodice was so tight she had to practically be sewn into it. That other dress wasn't her. It wasn't her life. This dress symbolized everything and the love they shared. It was beautiful, yet simple.

Never did she think she would use the word 'simple' to describe their love, but considering everything they have been through over the years, this was the simplest thing they have ever done. Marrying Jon was the easiest thing in the world to her. It's all she ever wanted and dreamed about for years. She could hardly believe the moment was finally happening. It just two short days she would be Mrs. Good.

She zipped the dress back up and hung it in the closet. She didn't want him to see the dress until their wedding day.

Mary smiled through her tears. Their wedding day. It's about fucking time.

Her eyes widened when she heard the door opening. She quickly hid everything she bought for the wedding and threw them under the bed, not wanting him to see them quite just yet.

Mary walked out into the living room and smiled when she saw him standing there, 'Well well well, look who it is. My handsome soon to be husband.'

Jon beamed and ran over to her, picking her up and swinging her around. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him when he set her down.

"And my gorgeous, amazing, soon to be wife," he murmured, stroking her hair.

Mary sighed and held him tight. "God, I'm so excited."

"Me too. Jesus." He laughed and rubbed her back. "Everyone knows now. They saw my ring."

She pulled back, frowning. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

He snorted. "Why would I be in trouble?"

She shrugged and looked down. "I have no idea how backstage politics work."

"Nah. There's some weird stuff, initiation stuff...nothing creepy...but everyone's cool. Some of the guys told me they're having a bachelor party without me."

Mary smirked at that, but then seemed pensive. "Did you want one? We could probably fit one in."

Jon shook his head. "Not necessary. Shit, I can count my years on the road as one long bachelor party. I just wanna spend time with you." He leaned forward and kissed her.

Mary smiled into his kiss and reluctantly pulled away, 'I have something to tell you.'

Jon grasped her hips and pulled her flush against him, 'Oh yeah? What's that, sweetheart?'

She took a deep breath and averted her eyes downward, 'I...uh...quit my job today. I told them I was getting married and my husband travels on the road. I mean, I'll get another job soon...but I didn't want us to waste anymore time apart, especially since we're getting married. We spent so many years trying to catch up with each other and I didn't want to do that to us again.'

Mary slowly raised her eyes up to look at him. He was silent and had a pensive look on his face as he stared at her. She honestly had no idea what he was thinking at the moment. She immediately regretted her decision without discussing it with him first. They were going to be married. She should know better. She was hoping she hadn't done the wrong thing. The last thing she wanted to do was fuck up their marriage before it even began.

She sighed, 'Did I do the wrong thing?'

Jon frowned at her and rubbed her back. "But baby...you loved your job. I didn't want you to give that up. I don't want you to feel like you have to give things up for me."

Mary cupped his face in her hands and shook her head, smiling softly, 'I'm not giving up anything. As I said, I can find a job anywhere. My life is with you now. I don't wanna have to watch Raw or Smackdown just to see my husband. I don't wanna have to meet in some wayward town just to see you. For so long I was without you. A job is a job. You're everything to me, Jon. You and I we need this. After all the bullshit we've been through, we deserve this.' She cast her eyes downward, 'Unless it's not something ya want. I can get my job back.

Jon took a deep breath. "Baby, you know you don't have to work..." He cringed, not wanting to sound like an asshole. "I don't mean you can't, you know, it's just...we don't have to worry about bills and shit for a while. I mean, we don't have expensive taste and you know, we can save up for important shit like a house and kids and...damn." Jon shook his head, knowing he was babbling yet again. "Just promise me that you're doing this for yourself and not for me. I love being with you as much as possible, but I also don't want you getting tired of going from place to place. It's a lot baby, and I've been on the road for years and it's still crazy. I'd hate to have it wear you down." He laughed. "I'm not making sense, am I?"

Mary nodded and smiled, 'You are, Jon. I understand what you're saying. But this is something that I've thought about and it's what I want. You're what I want. ' She chuckled, 'Don't worry. If I get tired of it, I'll let ya I said I can get a job anywhere. When we find a place to settle down I'll be able to find a job in no time.' She rested her forehead upon his and put her hands on his chest and grinned 'Besides, I'm kinda looking forward to the traveling. It'll be like a different honeymoon every week.'

He laughed and pulled her close for a kiss. "That's my girl..."

Mary grinned and kissed him again. "Always," she whispered.

A thought occurred to him and he pulled back, feeling spooked. She'd already said she was going to watch Raw from the hotel room, as she had some wedding stuff to look over. Jon figured she also wasn't too keen on encountering another asshole lunatic fan, but if they were going to be on the road, how could they avoid that?

Lots of the guys were married, and had families. He needed to talk to them. They'd have suggestions, some ideas. Jon had to keep Mary safe. If anything happened to her...

"Jon?" Mary squeezed his arms. "What's wrong?"

He exhaled. Maybe he was being paranoid, but after that bitch rat got in Mary's face and that shithead psycho followed him and his friends to their hotel room a while back, he couldn't be overcautious. He had to make sure his wife would be safe, no matter what that meant.

Mary took his face in her hands and her eyes widened, 'Baby, what's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.' She chuckled nervously, 'Ya that scared about me seeing what ya do on the road?'

She cringed inwardly at her lame attempt of a joke, but she wanted something to lighten the mood. He had a look upon his face that worried her.

Jon looked down at her and stroked the side of her face with the palm of his hand. "Baby...I want nothing more than to have you on the road with me, but we're gonna have to plan for it. I can't take the idea of something happening to you. There are a lot of crazy assholes out there and..." He shook his head. "We'll find a way to make it work, okay? I just need you to be safe." He smiled. "And no fistfights, baby. I know you can hold your own, but you've gotta avoid crazy bitches who might try to start shit with you just 'cause we're married."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'No fistfights, I promise.' She blushed and ducked her head shyly, 'Sorry, I got carried away that night. I was just kinda take aback, ya know?"

Jon curtly nodded, 'It's understandable.' He sighed, 'Now that's out of the way. Lets start figuring out how the hell we're gonna pull of a wedding in two days.'

She smirked and ran her hand down his chest, 'I was kinda hoping we could start practicing for the honeymoon.'

He chuckled, shaking his head as she grabbed his hand pulling him towards the bedroom. He was already starting to like this whole marriage thing. There were some pretty interesting perks.

Later on that night, Mary got comfortable in front of the television with a glass of wine. She had just finished getting together last minute wedding preparations such as Cody and Kasey's flight arrangements. They had decided upon them being their witnesses, considering all they have done for them. They could think of no other people they wanted to share the most important moment of their lives with.

She watched with slight interested as the show kicked off, celebrating its twentieth anniversary. They were really hyping The Rock performing his infamously called, 'Rock Concert.' She hoped Jon came on before he started singing. Ain't nobody got time for that..

Mary fidgeted in her seat, anxiously awaiting for him to show up. He never told her when he was coming on. He always wanted it to be a surprise for her. She liked it that way. It made her even that more excited for him to come on.

The show got underway and they were almost an hour and a half in and there was still no signs of him. She watched as Mick Foley came into the ring to celebrate being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was standing in the ring about to make a speech when her eyes widened as she heard the distinct sounds of their music starting. Her eyes widened when she saw him walking out into the crowd. She got to the edge of the couch and solely focused upon him. He had started wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off. She could not get over how sexy he looked. She had always loved his arms. She never felt more safe as she felt those strong arms wrapped around her. She continued watching in awe as the three members of The Shield circled the ring, toying with Mick Foley. Just as they were about to strike, Ryback's music blasted throughout the arena.

Mary rolled her eyes. It figured he would show up and ruin everything. He always had a habit of ruining their fun, but she was anxious to see how it would all fold out. She laughed as she watched Jon duck down in the ring, bracing himself for hands were making a come hither motion as if to challenge him. He had a sick and twisted smile upon his face, almost as if he wanted him to come at him and charge him. Dean Ambrose was the kind of man who got off on pain. He thrived upon it and fueled his fire.

Ryback got into the ring and pummeled them, but he was quickly overpowered. All of the sudden, Sheamus' music came on and he came running out, but he too was quickly thrown down by The Shield. Her eyes widened as she saw Randy Orton come out into the ring and charge at them. All six of the men were brawling in the ring. Everything was happening so fast she could hardly keep track of it all. Her eyes were averting back and forth, trying to keep up as best as she could.

Mary covered her mouth and let out an audible gasp when she saw Jon was the only one left in the ring. The three men circled him as he lie there in the middle of the ring as he covered his head. She watched as he got picked up and slammed by Ryback. He plopped down like a dead fish. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the other members of his faction pull him out of the ring. She knew it was fake, but she never liked to see him get hurt...ever. He had a bewildered look upon his face, but he kept wanting to go back into the ring as if to keep fighting. Seth and Roman were carrying him, trying to hold him back. He looked drunk as he tried walking to the back by himself. Her eyes widened when she saw him walk into the Titantron. She could tell he banged his head from the way he was walking. She wondered if he took a misstep or did it on purpose. She would be her life upon the latter. The other members quickly grabbed him and escorted him off into the back.

She shook her head and sighed. When will that boy ever learn? She hoped his face was intact for their wedding.

Mary grabbed her cellphone and sent him a quick text, asking, 'SHOULD I GET THE FIRST AID KIT OUT? YOU WERE GREAT! I LOVE YOU'

Jon had an idea.

It was quite possibly a stupid one, but he went with it.

When they'd found out they were going to try to beat on Mick Foley right after he was announced as the first inductee into the Hall of Fame for 2013, they were excited as hell. This was going to get them awesome heat, and the inevitable save would have people excited.

On a more personal note Jon was glad to have patched things up with Mick. They were supposed to have a long feud back when Jon was in FCW, but it got scrapped after Jon ran his mouth about Mick's family. He hated to blame it on being miserable about his own failings with Mary, but it was the truth.

Mick had spotted Jon's ring and congratulated him, telling him a few stories about his kids when they were younger. "You'll find all that out on your own, though," Mick had said, giving him a knowing grin.

Jon could hardly believe he'd be a father one day.

In the meantime, they had this segment. Ryback, Orton, and Sheamus were going to make the save, they'd fight, and Ryback was going to Shell Shock him and The Shield would retreat...for now. Jon had already told Seth and Roman that he was gonna try to get back in the ring, but they'd drag him to the back so they could attack at a better time. He also told them he was going to go all out and mutter to himself, wandering around like a nutcase, and they liked the idea.

What he didn't tell them was that he was going to walk right into the Titantron.

He figured it would look cool, and would solidify him as an unpredictable nutjob. Those sort of antics went over well when he was Moxley and even in FCW when he was learning how to be Dean Ambrose.

So, they cornered Foley, made him nervous, flipped out when Ryback's music hit, chaos ensued, and Seth and Roman were dragging him to the back. Seth was glaring at the guys in the ring, Roman let him go for a moment, and - BAM!

Okay, that had hurt.

Jon had to laugh when he saw the footage back in the locker room, seeing the looks of genuine surprise on his friend's faces. The two of them watched it with him, chuckling and shaking their heads.

"Dude. Your face." Seth smirked. "You're gonna look banged up for a while."

Jon shrugged. "Yeah?"

Roman raised an eyebrow. "And the wife is cool with that? Wedding pictures will look interesting."

Jon cringed. "Aw, fuck." He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone, staring glumly at it. "She sent a text." He sighed as his friends laughed hysterically and left him alone so he could have some privacy.

He was going to text her back, but figured a phone call would be best.

She picked up pretty quickly. "Are you trying to kill me?" Mary demanded, sounding exhausted but amused.

Jon laughed. "No, no. But it looked cool, didn't it?" He smiled and tapped his feet on the floor. "C'mon, it looked cool."

Mary laughed into the phone, 'Yeah, it did. I think you just pretty much solidified that Dean Ambrose is a certified wacko.' She smiled, 'Good job.' She sighed, 'But really...Jon? Two days before our wedding? Couldn't ya have waited until next week?"

"Nah, 'cause next week we've got a promo and we..." Jon shook his head. "Let's just say we attack somebody important and no one makes a save, so I wouldn't have gotten to do it then. And we show up on Smackdown but we don't wrestle. So it had to be tonight."

Mary sighed again.

"Aww, you're not mad, are ya?" Jon laughed softly. "I promise I'll look okay for our wedding, baby." He lowered his voice. "But I'm gonna need some attention when I get back to the hotel tonight."

Mary smirked, 'Oh really? Is my poor baby hurt? How about you come home and I'll make it all better.' She let out a breathy sigh into the phone, 'Seeing ya on tv tonight got me all hot and bothered. I might need some attention myself.'

Jon giggled and shoved his bag into his locker. "Well, I've gotta take a shower, and get changed, and then I'm coming back to you. Then you'll take care of me and I'll take care of you. Sound like a plan?"

Mary giggled and sighed into the phone, 'Sounds like a plan. I'm lying in bed naked waiting for you. I'm touching myself right now. I'm getting myself all nice and wet for you. Just the way you like it.'

Jon nearly dropped the phone. "Jesus, baby..." His head snapped up at the sound of voices outside the locker room. "Um...hold on..." He quickly headed back to the shower area, going into one of the shower stalls in the back. "Are you serious?" he murmured, leaning against the tile.

"What do you think?" she purred.

He took a deep breath. "Damn, baby..."

"What about you?"

"Uh, no, I'm still dressed. Still in gear, actually."

She grinned, getting an idea, 'Since you gave me such a fucking heart attack tonight. I'm gonna get myself off and you're gonna listen. Think you can handle that, Mr. Badass?'

Jon licked his lips. "I'm guessing I can't join in, then, can I? That's my punishment?" he growled.

Mary chuckled softly, 'Yes it is. You're not the only can that give out punishments, Jon.' She inserted two fingers inside of herself and let out a deep moan, 'Fuck, I'm so wet right now. I'm playing with my clit wishing it was your tongue.'

Jon slid to the floor and took a deep breath. "Wish it was my tongue too. Fuck, you taste good." He licked his lips. "Wish you were here. I'd fuck you right here, right now. Still got my gear on, baby. I know that gets you wet."

Mary chuckled softly and tsked, 'Did I say you could talk?' She bit her lip and sighed, 'Shit, I'm so wet it's dripping over my hand. I have three fingers inside of me right now...ugh...fuck...feels so good.' She took her fingers out of herself and licked them and smacked her lips, 'Mmm, you're right. I do taste good.'

"Jesus," Jon moaned, slipping his hand inside his pants. He squeezed himself to relieve some pressure and hummed into the phone. "Baby...keep going, baby..."

Mary sighed into the phone, 'You're touching yourself aren't you? Don't. Don't lie to me either, Jon. I'll know. If you touch yourself. I stop. That's my rules.' She rolled onto her stomach and grinded her pussy against her fist, 'I'm riding my fist right now baby...fuck...I'm so wet...' She giggled, 'Gonna have to change the sheets again...' She tightly closed her eyes and groaned loudly into the phone, 'Fuck...my...nipples are rubbing against the sheets...feels so good...'

Jon reluctantly slid his hand out of his pants and squirmed on the floor. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, imagining her grinding herself on top of him, arching her back at the feel of his cock deep inside her. He could almost feel her nipples brushing against his face and he moaned helplessly, kicking his legs against the tile.

Mary let out a guttural groan into the phone as she worked herself upon her fist. She sighed and whispered raggedly, 'I'm gonna put my cell phone up to my pussy so you can hear it, baby. You can hear me fucking myself.'

She put her phone near her pussy and grinded herself faster upon her fist. She wanted him to hear every movement, every sound she made as she groaned aloud by the friction she was creating.

Jon whimpered and clutched at the phone tightly. God, she was driving him crazy. He could come so easily now, just listening to her, but he wanted to save it. He was going to give it to her when he got back to the hotel, that was for damn sure.

But god, he was leaking precum and he wasn't even touching himself. If she was there he'd fuck her senseless, regardless of who was in the room or who could hear them.

Jon dug his nails into his leg, trying to distract himself from his imagination. He didn't want to come, not now. Not alone. He wanted to wait until she was in front of him, and then he'd show her what she'd done to him.

Mary put the phone back up to her ear and whispered, 'Ya hear that, baby? Ya hear how wet I am for you? You do that to me, no one else...' She let out a choked sob, 'Fuck...I'm coming...' She panted into the phone as she whispered raggedly, 'Oh, Jon. I'm coming. Fuck...God...'

When she came down from her high, she smirked, 'Now hurry on home cause I need to be fucked.' She abruptly hung up the phone, leaving him hanging.

Jon was so turned on he didn't even take a shower or change. He couldn't think about anything but getting home and being inside of Mary. He was thankful he had enough sense to park in the back of the building with the buses so no one could see him in his gear. He hightailed it back to the hotel, thankful he didn't get stopped by the cops. He was so fucking hard he couldn't sit still. He was squirming in his seat and reached down to stroke himself to soothe the ache and pressure.

When he got back to the hotel, he burst through the door and ran into the their bedroom. He found Mary lying under the covers on her side. Her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. He smirked and crawled into the bed and rested upon his knees. He licked his lips as his eyes ran the length of her body. The sheet was pulled down, only covering the lower half of her body. He traced the length of her curves with his fingertips and licked his lips. She was so goddamn beautiful he could barely think straight when he looked at her. He felt so fucking proud and honored that this amazing woman chose him. Never did he think he would have anyone this beautiful, or be deserving of it for that matter.

Jon shook his head of such emasculating thoughts. Now was not the time to think about things like that. He had more important matters at hand, such as fucking the daylights out of his gorgeous fiance.

He bent down and whispered in her ear, 'Wake up, baby. Time to be fucked.'

She turned around and laid on her back, staring up at him. She grinned, 'Did you really think I fell asleep?'

Mary's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp as she looked upon him. She was surprised to see he was still dressed in his gear from the show. His hair was still mussed up and wild. He had enough sense to take off the bullet proof vest, but he was still wearing the black hooded sweatshirt she loved so damn much. He looked so fucking sexy she couldn't breathe.

Jon's eyes widened and he shook his head in amusement, 'Were ya fucking with me just now?'

Mary met his gaze directly and ran her hands down his bare arms as she whispered, 'Not yet, but I will be.'

She leaned up from the bed and crawled on top of him, pushing him down onto the bed. He watched with hooded eyes as she sat on his crotch. He laid there, staring up at her, mesmerized by her naked form. His eyes drank her in. No matter how many times he saw her like this it always felt like the first time. He always liked discovering something new on her, whether it be a freckle or a mole or some small scar she received from her childhood. He would never get tired of seeing her like this.

As much as he wanted to take the lead, he always liked it when she took control and set the pace. He loved knowing she was comfortable enough to show this side of herself to him. She was uninhibited, wild and insatiable and he loved every fucking single second of it.

Mary slowly ground herself upon him. She could feel how hard he was for her and she grinned.

She gently grasped his cock through his pants, 'This for me, baby?'

Jon grasped her hips and nodded, 'Ya know it is, baby.'

Mary grinned,'Wonder how that happened.'

He snorted, 'Yeah...I wonder. Now that ya have me like this, what ya gonna do with me?'

She placed her hands upon his chest and chuckled, 'Oh, I have some ideas. As much as I love you in this gear. I like ya even more out of it.'

Jon chuckled and nodded, 'Well, baby. By all means, get me the hell out of it.'

Mary smiled, 'Yes, sir.'

She met his gaze and grinned as she slowly unzipped his sweat jacket. She opened it up and he lifted up so she could take it off of him. He laid back down on the bed and watched her curiously, wondering what in the hell she was going to do next.

Mary reached down and unbuckled his belt. He arched his hips to help her take it off. She gasped and bit her lip when she felt his rock hard cock through his pants connecting with her bare pussy. As she looked down at him, she suddenly had an idea. It's something she always wanted to do with him, but never had the nerve to ask him. Maybe it was because when they first became lovers she was so shy and reserved when it came to sex.

Regardless of her past experiences she was so young and not comfortable with her body, but now things were different. She was different. There was nothing hold her back anymore. This was the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with. There was nothing to be afraid or ashamed about. She loved and trusted this man with everything in her.

When she took off his belt, she stretched it in her hands and looked down at him grinning, 'Ya know, I was thinking...'

Jon chuckled, 'Oh yeah?' He gripped her hips tighter and arched into her, making her gasp, 'What's that, darlin?'

She smirked, 'I think you haven't been punished enough for that stunt you pulled tonight.'

'Oh really?" He asked her.

Mary giggled and nodded, 'Really.' She grabbed his hands and leaned over him, making sure her breasts were dangling close to his face. She took the belt and wrapped it around his hands, tying them to the bedpost with it.

Jon's eyes were wide as saucers. He was rendered speechless in this moment, which rarely ever happens. He could not fucking believe she was doing this. It was like something out of one of his fantasies.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'Ya punished me before, Jon. It's my turn.'

He licked his lips and arched his hips up, wanting to feel every part of her. "Fuck, baby..."

"Mmm, that's the idea," Mary purred, slipping her hands in his pants. She gripped his cock and ran her thumb over his tip, smearing his precum around.

Jon whimpered and thrusted up, whining when she took her hand away and shook her head. "No, no...you don't get to decide how this works, baby'

Mary scratched her nails down his chest, making him shiver. She crawled up his body and hovered her pussy above his mouth. Her knees were hooked under his arms.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear,'You smell how wet I am for you baby? Tell me how much ya want it.'

He licked his lips and grinned, the smell of her making him hard. "Fucking want it, baby...damn I want it."

She chuckled and rolled her hips. "You can do better than that."

Jon moaned. "Fuck...want to taste your pussy...I think of it all the time...tasting you, fucking you, feeling you...you're so fucking hot, baby...I want it. Put your face on me, baby." He stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes, wanting her to impale herself on it."

Mary chuckled and shook her head, whispering,' I'm not making it that easy for you, baby. Not this time 's what is going to happen. I'm going to finger myself and get myself off and you're gonna watch me. If you come I'll stop and leave the room with you like this. Understood?'.

Jon nodded his head, not having any semblance of mind to do anything else.

Mary crawled down his body and sat at his feet. She smirked as he sat up as much as he could to watch spread her legs apart as far as they could go, opening herself up to him as she inserted two fingers inside of herself and fondled her breasts.

"Fuck," he whispered, rolling his hips as he watched her work on herself.

Mary smirked and grinds herself on her hand, arching her back and moaning. "Mmm...feels so good."

He breathed deeply, feeling his cock throb at the sight of her. If he got his way she would crawl up and lower her sweet pussy onto him, letting him feel her squeeze him, but she was calling the shots tonight.

Mary closed her eyes and added another finger into herself as she rolled her it in between her was so fucking wet her hands were slipping.

Mary met his gaze directly and took her fingers out of herself. She leaned over him and stuck them in his mouth, letting him taste licked and sucked her fingers eagerly and closed his eyes, savoring her taste.

Mary leaned back down and continued working on herself. She closed her eyes and whispered raggedly, 'Tell me your deepest darkest fantasy Tell me what ya wanna do to me that ya always wanted to but never got the chance to. I wanna hear you say it.'

"I wanna come all over your face," he murmured, his heart pounding. "I want to fuck your ass and come in it and lick the come out. I want you to choke on my cock. I wanna lick you all over your body and leave fucking teeth marks all over you. I want to come on you and rub it in your skin and take you out, making you walk around feeling my come all over you."

Mary closed her eyes and let out a guttural groan at his heated words. She rubbed her clit furiously as she inserted her fingers in and out of herself at a furious as she was about to come she crawled up his body and sat her pussy on his grabbed the headboard and whispered, 'Get me off, baby. Drink from me. I wanna feel your tongue deep inside me'.She could feel her orgasm slowly approaching.

Jon licked eagerly at her entrance, sticking his tongue out as far as he could go, flicking his tongue around and moaning at her taste. She squirmed on his tongue, her wetness dripping down his face. He set his lips on her, drinking and licking at her, losing himself in her.

Mary let out a wail as he tongue fucked her. She gripped the headboard tightly and started to shake as her orgasm hit her like a freight train. She felt her knees go weak as she collapsed on the bed and whimpered. She wanted to plead for him to stop, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her falter. She wanted him to see she could be that woman she always dreamed of being, that he deserved.

Mary mustered up all of the strength she could in this moment and weakly lifted herself off of him. She laid on top of him and licked his wound, causing him to whimper. She smirked and whispered in his ear, 'Has anyone ever done this to you, Jon? Tied you up and made you lose all control?'

Jon shook his head, unable to speak. He stared at her wide-eyed, stunned at how lucky he was to have such an incredibly sexy woman as his future wife.

Mary grinned and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. She figured she had tortured him to put him out of his misery she crawled down his body, giving him open mouth kisses on his chest. She sat on his chest,rubbing her wetness against him as she unzipped his pants and reached in to take out his cock. She quickly slipped his cock between her folds, wanting her juices to coat him. He arched his hips and let out a hiss.

She leaned down and took him in her mouth, humming around met his gaze directly and whispered, 'Love tasting my pussy on your cock. Come on baby. Choke me with your cock.'

Jon closed his eyes and lifted his hips so he could push his cock in her mouth. She kept her jaw wide and let him fuck her mouth. He let his jaw drop at the sensation, feeling his cock slip over her tongue, moaning helplessly

.Mary found herself gagging as she felt his cock hit the back of her throat. She gripped his thighs, steadying herself as he fucked her with his mouth. Her spit drenched his cock, increasing the friction. She cupped his balls and massaged them as she listened to his moans and whimpers, loving the sounds he made for her. She loved knowing she could get him to do this, make him lose control. But she wanted more. She needed it. She needed him inside her and needed to feel his strong hands on her.

Mary released him from her mouth and quickly crawled up his body. She unbuckled the belt from his hands and whispered raggedly, 'Fuck me in the ass, Jon. I need that. I want that. I love you so much.'

Jon gaped up at her, his cock throbbing at her words. "Are you...are you sure...?'

Mary nodded and cupped his face in her smiled softly, 'Yes, I want all of you, Jon.I trust you with my life. I love you.' She gave him a shy smile and turned around to grip the headboard. She looked at him over her shoulder and wiggled her ass.'Do it, baby. As you told me before I don't have all night.'

Still stunned, Jon ran his hands through his hair. "Just...just a sec." He hurried into the bathroom, grabbing a plastic bag he'd thrown a bunch of stuff into and spilled it onto the counter. After spotting the bottle of KY he grinned and ran back to the bed with it, quickly positioning himself behind her.

Mary glanced back at him. "Second thoughts?"

"Fuck no. Just, uh, making sure we're ready." With shaking hands Jon poured a generous amount of KY into his hand and rubbed it onto his cock, the sensation making him gasp. He threw the bottle aside and placed his hands on Mary's hips, leaning forward. "You ready?" he whispered.

She nodded, pushing back against him.

Jon took a deep breath. "I've never done this before, baby. You're gonna be my first."

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head in bafflement, 'Ya mean you never?' She bowed her head and stammered out, 'I thought you...would...since.' She felt floored by his admission. It made her feel special knowing they could share this moment together.

Jon smiled nervously and stroked her sides. "Never did. I just...I don't know. Always wanted to. But you know..." Jon shook his head. Would he ever stop babbling like an idiot around her? "Um, if you don't like it, we can stop, or try other positions." He rubbed her hips. "I don't wanna hurt you."

Mary laid her hands upon his and interlocked their fingers. She turned her head around to stare into his eyes. She smiled

softly and whispered, 'Baby, I love you. I trust you more than anybody. You're the only one I ever trusted with my body this

way. You're the only one I ever wanted like this. I want you in every way possible. Please, baby. Do it.' She rubbed her ass

against his cock, making him hiss and moan, 'Lets share this together.'

Jon nodded and gently slipped his finger inside her ass, drawing in a breath when she groaned. "Does that hurt?"

"No...just never..." Mary pushed back, wanting more. "Jon..."

"Gotta make sure you're ready."

"I'm ready. C'mon."

He nodded again and slipped his finger out, pushing the head of his cock against her hole. "Try to relax, baby...tell me if you want me to stop. I'll go slow.'

Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing herself. She groaned aloud at the sudden intrusion and gripped the headboard tightly. She felt tears slip out of her eyes as she felt him slowly easing into her. The pleasure/pain was unlike anything she ever experienced. It didn't hurt her as much as she thought and just knowing this was a first for him as well put her at ease. She was wet from her orgasm, making it easier for him to maneuver himself.

She took his hand, guiding it to her pussy and slowly eased two of his fingers inside of her. She kept her hand upon his, gently easing her fingers in and out of herself along with him. She groaned aloud as she felt him everywhere inside of her.

Mary shook her head as she began crying softly, whispering raggedly, 'Baby, you always feel so good. Always.' She closed

her eyes and sighed, 'God, I love you so much.'

"Holy...fuck." Jon clenched his jaw, willing himself not to come as soon as he entered her. She felt amazing, and being able to share this with her just made everything that much more intense. "God, I love you..."

They found a slow, steady rhythm, and he shivered, feeling completely surrounded by her. She was everywhere. She was everything.

"Christ...not...not gonna last too long, baby," he gasped. "You feel so good...damn...it's too much..."

Mary shook her head and slowly moved against him, 'Please, don't come yet, baby. I wanna it to last...please.' She closed her eyes, focusing on the feel of him inside of her. He gently grasped her hips, his nails digging into her skin. She leaned up and gave him a bruising kiss and bit his lip as she moved away.

She looked over her shoulder and stared up at him. His eyes were closed and his sweat soaked hair was falling into his eyes. She watched in awe as his muscles moved and rippled with each movement he made. He was so powerful, so masculine and he was all hers.

Mary bit her lip and leaned back forcefully, causing him to fall upon his back. She moved along with him, not wanting to break their connection. He kept his hold upon her hips as she slowly moved up and down upon him, groaning aloud every time she went down.

She looked at him over her shoulder, gasping out, 'Watch me, baby. Look at the beautiful fucking love we make.'

Jon stared at her in awe as she moved on him, the feel of her driving him so crazy that it brought tears to his eyes.

"I am so in love with you," he murmured, squeezing her hips as she moaned and lowered herself on him, rolling her hips. "God...nothing's ever felt as good as you...I'm in love with you...only want you, baby...only ever wanted you..."

Mary rested her hands upon his thighs as she felt her orgasm slowly creeping upon her. Her moves were erratic and she felt herself collapsing under the weight of it. She hunched over and cried out his name, chanting it over and over as if it were a mantra. She tightly closed her eyes and began shaking upon him. She hunched over as she felt herself become weakened and disoriented under the weight of it.

She screamed and gasped out, 'Fuck, I love you! Never came like..this. God, I love you. Come inside me, baby. Wanna feel you come inside me. I want ya to lick it out of me like ya always wanted.'

He gripped her hips tight, moving her on top of him. She was shaking like a leaf and moaning, her body trembling around

him.

"Love you more than anything," he gasped. "Love you so much it's taken me over...you're fucking everywhere...everywhere...and I love it, I love you, you're everything, oh god..." Jon arched up, his movements losing rhythm. "God, oh baby, gonna fucking lose it..."

"Please," she whispered, her voice broken. "Please, I need it, I need you, I love you."

Jon arched his back further, shouting as he released into her, the force of it bringing tears to his eyes. Dimly he could hear her moaning and chanting his name as he emptied himself, holding on to her for dear life.

Mary sighed in content as she felt his seed inside her womb, warming her up and making her tingle all over. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and his head was resting against her back as he gave her open mouth kisses, licking the sweat off of her.

She smiled through her tears of joy and whispered, 'Wasn't there something that came after this? Didn't ya want to lick yourself out of me?"

He chuckled and slowly slipped out of her, kissing down her back as she settled on the bed. "Love you, baby girl," he murmured, slipping his tongue inside of her and moaning when she shuddered. "Love you so much, you're the only one I've

ever wanted like this." He licked inside her, grinning when she began mewling and wriggling. "You like that, baby girl?"

Mary nodded and arched her back, leaning herself against him as she whispered, 'Love you so much. So much...' She took his whole hand in hers and whispered, 'Wanna ride your fist.' She chuckled, 'Getting tired of my own. Love the way ya make

me come. Could do it all night.'

Jon ran his tongue along her hole and sunk his teeth into her ass, grinning as she squealed. "You can ride any part of me, baby. Any fucking time."

Mary ground herself on his fist and swirled her hips. She moaned aloud as she felt his tongue inside of her, intensifying the ache, the need for him. She would always want him, that would never change. She could not fucking wait to have nights like this for the rest of their lives.

She moaned and gasped out, 'Mark me, baby. Wanna look at myself and know what ya did to me.'

Jon growled and bit at her right hip, making her gasp. He released her and licked at the mark he left, kissing at her bruised skin. "You're mine...all mine...and I'm yours...want you all the fucking time." He moved up and bit at her left shoulder. "Drives me fucking crazy. Used to try not to think of you, never thought I could have you." Jon pushed his knuckle into her and rested his other hand on her forehead, tilting her neck back and rubbing his face on it, scratching her with his stubble. "But I have you now, don't I? All fucking mine. Forever, baby. You're gonna feel me and have me forever."

Mary smirked and nodded, 'You have me, baby. I'm yours. All yours.' She tilted her head as much as she could while she was still in his grasp and bit his shoulder, sinking her teeth into him as far as they could go. She could taste his blood in her mouth and felt a sick satisfaction in knowing that she did this. He was apart of her just as much as she was him.

She swirled her hips faster and ground her pussy against his fist as she whispered, 'Deeper. I want your hand deeper inside me, baby. Love you so fucking much.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock when she felt his hand enter her. He laid her face down on the bed as he circled his fist inside of her. He didn't go all the way. He kept only his knuckles inside of her, grinding them against her clit. He laid his entire body over her, covering her like a blanket. She could feel his semi-hard cock in the curve of her ass and she bit back a moan just thinking about what it felt like to have him inside of her. He rubbed his knuckles against her clit, making her shudder and moan every time he moved his hand. She couldn't speak, couldn't move. All she could do was lie there as she felt him on every part of her body.

She grabbed the bedposts of the headboard and gasped out, 'Talk to me, baby. Wanna know what you're thinking. It gets me off just listening to your voice. I used to fuck myself just thinking of you talking to me.'

Jon nuzzled into her neck. "Wanna know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking I'm the luckiest fucking guy on the planet." He kissed and licked at her cheek. "You're everything I've ever wanted, wanted you for so long." He sighed and bit her shoulder. "Used to come so hard just thinking of you, thought I'd fucking die if I ever got to feel you, have my cock in you, have you take my come. And now I get to have that for the rest of my life." He grinned and bit at her again. "That's what I'm thinking, baby."

Tears filled her eyes at his admission and she found herself coming again. She could come just by his words alone. She leaned up and grabbed his face and kissed him as he swallowed her screams. He bit her tongue and drank from her as their tongues dueled. She convulsed around him as he spread his fingers inside of her and twisted her clit, making her buckle underneath him. Her pussy clenched his fingers tightly. He watched her in astonishment, fascinated by her beauty. He loved watching her come. It was one of his favorite sights in the world. He loved knowing he was the only one who ever made her feel like this, lose control. He would be the only one for the rest of their lives. Sweat was pouring down her face as she slowly came down.

Jon rolled off of her and brought her head to rest on his chest.

Mary tangled her legs with his own and kissed his chest whispering, 'I always considered you to be my first, ya know? You're going to be the last. The only one.' She chuckled nervously, 'Ya know when I was young I used to dream about marrying you.' She rolled her eyes and shook her head, 'I can't believe I'm telling you this. Ya probably think it's weird.'

Jon sat up and stared down at her, his eyes wide. "Are you serious?" He reached down and stroked her face, gazing into her eyes. "You really wanted that? To..." Jon felt his throat close with emotion and he swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady. "You really wanted to marry me, back then?"

Mary averted her eyes downward, too embarrassed to look at him. She nodded, 'Yeah...' She let out a nervous laugh, 'I thought you were so fucking cool. Ya didn't care about anyone or anything. I wanted to be like that. I find it funny ya thought ya would never get me. I thought the same thing. I thought ya saw me as nothing but a little girl, someone to protect ya know? I saw the other girls ya would...be with. I wished I could be like them. I wanted ya to see me as more. ' She sighed, 'I remember seeing an empty...condom wrapper in your glove compartment and just pretty much gave up hoping. I thought ya felt sorry for me.'

Jon shook his head. "I've never felt sorry for you, baby. God, if you had any idea..." He laughed humorlessly. "I figured you saw me as brother. Plus I didn't think I deserved someone like you." He ducked his head, feeling self-conscious. Mary reached up and stroked his cheek and his hair, making him smile. He took a deep breath and continued. "I remember seeing how the guys in the gym used to look at you and I wanted to smash their faces in. Always thought of you as my girl, I just never thought I could be with you." He sighed. "And when you got into college I was so fucking proud of you, but losing you broke my damn heart. I thought, 'That's it, I won't be seeing her hardly ever again.' It fucking killed me."

"I came back to you, though," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

He nodded. "You did. We kept coming back to each other, no matter what. We were meant for eachother, baby. God, I still can't believe you're gonna be my wife. I used to think about asking you. Figured you'd laugh and think it was a joke." Jon grinned. "Well, that and I never had enough money for a ring."

"Got a ring now," Mary whispered, brushing her ring against his lips.

He kissed her ring and grinned. "You do. So I wanna do better and get you a house. Anywhere you want, any kind you want. I want a backyard, though. Never really had one...lived in shitty apartments most of my life, and fucking hotels...and I want our kids to have a place where they can play outside."

Mary's eyes widened and tears filled her eyes as she listened to his words, 'Ya still wants kids even if If we have to adopt? Ya don't want any of your own? That's okay with you?'

She hated bringing the subject up again, but it was always lingering in the back of her mind. It is something she'll never truly get over. It's shameful for a woman to know their bodies aren't capable of creating and sustaining a life. She will always feel inadequate and broken because of that. Regardless of what he may think. She always thought he deserved better, someone whole and not damaged and used.

Jon grinned down at her. "It doesn't matter if they share our DNA, baby. Our kids will be ours. And you'll be an amazing mom." He kissed her and stroked her face. "Our kids will be so lucky to be raised by such an amazing woman."

Mary smiled through her tears and cupped his face in her hands, resting his forehead upon hers, 'And our kids our gonna be so lucky to have such a wonderful man as their father.' She chuckled, 'They're gonna think it's so cool you're a wrestler. I can't wait to bring them to shows to see you in action. They're gonna fucking love it and be so proud of you. Like I am.'

Jon laughed. "Not all the matches, though. I don't want my kids walking into walls, trying to be like their dad."

Mary ran her fingertips over the wound and cringed, 'Speaking of that. What in the hell possessed you to do that? I honestly didn't know if you did it by accident or not' She rolled her eyes and chuckled, 'I never fucking know with you.'

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "Don't get pissed, but yeah, it was on purpose."

Mary's eyes widened and she snorted, 'I fucking knew it. Wanna fill me in on why? Other than it looking good.'

He snorted. "It didn't look _good_, it looked _cool_. Seth and Roman had no idea either. Did you see the looks on their faces? Hold on a sec." Jon jumped out of bed and rooted through his bag, smiling as Mary's laughter filled the room. "I'm serious! It was awesome. Look." He got his phone out and cued up the video, then got back into bed and pulled her close.

She sighed and rested her head on his chest. "Fucking lunatic."

Jon cackled. "You know it." He played the video of the boys pulling him back. "Right there, Roman lets me go...boom! Tell me that doesn't look cool! Here, I'll play it again."

Mary humoured him and watched the video for the third time. She leaned in closer and shook her head in bafflement, 'What the hell are you muttering to yourself all the time.? When I used to watch ya on tv I always wondered that.'

Jon laughed. "Really? Most of the time it's just trash talk. Cursing and shit." He giggled. "During our TLC match I told Ryback I hated him when I was putting him on the table, and he pushed at my face. He told me later it was freaking him out."

Mary laughed and shook her head, 'Ya know what's funny?'

Jon kissed her head, 'What's that?'

She threw her leg over his lower body and giggled, 'I find it funny that everyone thinks you're so crazy. Little do they know what a passionate and warm guy you are. Ya have such a big heart. You're like my own little secret.'

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Trying to ruin my reputation? Huh?" Jon ran his fingers down her side, grinning when she squirmed and giggled. Jon rolled on top of her and gazed down at her. "You're the only one who gets this side of me, baby."

Mary held his face in her hands and gazed up at him, smiling softly, 'I wouldn't have it any other way, honey.' She giggled, 'Do you realize that we're fucking get married in two days? Married! Ya know you're not seeing me the night before the wedding, right?"

Jon's face fell. "What? Why? How come?" He knew he sounded pathetic, but he hoped she was kidding. How was he gonna sleep without her by his side? He'd done that enough.

Mary grinned and playfully slapped his shoulder, 'Because it's tradition, silly. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Kasey and I are gonna stay together while you and Cody do whatever ya boys do when you're left alone.' She pouted, 'Why? Gonna miss me?'

Jon crossed his arms. "Who cares about some stupid tradition?" He frowned at the comforter, kicking at it. "I don't wanna avoid you for an entire day, that's dumb."

Mary giggled and grabbed his face, kissing his cheek, 'Aw, baby. I'll be in the same hotel. Ya can always call me, ya know?' She sighed, taking on a serious tone, 'This is really important for me, ya know? I wanna make sure everything is perfect. You're not avoiding me.' She ran her hand down his chest and whispered in his ear, 'Besides, think about how much more exciting it will be on our wedding night. They say absence does make the heart grow fonder.'

Jon scowled and pulled her close. "If that's what you want, we'll do it." He kissed her forehead. "But that means I'm not gonna let you leave my sight until then. And yeah, we're gonna make up for it that night." Jon grinned and ran his fingers through her hair. "When I finally make you my wife."

Mary rested her head under the crook of his arm and held his hand. She stared up at the ceiling and smiled wistfully, 'Mary Elizabeth Good. I like that the sound of that, don't you?'

Jon giggled. "So you're gonna take my name, huh?" He paused. "You don't have to, you know. Shit, people probably think we already are married." His smiled faded and he squeezed her hand. "I was fucking scared as shit when they approved the name. I thought you'd see it and think I was some pathetic asshole." Jon shrugged. "I just knew I'd always be in love with you, and I figured if I couldn't have you, I'd..." His voice trailed off and he sighed. "Nevermind, I sound like a fucking idiot. As usual, right?"

Mary sat up and rested her head upon his chest, staring up at him. She cupped his cheek and smiled, 'Baby, when I saw you did that it only solidified things for me. I was always in love with you too...always. ' She scoffed, 'And stop fucking calling yourself an idiot. Ya know I don't like you talking about yourself that way.' She smiled through her tears, 'I would be honored to have your last name. I want everyone to know who I belong to.' She averted her eyes downward, 'I used to write your last name on my notebooks when I was younger.' She rolled her eyes, 'Typical fucking girl, I know. But it just shows you that even then I knew we belonged together, Jon. Now look at us. We're getting married. I'm gonna be your wife and you're gonna be my husband.' She let out a dry laugh, 'As much as I hate Slim in a way I'm thankful for him. Cause if you didn't see me in that kitchen we would've never gotten to this point.'

Jon pulled her close. "Look at me. Don't say his name again, Mary. He's in the past and he's done. What we have now is more important than any of that." He took a deep breath and ran his fingers along her cheek. "Mary, I'm so, so in love with you. I know it hasn't been easy with me, and I know a lot of fucked up shit happened, but I've never doubted that I love you. It scared me and it hurt me, but it's always been real. You're my everything." He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. "We're all that matters baby. I'm gonna make damn sure you have a good life. You deserve one." Jon grinned, looking deep in her eyes. "We both do, baby."

Mary had tears falling from her eyes when she grabbed his face and gave him a deep kiss, which he readily returned. She rested her forehead against his and stroked his face, whispering, 'Baby, I love you more than anything. I'm going to take such good care of you. I promise. You deserve to be taken care of too. I'm never gonna leave you, ever. You and me...forever and always. Jon and Mary, just as it's always been and always be.'

"So beautiful," he murmured, pulling her close. "God, I love you. I was fucking lost without you, baby. Never gonna be lost again." Jon pulled them down and got them settled in bed, his body starting to feel the effects of wrestling and sex. He yawned and nuzzled against his fiance, who purred and snuggled closer. Jon glanced around the room at his ring gear all over the floor and chuckled. "Aw, man."

"What's that?" Mary whispered, her eyes half-lidded.

"Got out of there in a hurry, still in my gear...you got me crazy, baby...and I'm betting the guys think I was running home 'cause I was in deep shit for fucking my face up before our wedding." Jon chuckled and reached over to turn the lamp off. "I'll let him keep thinking that. Fuck it."

Mary giggled and snuggled against him as he lay back in bed. "I keep wearing you out, don't I?"

"Mmm, I love it." Jon kissed her forehead and grinned. "I'm the luckiest guy on the planet, that's for damn sure."

She smiled softly and whispered, 'We both are'

Mary rested her head upon Jon's chest. He pulled the blankets up over them and kissed her forehead. He looked down at her and smiled softly. Her eyes were closed and she was already asleep. He tightly wrapped his arms around her and joined her in slumber. For once in his life he actually looked forward to waking up the next day.


	23. Chapter 23

Mary could not believe the moment has finally arrived. She was finally going to be marrying the man of her dreams, the man she's loved ever since she was a little girl. The night before she hardly got any sleep. She and Kasey stayed in a separate room apart from the men. She wanted to be traditional and didn't want him to see her before the wedding, much to his chagrin. He had to tape Smackdown and shoot a promo with the guys, which gave she and Kasey ample opportunity to get everything done in the meantime.

She found herself lying in bed alone, staring mindlessly up at the ceiling. He had called her, wanting to just hear her voice. It seemed as if he missed her just as much as she did him. They spent almost the entire night talking about everything and nothing. Their hushed whispers gave one another comfort for the time being. They eventually tired themselves out and fell asleep while still on the phone, just as they had done so many times before in the past.

Mary stood in the hallway of the courthouse. Jon and Cody were already inside waiting for her. She stood there, taking a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves. She was so nervous she could hardly hold onto her bouquet, which consisted of wildflowers held together by blue lace. She looked down at herself and smoothed her hands over her dress nervously, hoping she looked okay. The dress was loose fitting and perfect for the warm weather. She decided to forego heels as that would just be too dressy and fancy. Instead she went back to the store and exchanged them for a pair of beige flats. Kasey had style her hair by curling it and sweeping it over to the side. She was also wearing the necklace he had given her when she was just sixteen years old. When they broke up, she stopped wearing it. It was just a painful reminder of what they shared together. She could not fathom they were at this point. They truly have come full circle. Kasey had put a lily flower behind her ear, saying it would look beautiful and make Jon melt. Whatever the hell that meant. She wore minimal makeup. Just some nude eyeshadow and lipgloss. Jon had always told her he thought she looked much more beautiful without it and she wanted to please him. She wanted to look beautiful for him today. He deserved that, just as he deserved for her to love him for the rest of her life, which is exactly what she intended on doing.

Kasey had also given her a lace shawl she wore to her own wedding, saying that every bride needed something borrowed for good luck.

She stood there waiting to be called in. She was fidgeting and shuffling back and forth upon the heels of her feet as she tugged nervously at her dress.

Kasey laughed and shook her head, giving her a pat on the back, 'Relax honey. Everything's gonna be fine.'

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I know that.' She sighed and turned to her, 'Does my hair look okay? Maybe I should've worn a different dress. I look like a child.' She began fussing over herself, running her hands through her hair and down the length of her dress.

Kasey waved her hand dismissively in the air and scoffed, 'Stop that. You're just being a nervous bride.' She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze, 'You look gorgeous honey and Jon is going to think so too. ' She chuckled, 'Shit, he'd think you're beautiful wearing a fucking potato sack.'

Tears filled her eyes as she smiled softly, 'I'm so happy, Kase. I love him so much. I can't believe this is finally happening.'

Kasey smiled through her own tears, 'I did. I knew just by the way you looked at each other that you were meant for one another. I knew he loved you just by the way he looked at you. You've loved each other since you were kids. He looked at you like there was no one else on this Earth he wanted to look at. You two are meant to be, honey. Sure you two may have had your ups and down, but so does every couple. But no matter what you never stopped loving each other. You never gave up.' She chuckled softly, 'Now look at ya both, getting all married and shit.'

Mary laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Kasey, embracing her in a warm hug, 'Thank you for everything that you've done for me. You have no idea how much this means to me. You saved my life. You and Cody. I'll never be able to thank you enough. I love you, Kasey. I really fucking do.'

Kasey had tears coming down her face and kissed her cheek, 'I love you too, honey. So much. You're like the daughter I never had but always wanted. Don't ever thank me. Having you in my life is a joy. I am so damn happy you're the woman taking care of Jon. Cause he really needs someone to take care of him. You both do. The two of you are soulmates. You're gonna have a beautiful life together.'

Mary nodded, 'I know we are.'

Kasey took a step back and sighed, 'Well, we better get in there. Don't wanna keep our boys waiting.'

Mary smiled and wiped her tears away, 'Look at us, we look a mess.'

Kasey shook her head and scoffed, 'Eh, I'll doubt they notice.' She cupped her cheek, smiling softly, 'Besides, you look beautiful, sweetheart.' She grabbed her hand and winked,' Come on, lets get this show on the road, shall we?'

Mary heaved a laborious sighed and nodded, 'Yes, lets do that.'

Mary and Kasey walked hand in hand into the courthouse, on toward her destiny. This was to be the last step she would take in her old life and was looking forward to a new beginning. A new journey with Jon.

Jon ran his hands through his hair. Christ, he felt the same way as he did before TLC. His heart was beating a mile and minute and his palms were sweating like mad. He had no idea why he was so fucking nervous. This was what he wanted, what he'd always dreamed of. Plus Jon no longer felt like a worthless piece of shit all the time, unworthy of his dream girl.

They deserved each other. They wanted each other.

So why did his heart feel like it was ready to burst out of his chest?

"You're gonna be fine," Cody insisted, patting him on the back.

Jon sighed and wandered back over to the mirror, staring at himself. "I look okay?"

Cody chuckled. "You know you do. You fucking dress in black all the goddamn time."

Jon grunted and took a deep breath. He'd decided to wear the suit for when he went to Wrestlemania to confront Mick Foley, since Mary had told him as they were lying in bed one night that she used to watch that video all the time. "You looked so sexy," she'd purred, running nails down his back.

He had to stop thinking about that. They'd spent the day apart yesterday and it drove him fucking crazy. Luckily he got to unleash some frustration during his promo, but he still had to go back to the hotel alone. It fucking sucked. The sad thing was that if they had done this years ago, he would have freaked out and trashed his hotel room. Instead he stayed on the phone with Mary all night, letting her voice soothe him.

Their timing worked out, which was a relief. They'd tried to move on, they almost let their own bullshit get in the way, but all that shit was over. Now it was just the two of them.

"It's time," Cody announced, and smacked him on the back. "Ready to get married?"

Jon grinned at his reflection. "I'm ready."

They made their way to the small chapel like area in the courthouse that they reserved for private weddings. It was already decorated, which relieved Jon to no fucking end as the idea of having to help pick out decorations made his head hurt. Jon took a deep breath and stood next to the officiant, who gave him a warm smile.

"Nervous?" he asked kindly.

Jon shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Nah, I'm fine."

Cody snickered but Jon managed to silence him with a glare.

"I believe that's your bride," the officiant murmured, nodding at the doors.

Jon looked and his breath caught in his throat.

Mary had always looked beautiful to him. Always. He'd seen her beaten, crying, exhausted, furious, tired, and she was just as beautiful as she was when she was happy and energetic. She had an aura about her that he'd been drawn to even before they knew each other.

But now...oh god.

Her dress was white, nothing ridiculously fancy but still gorgeous. Mary looked comfortable and happy, so unlike when he'd seen her at her engagement party. Her natural beauty shone through, and it was so breathtaking Jon felt a little dizzy. She was holding wildflowers and had a lily in her hair. For a second Jon thought of the flowers he gave her when she graduated high school and his eyes welled up with tears.

She looked so happy. She was happy to be marrying him, to pledge her life to him.

This was the love of his life, and she was going to be his. Forever.

Jon used to laugh at the idea of soulmates when he was a kid, thinking that sort of shit wasn't for a guy like him.

But then Mary came along and changed everything. He fell in love with her completely. Denying it was useless.

Even when they started dating he didn't believe it. Jon felt so unworthy of her that they fell apart. He knew having that time alone was an important part of getting his act together and finally realizing that he deserved to be with her, but her absence had hurt like hell.

He'd never feel that again. They were getting married now. No matter how far he'd be from her, she was going to be with him, always. Their love was that fucking strong.

Mary grinned and walked up to him, handing Kasey her bouquet and reaching for his hands.

"Hey," she whispered, squeezing his fingers.

"Hey," he managed, staring at her in awe.

Mary could not get over how handsome he was wearing that all black suit she had loved so was the suit she had seen him wearing at Wrestlemania during that infamous confrontation with Mick Foley. She remembered telling him how sexy he looked in it as they were lying in bed one night. His hair was slicked back and he was clean shaven, making him look so looked almost as he had when they were younger. He was so fucking handsome he took her breath away. She could not fathom that this was going to be the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, just as it should be. She found herself crying before the wedding officially began. She was so damn happy she could not breathe. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty and she was shaking slightly. It was odd, she was so fucking scared to marry David, petrified even, but when she looked at Jon and stood before him as his bride she felt none of those things. In fact she felt excited, elated and anxious to finally marry the man she has loved and wanted ever since she was a child.

Mary cupped his cheek and smiled softly at him, running her hand over his even the wound upon his face could mar his beauty, 'You look so handsome, sweetheart.'

He laughed and gently stroked her hair. "You're so damn beautiful." Jon drew in a shaking breath. God, how did he get so lucky?

"Would you like to get started?" the officiant asked.

Jon nodded. "Hell yes. I've been wanting to do this for years."

They all chuckled at that and Mary grinned. "Me too."

"Very well." The officiant smiling knowingly and opened his book. "Friends, we are gathered here to celebrate the joining of Jon and Mary. We are honored to be in their presence as they commit to sharing their lives together, as they pledge to continue loving each other for the rest of their lives. It is my understanding that the bride and groom have prepared their own vows, and at this time I will ask the groom to read his vows."

Jon nodded and took a deep breath. This was it. Jesus.

Mary sensed his nervousness and squeezed his hands again, giving him an encouraging grin.

Jon smiled, and began. "Mary...You're the only thing that's always been a positive force for me. Knowing you has made me want to be a better person, a better man. When I look at you I see the woman I want to spend my life with, my best friend, the girl I've wanted since I was a kid."

She beamed at that, and he grinned, relaxing a bit. He took another deep breath and continued.

"We've been through so much together, and we've come out of all of it stronger. I know we're gonna have some rough times ahead, and we're gonna struggle, but I believe in our love above everything else. I know we're going to be able to rely on our love to get us through whatever life throws at us. I know we're going to rely on our love no matter how far apart we are. And I know that our children are going to witness our love and it'll make them strong."

Her eyes filled with tears and Jon smiled, taking a step closer to the love of his life. He gazed into her eyes and felt his heart swell at the love he saw, and with a shaking breath was able to continue his vows.

"I don't usually make promises, but I'm swearing this to you: I will continue to be the man you deserve, the man you fell in love with. I will make sure you feel safe and loved no matter where you are. I will provide for you, I will do everything I can to make you happy and grateful that you're my wife. I will take your love with me everywhere I go, because you've always had my heart and now I know that I have yours. I will keep us together no matter what happens. I will make you proud of me and I will be a loving husband and father. I will be yours forever, Mary, because I am so in love with you, and I am meant to be with you. Always."

She let out a shaky sigh. Tears of happiness were falling from her eyes. She cupped his cheek and held his hands tightly as she stared directly into his eyes. She smiled through her tears as she began, 'I love you, Jon. I have loved you ever since I was fourteen years old. You are my best friend and will be forever..I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. '

Mary was practically sobbing at this point. Jon had tears falling from his own eyes as he cupped her face in his hands and swept her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, 'I promise to appreciate our differences, to be open and honest, especially around things that are difficult to say. I promise to give you the freedom to be yourself, and to explore

your world. I promise to trust in our growth, and our ability to change and discover new adventures together. In all that life may bring us, my love is yours...forever and always.'

She squeezed his hand tightly as she lifted it up to her lips to kiss his knuckles, 'Today I give myself to you in marriage to be your wife.I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, caring, loving and being there for you in all life has for us. I will always be the person that you can trust, talk to and the person that will always understand. I will make my home in your heart. These promises I give you today and all of the days of our lives. '

Jon smiled through his tears and bent his head down, touching his forehead to hers. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Mary whispered back.

The officiant smiled warmly. "Now that you have pledged your love to one another, and with these vows in mind, Jon, do you take Mary to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her for all time?"

Jon grinned. "I do."

"Mary, with your vows to Jon in mind, do you take him to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him for all time?

Mary beamed through her tears. "I do."

"May I have the rings, please?" Cody and Kasey stepped forward, handing the rings that Jon and Mary had given them earlier. Kasey was crying and so was Cody, though he was trying to hide it.

The officiant handed him Mary's ring. "Jon, please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me: Mary, I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love for you."

Jon looked into her eyes, the same eyes that he'd lost himself in years ago. "Mary, I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love to you."

Mary took his ring from the officiant and positioned it over Jon's finger. The officiant continued. "Mary, please place the ring on his finger and repeat after me: Jon, I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you."

Jon took a deep breath as Mary slipped the ring on his finger and repeated the words back to him. He hadn't had the ring off for very long, but he'd been aching to put it back on. Most of the guys took off their rings when they competed, but he noticed Orton wore a simple band while keeping his actual wedding ring locked up backstage. Jon was gonna have to do something like that. He wanted to wear his ring at all times, as it was a reminder of his and Mary's love. He smiled down at it. This was what he wanted when he opened that box in their apartment, and now he had it.

Forever.

The officiant clasped his hands together. "Jon and Mary, you have made your marriage vows to one another, witnessed by your friends. You have sealed your vows with the giving and receiving of these rings. So now, by the power vested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jon, you may kiss the bride."

Jon grinned and stepped forward, taking Mary's face in his hands. "My beautiful wife," he whispered, and leaned in to give her the kiss he'd been wanting for most of his life: their wedding kiss.

Mary wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. When they finally pulled away, her eyes shone with tears. She stroked his face, staring at him in complete adoration. "My beautiful husband," she murmured. "I love you."

"I love you," Jon murmured, and wrapped his arms around her.

They were finally married. He got everything he ever wanted, and it was real. It was his. For the rest of their lives.

(DON'T WORRY. IT'S NOT OVER YET FOLKS...LOL)


	24. Chapter 24

After the wedding, Jon, Mary, Kasey and Cody went to a restaurant nearby to celebrate. They had a nice dinner, some wine and a lot of laughs. They remained close throughout the whole dinner, whether it be holding hands or just having their arms wrapped around one another. They could hardly believe it finally happened. They were now husband and wife. There was nothing that could stand between them any longer. They have persevered through all the strife, the bullshit and distances and could now spend the rest of their lives loving one another.

After the dinner Cody and Kasey dropped the newlyweds off at another surprised them with a luxury honeymoon suite as a wedding gift. They were unable to have a real honeymoon on account of Jon's schedule, but none of that mattered to them. They had each other. It is all they have ever wanted.

When they reached the door of the suite, Jon had unlocked the door and picked her up, carrying her over the threshold.

Mary wrapped her arms around him and giggled in delight.

Jon set her down to stand in front of him and cupped her faces in his hands to give her a deep rested his forehead against hers and whispered, 'I love you, Mrs. Good. My beautiful wife'.

Mary smiled through her tears and stroked his face, 'And I love you, 'Mr. Good. My wonderful handsome husband.'.

Jon grasped her hips and roved his eyes up and down her form, 'As beautiful as you look in this dress, baby. I could not wait to get ya out of it. Been one fucking day but it feels like forever'.

Mary smiled, 'I know what ya mean.' She raised her finger and grinned, 'But hold that thought. I have a surprise for you.'.

Jon smirked and nodded, his heart already racing at what it could be. He arched his eyebrow, 'A surprise, huh? Well, by all means, baby. Give it to me.'.

Mary smiled ,' Well, you just sit there and get comfortable. I'll be just a moment.'.

Jon took his suit jacket and tie off, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt. He sat there on the bed and stared down at his wedding ring, grinning. He could not fucking believe he was married and to Mary. This is everything he ever dreamed but never dared it to be possible. He had a wife, he was a husband. It still has not sunken in for him yet. His ears perked up when he heard the sound of the door opening. He turned his head and his eyes widened by what he saw. Mary was standing there wearing a white lace bra and lace see through panties with garter belts attached to them. He also could not help but notice she was wearing a light blue garter belt around her left thigh. He was rendered speechless. All he could do was sit there with his mouth gaped open as he stared up at her in awe, unable to believe this gorgeous woman was his wife.

Mary walked over to him and rested her left foot between his legs.

She gave him a sexy smile and whispered, 'Aren't ya gonna take the garter belt off? It is tradition and all.'

He ran his hands up her long legs, stroking the garter with his fingers. "Tradition, huh? You seem to like tradition, Mrs. Good'.

Mary tangled her hands in his thick hair and smiled, 'Well, there is also another tradition where the husband is supposed to consummate the marriage. Now hurry up and get this stupid tradition over with.' She grinned, 'I wanna get to the consummation part.'

Jon smirked and slipped a few fingers under her garter. "That sounds good, but I think you should give me some incentive. I mean, I made it up to you for getting my face cut up before our wedding, but your love of traditions left me...unsatisfied for a whole day. So I'm thinking it's your turn to show me how much you want something."

Mary grinned and nodded her head, 'Oh, well please tell me Mr. Good. How can your wife please you? I mean I should perform my wifely duties.' She leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'Tell me, hubby. What can your wife do for you?'

Jon growled and ran his nails down her leg. "You can start by putting that gorgeous mouth of yours on my cock."

Mary smirked and gazed at him from under her lashes, 'Whatever makes you happy my sexy husband.' She winked at him and slowly got down upon her knees before him and kneeled between his legs. She never took her eyes off of him as she slowly unbuckled his belt. She bit her lip and unzipped his pant agonizingly slow, wanting to tease him a bit. She took his cock out of his boxers. He was semi hard already. She licked her lips as she stared into his eyes and slowly swirled her tongue around the tip, making him hiss. He threw his head back and groaned when she spit onto his cock and stroked him until he was rock hard and swollen in her hands.

Mary grinned around his cock and released him as she whispered, 'Watch me, baby. Watch your wife enjoying your cock.' She took him in her mouth and ran her tongue along the length of him and released him once again, 'Fuck, my husband taste so good.'

"Mmm, yeah." Jon grinned down at her, running his hands through her hair. "Fucking love your mouth, baby. Used to jerk off imagining this...came so hard just thinking about it." He gritted his teeth as she ran her tongue under the head of his cock. "Damn...I'm gonna get my come all over you, all in you tonight. Gonna mark my beautiful wife with my come."

Mary found herself getting wet by his heated words. Who the hell was she kidding? She was wet the first time she saw him in his suit. She brought her mouth all the way down upon him and bobbed her head up and down creating a friction. She watched him as he moaned and threw his head back, gasping her name.

She released him and continued to stroke him as she whispered, staring up at him, 'Ya know when we first started living together before we became a couple I used to fuck myself imagining it was you. I would imagine you coming into my room and putting your face between my legs. I used to come so hard I'm surprised ya never heard me.' She chuckled, 'There were times I wished ya did.'

Jon looked down at her in shock. "You're kidding."

She grinned and stroked him harder. "Nope."

He reached down and pulled her into his lap, biting and sucking at her neck. "You know how many times I've jerked off, knowing you were so close to me?" Jon growled, pulling at her garter. "Fuck, baby, a few times I almost passed out, I came so hard. Used to think about you sucking me, me licking your pussy, shoving my cock in you until you came hard, squeezing my cock, taking my come and letting me get off inside you." He pulled at her garter, ripping it from her leg. "Now I get to do that all the time. Gonna get off on your body, baby. All fucking mine."

Mary meshed her fingers in his hair and gently pulled at it as she brought his face to hers, kissing him hungrily. She tore her mouth away from his and bit his neck, licking his pulse point as she whispered in his ear, 'When I was away at college I stole a couple of your tee shirts you used to work out in. I would wear them to bed while I fingered myself, wishing it was your cock. I would get so wet I would have to change the sheets. You're the only one who has ever made me come baby. The only one who has ever got my pussy wet. You're the only one.' She took his hand and put it in her panties and shoved two of his fingers inside of her, making him gasp, 'This is your pussy, baby. Only yours.' She reached down and grasped his cock, making him groan, 'Just as this is mine.'

"Fuck yes," he gasped, picking her up and carrying her to bed. He lay her on the bed and crawled on top of her, licking a line up her stomach and between her breasts, ending it in a deep kiss.

"When I was on the road, I found the lotion you used and would put some on the pillows so I could pretend I was in bed with you," Jon moaned, moving slowly on top of her. Mary moaned and wrapped her legs around him. With one hand he slipped a hand down the side of her underwear, pulling them down, and with the other hand he reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Used to get on top of them and would fuck my fist and pretend I was fucking you. Never thought I'd get the chance to feel your pussy around my cock. And fuck, you feel better than I'd ever imagined you would." Jon pulled her underwear all the way down and slipped his shirt off, tossing both pieces of clothing aside. "You feel like perfection, baby," he murmured, slipping a couple of fingers inside of her. "You feel like a dream, like home."

Tears filled her eyes at his words. She arched her back, grinding her pussy against his hand. She clenched her pussy around his fingers and ran her nails down his chest while he bit and sucked at her neck. He pulled the cups of her bra down to suck her nipples. He bit her nipples and devoured her breasts. He opened his mouth as wide as it could go, wanting to devour her breasts. He alternated between them both, grinning as he watched his wife go wild.

She clutched the back of his head and grabbed his hair as she gasped out, ' Remember when I said I watched that interview with Cole a thousand times? It was usually before I went to sleep at night. I would lie in bed and watch you as I fingered myself, wishing it was your cock inside me. I wore that shirt you gave me every night baby. Every night, baby as I fucked myself. I would get the shirt so wet with my juices I would have to wash it everyday. Fuck, you turn me on.'

Jon chuckled and rubbed her clit with his thumb. "Still got that picture of you from the New Year's party...used to jerk off to it right before I had to get ready to shoot a promo but wouldn't let myself come. Got myself all fucking worked up and crazy and as soon as I'd get back to the hotel I'd fuck my fist and pretend I was coming in you, or coming all over you. I'd come so hard I'd fucking see stars."

Mary reached down and grasped his cock and stroked it, rubbing her thumb over the head of it. She moaned into his mouth as he worked his fingers inside of her.

She jerked his cock, making him gasp and whispered raggedly, 'I knew there was a reason your promos got me so fucking wet. I would watch them over and over with my legs spread wide opened. I'd look at you and ride my fist, baby.' She chuckled, 'I bet ya fucking knew I was watching them didn't you? Ya knew exactly what ya were doing to me.'

Jon grinned, getting an idea. He pulled his fingers out of her and sat back on the bed against the pillows, then grabbed her and pulled her so her back was against his chest. "I was hoping you were watching," he murmured, spreading her legs as he tore off her bra. "Wanted you watching me...wanted to get you wet." Jon leaned close and licked at her ear. "And you got wet, didn't you baby?"

Mary nodded, grinding her ass against his cock. "You fucking know it."

He put one hand on her forehead, tilting her head back, and leaned in to nip at her neck. "Got you all worked up..." Jon put his other hand on her right thigh, smirking when she tried to squirm so that his hand would move closer to her pussy. "Not so fast," he growled. "Gotta ask you some questions first."

Mary groaned in frustration, still writhing against him.

"Now..." Jon licked at her throat. "You wanna hear what happens to people who fuck with The Shield? You wanna hear about how we go after people who try to fuck with us? Hmm?" His fingers teased her thigh, inching slightly higher up her leg.

"Answer me, Mary. Tell me you wanna hear me talk about how we fuck shit up."

Mary grasped his knees tightly and closed her eyes, smirking, 'Tell me, baby. I'm all fucking yours. Ya can do whatever ya want to me. Say whatever you want.' She squirmed against him, rubbing her ass against his cock, which was covered by his pants. She could feel how hard he was for her and she smirked to herself, knowing she was the cause. She groaned aloud at the memory of what it felt like to have him inside her there.

"Feels good, the way you're moving that sweet ass against me," he rasped in her ear. "Mmm. Now." Jon bit at her ear and grinned. "You know we stand for justice. We work together for the greater good and anyone who gets in our way gets fucking hurt. You see what we do to people who fuck with us, right?" He bent his neck and bit at her shoulder. "Answer me. Tell me what happens to those who threaten The Shield and you get a reward." He placed his hand over her pussy and smirked when she thrust her hips forward, trying to get him to push deeper. "Not until you answer me. You tell me what happens to people who threaten The Shield and you're gonna get a very big reward. You gonna earn it or not?"

Mary leaned back and bit his ear, pulling the skin between her teeth. She shook her head and whispered, 'Baby, I'm already rewarded cause I'm your wife. I don't wanna be fucked by Dean. I want to be fucked sideways by my husband, Jon. Dean's not who I love. You are.'. She rubbed her ass cheeks in between his cock, making him gasp.

She heard his intake of breath at her words and saw the tears in his eyes.

Jon leaned down and kissed her deeply. He was sure she wanted another fantasy, but this was the fantasy. Their wedding night.

"You're still getting your reward," he whispered, and gently lay her down on the bed, crawling over her. "'Cause this is my reward - getting to please my new wife." He kissed her lips, her neck, her chest and stomach, and settled in between her legs, kissing at her entrance. "Perfection," he murmured, and began licking at her.

Mary grasped at his hair and wrapped her legs around his neck as she felt his tongue deeply embedded within her. She arched her back and grabbed the bedpost.

She groaned and gasped out, 'Baby, I wanna try something.'.

Jon hummed into her clit, making her shiver, 'What's that baby girl?'.

Mary grinned, 'I want you to blindfold me and do what ya want to me. I wanna surrender myself to you tonight as your wife.' She chuckled, 'Figured it's only fair since ya let me tie ya to the bedpost. So, ya gonna be a good little husband and please your wife?'

Jon grinned and jumped off the bed, running into the bathroom.

Mary watched him go and laughed. "What are you doing, baby?"

"Getting a blindfold for my wife," Jon replied happily, picking up the sleeping mask that the hotel provided along with the mini shampoos and lotions and waving it triumphantly. He crawled back on the bed and gently placed it over her eyes, letting her adjust it so it was comfortable. "Good?"

She nodded. "Can't see a damn thing."

He smirked. "That's the idea. Now lie down."

Mary grinned and obeyed him, sprawling out on the bed.

"Gorgeous," Jon murmured, and turned so he was lying on his side next to her but upside down, his face near her stomach. He grinned and pulled her closer, wrapping her leg over his shoulder and leaning close to lick at her pussy.

Mary stretched out and sighed in content as she felt him licking her pussy. She arched her back when he inserted two of his fingers inside of her as he sucked on her clit. He pushed his fingers in and out of her and mimicked the actions with his tongue making her scream.

She gently pushed at his chest with her foot and sighed, 'This is our wedding night, Jon. You can do this to me anytime. Come on. I wanna have some fun, baby. I didn't ask to have this blindfold on me for nothing, ya know? Come on, sweetheart. Show me what I have to look forward to in the future.'

Jon snorted. "Baby, I'm just getting started." He leaned down and growled into her ear. "The blindfold isn't the only thing I got."

He got up from the bed and let her squirm a bit before he tickled her pussy with his fingers and then slid an ice cube inside of her. Mary gasped at the sensation, making him chuckle. "Cat got your tongue?" he teased, and grabbed a bottle of warming KY and poured some on his fingers. "Let's see how you like this." He rubbed her nipples with the warming lube and grinned when she moaned. "Like that?" Jon murmured, and leaned down to bite her hip, sinking his teeth in hard enough to leave marks. "We're not done yet, baby."

Mary was swimming with sensation, she squirmed on the bed as he ran the icecube over her nipples, making them pebble. She couldn't see a damn thing, but she could tell he had the ice cube between his teeth because she could feel his lips brushing against her. Goosebumps fleshed out upon her skin as she felt the warming liquid on her breasts. The cooling and heat sensation made her dizzy and delirious with arousal. She only had her senses and touch to go upon.

Mary squirmed on the bed and rubbed her legs together to ease the pressure. She gasped out, 'More , baby. I need to feel you. I used to fantasize about this back when we were first together, but was too afraid to ask. I'm not afraid to ask anymore. I want you to do whatever ya want. Please, Jon.'

Jon grinned and flipped her on her stomach. "I wanna fuck your ass again," he hissed in her ear. "You're not allowed to touch your pussy, though. Gotta let it warm up first. That ice cube cooled you down." He pressed his lube-slicked cock against her hole. "Not gonna come in your ass, though. I've got plans for you and my come." He bit at her shoulder and slowly began sliding into her.

Mary gripped the bedpost tightly as she felt him slide into her. She let out a gasp at the pleasure/pain. She was so relaxed and turned on that it didn't even hurt. He gripped her hips as he slowly eased in and out of her. She got on her knees and ground her ass against him.

She let out a guttural groan and whispered, 'That feel good, baby. Fuck it turns me on no one else has had you like this. No one feels as good as me huh, baby? Tell me baby. When ya with those other girls ya thought of me didn't you? Tell me. Wanna hear you say it.'

Jon shook his head. "No. Never thought of you when I was with someone else...no one else could come close to you...felt dirty just thinking of you when I was by myself, but couldn't help it...no one's ever made me feel the way you do...never wanted anyone the way I want you...the way I'll always want you...fuck, you feel good...goddamn, your body was made for my cock." He moaned and moved deeper into her.

Mary leaned up to rest on her knees and rested her palms flat on the bed as she swirled her ass around. She moaned and gasped his name as she whispered, 'Fuck, baby. Slap my ass and grab my hair. I wanna feel how much you want me. God you feel so good. I love you so much. So much.'

"Fuck." Jon pulled at her hair and dug his nails into her ass. "Want you to come for me...want to feel you come with my cock in your ass, baby. Love you so much, never wanted anyone the way I want you." He licked his lips and pushed harder into her. "Not gonna spank you until I feel you come. I love you so much...god, you're my everything."

Mary reached down between her legs and found her pussy. She inserted two fingers inside of herself and mimicked the motions of his cock inside of her ass. She squeezed her swollen clit between her fingers and felt the burning, the telltale ache.

Mary hunched over and let out a choked sob, 'Fuck baby! I'm coming. Christ I'm coming. Ah fuck!.' She clenched her ass cheeks on his cock in an ironhold grip as she convulsed underneath him.

"Fuck!" Jon screamed, his cock throbbing as her ass squeezed him. She kept screaming as he slapped her ass, gasping as a healthy amount of precum dribbled out of him.

"Oh shit, oh shit...fuck...oh Jesus god...might...might come in your ass after all," he gasped. "Fuck. Oh fuck, let me do it. We got all night, baby, still gonna fill you and cover you with come..." He dragged his nails along her hips. "Let me come in your ass on our wedding night, baby, I'm not done with you yet...ah, fuck..." He moaned as she grinded against him, making his body flush with sweat. "God, Mary, make yourself come again...wanna feel it...need to feel my wife come with my cock in her ass...need to feel it again..."

Mary felt another orgasm ripping through her as she felt him slap her ass. She arched against him and clenched her legs together, squeezing his cock as tightly as she could. She grabbed his hand and put two of his fingers in her pussy.

She gasped, 'Shit, I'm coming again for you, baby. Come in my ass. Wanna feel your come inside my husband to fuck me all night that I can't even walk tomorrow. I want you to feel my pussy all day, baby.'

Jon spanked her again, harder, and dug his nails into her hips when he felt his orgasm approaching. "Oh fuck, oh fuck...FUCK!" He shoved his cock as deep as it would go in her ass and let out a guttural scream as he came. Her ass clenched around him as he spurted deep inside of her, the force of his orgasm making him hunch over. After a moment his orgasm started tapering off and he whimpered as she kept squeezing him, wanting every drop of him inside her. With a wince he slowly pulled out, gasping as his cock slipped out of her now-soaked hole. Somehow he managed to reach by the bed and grabbed a washcloth, cleaning his cock while Mary lowered herself to the bed.

Jon mumbled something incoherently and turned her on her back, scooting down so he could lap at her pussy. He moaned at the taste and began drinking from her, losing himself in the taste and smell of the two of them.

Mary ripped off the blindfold to stare down at him. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she looked at him. His hair was drenched with sweat and was obscuring his eyes. His body was flushed and was glistening with sweat. She shook her head in astonishment, unable to believe this was her husband.

Mary smiled and sighed in contentment as she felt his tongue lapping up her juices. She ran her hand through his hair and laid there, enjoying him.

She groaned and whispered, 'Hey, baby.' He gazed up at her, meeting her eyes. He looked at her with so much adoration it brought tears to her eyes. She smiled through her tears, 'I love you, my beautiful husband.'

He crawled up and laid on top of her, stroking her face. "I love you, my beautiful wife." Jon kissed her softly, moaning with contentment, then nuzzled against her neck. "So in love with you...gonna spend my life with you."

Mary cupped his face in her hands and smiled through her tears. She ran her hands through his hair at the nape of his neck and rested her forehead upon his, whispering, 'Can we dance?' She ducked her head shyly, 'I just realized that we haven't danced as husband and wife yet. The last time we danced was on New Years Eve. I liked it, wanna do it again.'

"Of course." He sat up and smiled at her. "Want me to put on music? I mean, we don't need it, but..." Jon shrugged, feeling slightly shy. "Anything you want, baby."

Mary got up from the bed and smiled. She put her finger up and whispered, 'One minute. Before we dance I have something for you.' She shrugged sheepishly, 'It's just a little gift I wanted ya to have.'

Jon's eyes widened, 'Ya got me something?' He took her hand and kissed it, 'Baby, ya didn't have to get me anything. Just having ya with me is enough.'

She smiled and nodded, 'I know, but I wanted ya to have it.' She reached under the bed and took out something large wrapped in brown paper, 'Kasey said she brought this over ahead of time for me. I was hoping to give it to you tonight.' She chuckled, 'Glad she knows me so well.' She extended the gift out to him, 'Here open it.'

He held the large gift in his hands, staring at it curiously. It was square shaped and large, but lightweight in his hands. He suddenly felt shitty for not getting her anything, but the smile she had upon her face erased all his self-doubts and insecurities.

Jon ripped the paper and his eyes widened by what he saw. It was a framed map of the World. It was intricately designed and detailed, indicating to him someone took their time on it. His eyes filled with tears when he noticed the frame had their names written above it, along with their shared last name. There was also the inscription 'THE WORLD IS OURS' scrolled at the bottom.

He ran his fingers over their names and shook his head in bafflement, 'This is amazing, baby. But what's it mean?'

Mary ran her fingers over the map, 'It's a newlywed map.' She smiled softly, 'I read about them on the internet one day. It's for couples who travel the world together. For every place we go we can mark it on the map, tracking our journey together. So that we get older and have children we can show them how much we lived and saw together.'

"Jesus..." He rubbed his eyes and sniffed, not wanting to lose it completely. "It's..." Jon swallowed, unable to form the words he needed to express himself. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, letting his tears fall.

Mary held his head to her chest as he sobbed softly. She had tears of her own falling from her eyes as she stroked his hair. She kissed the crown of his head and smiled through her tears, 'Ssh, it's okay, baby. I'll take care of you. I'm always gonna take care of you...forever.'

Jon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Never in his life had he felt so loved, so safe. He never thought he'd get this. His whole life he figured he'd live and die alone.

He lifted his head to kiss her neck and laughed softly. "You know, I never got to propose to you the way I planned. Can I, uh, do that?" Jon sighed. "I know it's dumb...we're already married...but, you know." He shrugged.

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head, chuckling softly, 'You're so crazy. ' She held his face in her hands and said, 'I would be honored to have you ask me again.'

Jon grinned and stood up, holding his hand out. "Gotta do it right, baby."

She chuckled and got up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thought you didn't like tradition?"

"I don't like stupid traditions that keep you away from me. But other stuff is okay." He kissed her and stroked her hair. "I didn't have a speech planned or anything, but there was some stuff I wanted to say." Jon looked down, remembering how he asked her to marry him at her engagement party. He'd known she'd probably say no, but after he realized that she still loved him, he had to try. Shit, what other guy would do something so crazy? He laughed and shook his head. "My timing was always shitty, too."

Mary kissed his forehead and whispered, 'It's not shitty now. The timing is perfect. Everything is perfect cause we're together. We're always gonna be together, baby.'

Jon nodded and grinned, then kissed her. "Mary...baby girl..." He took her hands in his and got down on one knee, smirking when she giggled at him. "C'mon, I gotta do this right."

He took a deep breath, feeling strangely nervous for some reason. Christ, they were already married and he knew she loved him, but this was important. "Mary, for a long time, I never thought I'd get married or that I'd even want to. I figured all that happily ever after stuff wasn't for me. But then you came along, and..." Jon squeezed her hands. "I knew, Mary. I knew when we were kids that I wanted you to be my wife. I didn't think I'd get to ask you to marry me, let alone get to touch you...but you've shown me a love that I need for the rest of my life. I'm not good with stuff like this, but I know you know what I mean and that when I swear my life on something, it's real. I'm swearing to you that I want to be your husband, I want to be the reason for your happiness, and I want to give you the life you deserve." He kissed her hands and grinned up at her. "Mary, will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

Mary's face crumpled and she burst into tears. She fell down upon her knees before him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed every part of his face as she whispered 'yes' over and over again.

She cupped his face in her hands and smiled through her tears, 'I am so proud to be your wife. I am so honored to be Mrs. Good. I've wanted this ever since I was a little girl.' She chuckled nervously, 'I would scribble my name with your last name on my notebook just to see how it would look.' She grinned, 'I was right. It looks damn fucking good.' She smiled softly, 'Do you know I had such a huge crush on you before we even talked? Your locker was right near mine. I always wanted to talk to you, but never knew what to say.' She bowed her head, 'I just never thought you would see me.'

He laughed softly and stroked her hair. "I saw you, baby girl. I've seen you for a long time...there was always something about you that caught my eye. Then you got older and more beautiful, and I was depressed as shit 'cause I figured you saw me as a brother."

Mary scoffed, 'I never saw you as a brother. Ever. You were always Jon to me. Always.' She grinned and ran her hands through his hair, 'I caught your eye, huh? So you checked me out in the halls?"

Jon chuckled and looked away. "You making fun of me?"

Mary grabbed his face, forcing him to look into her eyes, 'Hey, I wasn't making fun of you. I would never do that.' She smirked, 'Besides, I would check you out. I thought ya looked so fucking badass.'

Jon took a deep breath. "You know, when they first got us into our SWAT gear and I looked at myself, I was kinda hoping you'd see me and think I looked cool. But then I started freaking out and was scared that you'd think I looked ridiculous, like I couldn't pull it off. I thought for a while that's why I hadn't heard from you, 'cause you didn't wanna hurt my feelings or some shit."

Fresh tears formed in her eyes and she shook her head, scoffing. She turned his face toward her to look directly into his eyes, 'Baby, how could you ever think that? I never once thought you looked ridiculous...ever.' She bowed her head, feeling shy all of the sudden, 'Ya know how many times I got off thinking about you dressed like that? I would fuck myself so hard my hand hurt the next day. I would take the phone off the hook during RAW just so I could get off.I loved that it was live. I was seeing you in real time. As you were.' She rolled her eyes and sighed, 'God, ya must think I'm so fucking pathetic.'

"Never." He picked her up and lay her on the bed, climbing on top of her. "You've never been anything less than amazing in my eyes."

Mary grinned and stroked his hair. "God, I love you so damn much."

Jon sighed and settled on top of her, resting his head on her chest. "I feel like I should thank you for being so fucking patient with me. I know I'm still kind of a mess." He closed his eyes, guilt overwhelming him. "I still can't fucking believe I ruined your award night. For a while I felt like..." His throat closed up and he rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling. "God. I felt like I...like I'd..." He pressed the palm of his hand against his eyes, unable to say it.

She'd denied it and told him that she had wanted to have sex (hell, she admitted to provoking him), but he almost felt like he'd raped her that night in the car. Christ, he felt like Slim that night. When she told him to stay at a hotel Jon was sure she felt the same way. Rather than find a hotel, Jon spent the night in his car, parking in some rest stop that was crawling with shifty-looking guys who kept staring at him. For a while he thought about starting shit with them so they could beat him to death, or seeing if they had any drugs he could take and hopefully overdose. He came so close to ending everything that night, all because he thought he hurt the woman he loved.

Mary leaned up up and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'Hey, stop blaming yourself for that, Jon. I've forgiven you for that. As you said, the past is in the past. We have such a beautiful future to look forward to.' She sighed, 'I was so fucking worried about you after it happened. I remember watching that promo you shot where ya talked about a girl telling her she loved you everyday. I always wondered if ya were talking about me or if it was just you spouting off bullshit. But I remember hearing the pain in your voice and it tore me up. I couldn't sleep for days after that. I tried calling you, but you never picked up. It hit so close to home.' She chuckled nervously, 'Well, except for that whole shooting the dog part. '

He nodded, curling up next to her. "Baby, you'd tell me if I hurt you like...like he did?" He didn't ever want them to say Slim's name again. They needed to move on from that, but Jon had to know that everything was okay with them. If they were gonna move on, they had to get everything out now.

Mary brought her face close to his, looking right at him. "You didn't, baby. You didn't. Got that?"

He nodded silently.

"Good." She smiled sadly. "But I was worried about you. You were so angry, so upset. And when I saw that video, it just took me back to that night. I was so goddamn worried about you."

Jon breathed deeply. "I was..." He shrugged. "I was really feeling fucked up, and they wanted me to start talking and I just kinda went off. I almost mentioned you and what happened that night but made something up. I didn't want you to see me like that, like this really fucked up guy with a shitty life, but I figured if you saw it you wouldn't think I was using us to try to make a name for myself..." Jon sighed and rubbed his face. "I was really fucked up that night. I was pretty fucked up for a lot of those promos."

Mary laid there, looking up at him. She thought back to all of the videos she watched of him. His words reverberated back to her. They incessantly haunted her day in and day out. The pain in his eyes was all she saw whenever she closed her eyes.

She kissed his chest and whispered, 'You seemed like it.' She scoffed, 'I couldn't even watch them all the way through. I had to keep pausing it just to get myself together. Especially the one where you talked about not wanting possessions. Everything you said...' She shook her head, her tears falling onto his chest, 'I hated seeing you like that.'

Jon curled an arm around her, stroking her hair. "Know what brought that on?"

Mary shook her head, wrapping an arm around his stomach.

He exhaled slowly. "I have a picture of you. It's from that New Years party...the one after I got cleaned up. You looked so damn beautiful...you always do, but that night you broke my heart, you looked so good. I always kept it with me, no matter what was going on or all the shit that happened...anyway. I thought I lost it, or that someone took it. No one knew what I was talking about, but I got pissed and started throwing shit around backstage. They told me I still had to shoot my fucking promo so I did, and..." Jon let his voice trail off. "I found it later. I'd forgotten I took it out to look at it before my match. It was at the bottom of my bag. I fucking almost cried 'cause I thought I lost the one thing of you I had left."

Mary wrapped her arms tightly around his midsection and leaned up to kiss his face, 'Ya never lost me, Jon. Ya always had me. I was always your girl.' She heaved a laborious sigh and averted her eyes downward, 'When I got back from Kenya I used to come to your matches, Jon.'

Jon turned to her, his eyes wide. "Holy shit. Are you serious? Which shows?"

Mary ducked her head in embarrassment and refused to look at him, 'On the weekends when I had off I would drive to whatever match was close.' She chuckled nervously, 'I remember dragging Kat to your CZW match with...Thumbtack Jack I think his name was. You were wearing a dog collar.' She shook her head and sighed, 'You were hurting yourself so much. You were bleeding so much. I was so fucking scared. I remember yelling at one of the event staff guys to help you, but he laughed at me.'

"Jesus." Jon laughed humorlessly. "I fucking thought I saw you. Thought I was losing my goddamn mind." He winced. "Shit, I can't believe you were there. Of all the fucking shows."

Mary ran her hands over the barbed wire scars he had upon his arms and shoulders. She leaned down and lightly kissed a few of them, 'Why did ya do that to yourself, Jon? Why would you hurt yourself like that?"

"I figured, you know, why not? I didn't give a shit." He winced. "Fuck, I wish you hadn't seen that match in person. Christ. I'll bet Kat was wondering what the fuck was going on."

Mary chuckled and nodded, 'She pretty much thought ya were out of your mind, but she knew I loved you, Jon. She always knew. She always thought me being engaged to David was a mistake. Everyone could see it.' She snorted, 'Except for me.'

Jon kissed her forehead, whispering, 'But ya did and we're here now. It's all that matters, baby.'

She closed her eyes and smiled, 'Yes it does.' She sighed, 'I went to a lot of your Dragon Gate USA matches considering most of them were in New York.' She let out a small laugh, 'I must've went to every match ya were in on the weekends. I would sit in the back away from everybody, not wanting to be seen. Most of the time I would wear a hat so ya wouldn't recognize me.' She sighed, averting her eyes, 'I would hear all these girls talking about you. They would say things they did with you backstage.' She scoffed, 'Then ya had that...porn star. I knew ya two were...dating. I heard things. I stopped going to matches after that.'

He winced. "Aw, fuck. Dammit. You heard about that?"

She nodded, sighing deeply.

"Shit." He pulled his arm away and scowled up at the ceiling. "Christ. I'm lucky you even want me touching you after hearing about that."

Mary sat up in the bed and rested her back up against the headboard. She twiddled her thumbs nervously in her lap as she looked over wearily at him. He was lying flat out his back, staring straight up at the ceiling.

She sighed, 'Do ya know my mom used to tease me about you?' She let out a dry laugh, 'She would tell me how ugly I was and you would never want me like that because I would never know how to please you.' She swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat, 'She told me how she would always see you with women...real women...not little girls. She would say how you were just pitying me.' She scoffed, 'I don't blame you for any of that, Jon. She could please you in ways...I couldn't. I have no fucking clue how to please a man.'

"What?" He turned to her and scrunched his face up in disgust and confusion. "The fuck...okay, listen." Jon turned and lay on his side so he could face her. "First of all, I was really fucked up when I was with that girl, okay? It's not something I'm proud of. Second, and I'm not trying to upset you, baby, but your mom was a fucking jealous bitch who didn't know what the fuck she was talking about. I've loved you for years and trust me, I noticed you well before we even met. Third, have you not been paying attention? Baby, this is the best sex I've ever had. Christ, you almost made me pass out not that long ago. And we're not even finished." He grinned at her.

Mary scoffed, but smiled. "Really?"

"Fucking really. I don't lie to you, baby." He looked deep into her eyes. "I'm serious. You're incredible, and you keep surprising me. I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

Mary sighed and lay on her side to face him. "I just want to be enough for you."

Jon put his hand over hers, bringing their rings together. "See these? They mean we're together forever. You're all I've wanted, Mary. All those girls, that was nothing. They were a distraction 'cause I couldn't have what I really wanted. But now I have that, and I have it forever." He smiled and brought her hand up so he could kiss it. "You know, your mom sounded like mine. She said she knew I wasn't good enough for you and that you'd end up with some smart rich guy who could actually take care of you." Jon's smile faltered. "For a while there I thought she was right."

Mary could see him gritting his teeth and he looked away from her. His shoulders were tense, almost as if he were bracing himself for something. She leaned over to look at him and noticed he had a pensive look upon his face.

She rested her chin upon his shoulder and kissed it, 'She was wrong, ya know? You could take care of me. You did take care of me.' She chuckled softly, 'Believe me, those guys aren't all they're cracked up to be. I didn't choose him, Jon. I never wanted him...not really. I was just too young and foolish and too scared to realize a good thing when I had it. But I know now and I'm through with running. You make me feel safe. You make me feel...beautiful.'

"You are beautiful," he whispered, and kissed her. She settled against him and he relaxed, putting his arm around her. "You know, I busted up a couple of guys in school 'cause they were following you and talking about you. I wanted to protect you even before we met. Even if you never noticed me. I didn't ever want to see you getting hurt."

Mary's eyes widened and they filled up with tears. She felt her heart pounding at his confession. He just never ceased to amaze her. He was such a good man. She felt lucky just to know him.

Mary cupped his cheek and kissed his neck, 'God , I love you so much.' She chuckled slightly, 'Do ya know some girls in school cornered me in the bathroom one day? They would always tease me all the time , but one of them was in my class and saw my notebook. They told me you would never want a tomboy like me who had dirt brown hair.' She snorted, 'They said ya like blondes. They said they would see me looking at you. They said I would have to pay you to notice me. I cut the rest of my classes and went to the park and cried. I believed them.'

He snorted. "Dumb bitches didn't know what the fuck they were talking about. Fuck 'em!" Jon yelled, and kissed her until she started giggling. "We showed them, didn't we?" he asked, stroking her face.

She nodded and ran her fingers through his hair. "God, I can't believe I'm your wife. I've been wanting this for years."

"Me too." He kissed her nose. "You know, I keep a copy of that picture of you from New Years in my vest? I figured, you know, that way I could always have ya with me. Even if I couldn't have the real you." Jon smirked. "The guys asked who you were but I said you were just an old friend. I didn't want them feeling sorry for me and shit."

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and she shook her head in disbelief. She kissed him and raised her finger, 'Wait. I have another surprise for you'

Jon shook his head and chuckled as he watched her get something from under the bed, 'Baby, you're makin me feel like an asshole here.'.

Mary laughed and put a box onto the bed, 'Here, these belong to you.'.

Jon opened the box and his eyes widened when he saw stacks of letters unopened with her handwriting on noticed his old address was written on them for his apartment in Ohio. He shook his head in disbelief, 'Mary, what are these?'.

Mary shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, 'I wrote ya when I was in Kenya but could never send them. I wrote you a letter everyday.' She cupped his cheek and smiled softly' I never stopped loving you or thinking about you once. Open them, Jon. Read them.'

"Jesus." Jon tore a letter open, eager to read it. "I can't believe..." He opened the letter and started reading.

She'd listed all the ways she missed him, all the ways she was proud of him and all the ways she loved him. Tears filled his eyes and he wiped at his face, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he read. He put the letter down and laughed. "God..."

"Are you okay?" Mary asked, stroking his face.

"Yeah, I just..." Jon chuckled. "Christ. I remember we had to shoot one of our videos and I felt like such shit...it was around when you were gonna get married...and I just kinda sat there 'cause all I could think about was you watching with your friends and thinking I was this pathetic asshole in a stupid costume who was going by the name of his ex-girlfriend. I just let Seth do most of the talking 'cause I didn't even want to fucking look at the camera. Shit, it was like I could fucking see your friends laughing at me and asking what the fuck you ever saw in me. I was depressed as fuck. The guys were a little freaked out and stayed with me for a while 'cause they thought I was gonna lose my mind or some shit."

Mary climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed every part of his face. He lightly grasped her hips and closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of her lips upon his skin. It was not even was love in its purest form.

Mary cupped his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his own, 'Baby, I never once thought you were once.' She chuckled, 'I must have watched that video over a thousand times. You looked so fucking handsome. I wanted to shout it out to the world that I knew you. I was so damn proud of ya were wrong about the friend thing. The only real friend I have is Kat. I kept myself busy at work. ' She snorted, 'Mostly so I could avoid...David. Do you know even he knew we were meant for each other?' She smiled when his eyes widened in surprise, 'Yeah. When I told him I couldn't marry him he knew it was because I was still in love with you. He said he knew that night he saw us in the garden.'

"We were kinda obvious, weren't we?" Jon put his arms around her and held her close. "You know, the funny thing is, I called you to let you know I was coming. It was right after we did a house show and I was feeling good, but then David picked up. I could hear you in the background telling him that dinner was ready and I just..." He pulled her closer and looked away. "I thought you sounded pretty happy...like you were living this awesome domestic life and I was this lonely asshole who couldn't wait to see his ex-girlfriend."

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud at his confession. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She remembered that moment as if it were yesterday. She was in the kitchen cooking when David answered her phone. He seemed befuddled, saying no one said anything. She always wondered and wished it was him.

She cupped his cheek and sighed, 'Baby, you should have said something. I would have dropped everything to talk to you. Everything. I mean it.' She shook her head, scoffing, 'I wasn't happy, ya know? Not really. I mean, David was a good man, but he was nothing like you. Do ya know how many goddamn times I fell asleep on the couch just so I couldn't share his bed? I would spend my nights looking at photos of you. Ya looked so happy in them. I thought ya were better off without me. Here you were famous living this great life and I was stuck in this miserable life, which was all my fault. Do ya know how many nights I cried myself to sleep, Jon?"

Jon stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. "Wasn't happy. I mean, things were taking off but...I was fucking miserable. Even after that night, after TLC, I thought I lost you. I thought that was it. Still hoped for us, though." He smirked, unable to help himself. "We were too good together. Not just the sex, though...am I making sense?"

Mary smiled and nodded, 'You are. Cause I felt the same way.' She looked away and let out a shaky sigh, 'After I watched TLC I have to admit, I was so scared. You were so wonderful.' She chuckled at the memory, 'It was like magic watching you that night.' She averted her eyes downward, 'Not gonna lie. I went onto the internet and saw what people were saying. I was so damn proud of you. They were finally seeing what I knew all these years. I was pretty sure I lost ya for good after that. I thought to myself, here it is. The moment I've been dreading. He's gonna travel the world and become so famous to where I'll never be able to get close to him ever again. He's gonna forget all about me.'

"How the fuck could I forget about you? Jesus." Jon rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "That was a great fucking night. I didn't know if you'd watch...I mean you said you would, but you know. And then you sent me a text! That was so fucking great...I missed hearing from you, baby girl."

Mary chuckled, 'I needed to let you know, Jon. Ya were so fucking great that night. I told you I was going to watch and I meant it. David wanted me to go to dinner with his colleague and his wife, but I told him I wasn't feeling well.' She kissed his shoulder and rested her chin upon it, 'Even if I couldn't be there in person I wanted to share that night with you. I knew how important it was to you.' She closed her eyes and sighed and took a few moments of deliberation to gather her courage for what she was about to say, 'I got dressed and I went to the venue that night. It was within walking distance from my apartment.' She turned her head away, 'I went to the back entrance like a fucking fangirl and watched you come out. I called out your name, but there were so many people that you didn't even hear me or see me.' She sighed as tears fell from her eyes, 'I wanted to stay away, but I couldn't. I was gonna leave with you that night, Jon. I really fucking was, but when I saw you get into the car and drive away I figured I caused you enough hurt and you were better off. So I walked around for a bit and went back home to a man that I didn't love.'

"Jesus Christ." Jon sat up and held his face in his hands. "Why didn't...why didn't you...you could have..." His hands fell to his lap and stared at her. "I fucking slept alone that night...I could have been with you? We could have..."

Mary held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'I am so sorry, Jon. I know I fucked up okay? I know that.' She averted her eyes downward and shook her head, 'I have to deal with that guilt every single day. I just...everything was so messed up. I loved you enough to let you go.' She let out a dry laugh, 'Now I'm not making sense.'

"None of this shit makes sense," he mumbled. "Why the fuck did we keep trying to stay away from each other? We thought the other person was better off but we were both fucking miserable without each other. It's stupid."

Mary scoffed, 'Maybe we're just gluttons for punishment.' She snorted, 'We always have been.' She folded her hands in her lap and sighed, 'That girl you were seeing, Jon. The one who answered your phone. Did you have feelings for her? ' Mary shook her head and laughed nervously, 'Forget I asked that. It's not my business.'

"Paige?" Jon scratched at his head, keeping his eyes on the wall. "She, uh." Lying would be stupid at this point; They were a married couple, and Jon knew he owed Mary the truth. "She was...she was great. She wasn't you, but I liked her. The weird thing is you might like her. Really funny, smart, and yeah, pretty. I thought, you know, I could try to move on like you said..."

Mary tried not to let his words bother her. She knew it would be selfish to be angry at this point. She asked for him to move on. She was glad that he found someone to enjoy his time with, but it still did not lessen the pain any. The funny thing is she had no one to blame but herself.

Mary forced a smile upon her face and swallowed her tears, 'Good. I'm glad she was good to you, Jon. You deserved that.' She could not hide the disdain in her voice. She suddenly felt very self-conscious and covered herself up with the blankets. She cleared her throat, asking him, 'She was British right? I ugh...noticed that on the phone.'

"Yeah..." He glanced at her, noticing her discomfort. "Why are you asking me about her? It's not like we were, you know, serious."

Mary sat up and rested her back against the headboard, 'It just hurts that you could move on so easily.' She sighed, 'I would see and hear you with all these women. It made me so fucking angry that you could just sleep with women and not even care. I'm not proud of that, but I'm being honest.' She snorted, 'Fuck, I tried to have sex with David and couldn't even do it. ' She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, ' It was right after I found out about you and that...porn star. I was so mad at you for that. She was everything I wasn't. She was comfortable with her body and...sex. All I could think of was everything my mother said about not being able to please you. I thought that's why ya were with her. Cause she could please ya in ways I couldn't. I...tried seducing him. I got as far as undressing down to my bra and jeans. He was touching me and kissing me and I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. It felt wrong because it wasn't you. ' She gritted her teeth, 'And I just didn't understand how you could do that and I couldn't. You're the only person I wanted like that. But I wasn't enough for you. At least I thought I wasn't anyway.'

"I don't want to fucking hear this!" Jon got out of bed and grabbed his boxers, slipping them on. He stood in the corner of the room and crossed his arms. Why the fuck would she tell him this shit on their wedding night?

Mary watched him and let out a slow breath. "Jon, I just want to tell you that he and I never...I tried, but..."

"Stop talking about him!" Jon yelled, his hands balling into fists. "Goddammit, are you punishing me for fucking all those skanks, for trying to find someone after you fucking broke my heart? It fucking kills me to know you almost married someone else! Shit, the night you were gonna marry him I fucking lost my shit. Paige wanted to spend the night but I didn't want to be around anybody, some fucking asshole fan offered me pills and I almost took them, my life has always been shit without you! I don't want to hear about how you almost made it work with some fucking asshole!" He broke down sobbing, covering his face with shame. "Stop fucking saying this shit," Jon managed to get out, then turned and faced the wall, not wanting her to see him as a total mess.

Mary sat there on the bed and stared at him in wide eyed shock. He was reverting back to his old self. She knew she should have consoled him, but he was being unfair to her and selfish. She would not let him behave this way, especially now that

they were married.

She shook her head, ' I never did anything with him, Jon. You were the only one. I thought that you and...that valet were...' She sighed, 'It made me feel insecure. I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the world. You had all these women surrounding you, Jon. Beautiful women...'

Jon shook his head. "You're the only one who I ever thought was beautiful. None of those girls mattered. Christ, I thought they were all I'd get. A guy like me with his dream girl? Never fucking happens." He took a deep breath and rubbed at his face. "You're gonna think this is bullshit, but I hardly enjoyed myself. I got more turned on by you smiling at me or even just bumping into me than any sex with anybody else." He scowled at the floor, feeling stupid. It was obvious that Mary loved him and wanted him, but knowing he came so close to losing her to David - even if she didn't love him - hurt like hell. It probably always would.

But he didn't want it to hurt them. He had to move on.

"I never would have asked anyone else to marry me," Jon stated, looking Mary in the eye. "I never would have lived with anyone else. I just wanted you. Even with Paige, even though I liked her, I knew it wasn't gonna last. No one could ever be you. No one could even come close." He sniffed and rested his back against the wall. "I know you probably think I'm an asshole now, but I had all those girls and you got engaged..." He laughed bitterly and approached the bed. "God, none of it meant anything. None of it. It's us. It's always been us." Jon sat on the bed and took her hand, running his thumb over her wedding band. "I'm sorry...I just...it hurts, you know?" He smiled sadly, looking into her eyes. "I don't want this to come between us anymore. I have to..." Jon cleared his throat. "I have to realize that so much of this is my fault. I drove you away. I did that. And then I didn't know how to get you back, or if you wanted me, and then I was so fucked up after that night before TLC...I drove myself crazy trying to think of ways to get us back together. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell anybody, no one would understand...I was all alone." He rested his head on her shoulder, relieved when she didn't pull away. "Mary, I wanted you to be happy, so I thought I should leave you alone but I knew you loved me...and I was all over the place, I kept looking up flights to see you, but I thought you'd get pissed and tell me to move on already, that we had that one night and that was it...Christ, when you called, I couldn't believe it. I told Paige the truth about us. If there was the slightest chance..." He scooted closer, wanting her to hold him. "Baby girl, you're all I've ever wanted."

Mary immediately wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck. She rested her head upon his shoulder and whispered in his ear, ' I love you so much, Jon. You're the only person who ever gave a damn about me. You deserve me just as much as I deserve you. You're my dream man. '

Jon pulled her close and kissed her, cupping her face in his hands. He moaned at the taste of her, of knowing they would spend their lives together.

Nothing else mattered. No other person could come between them. They had tried, but they were meant to be together.

It was them, always them.

He broke the kiss and pulled her on top of him. "I'm in love with you," Jon whispered. "Been in love with you for so long. I'll never stop loving you." Reaching up, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry about before. I just...some of it still hurts. But I love you and I know you love me. You're my wife." He grinned up at her. "My beautiful wife. My love."

Mary rested her forehead against his and kissed his lips, 'Baby, I am so in love with you. I love you more than anything, my beautiful husband.' She grinned and whispered, 'Don't you owe me a dance?'

He crossed his arms behind his head and smirked up at her. "Lapdance? Sure, I'll take one."

Mary rolled her eyes and smirked, 'Do ya really want one?'

He giggled and rubbed her hips. "Well, I'd have to be crazy to turn one down from you. But I think you meant an actual dance. As in two people dancing together."

Mary smiled and cupped his face in her hands, 'I don't know, buddy you're missing out.' She rolled her eyes and scoffed, 'Just kidding. Ya don't wanna see that.' Her face became serious and she smiled softly, 'Yeah, me and you. Ya have any particular song in mind?'

He squinted up at her. "First of all, uh, yeah, you're giving me a lapdance at some point. It's going to be sexy as fuck because that's you, baby. As for a song...uh. I don't know. Bride's choice." Jon grinned, but then thought of something. "Nothing too girly, though, okay? I might get sick."

Mary playfully slapped his shoulder and giggled, 'No, really. If I pick something you'll just make fun of it . Are they any songs ya can think of that ya would wanna dance to?'

"Uh..." The last time he'd danced was..."Oh! We danced to a cool song at New Year's...that's the last time I danced with anybody, you know." He gave her a shy smile. "I'm still not the best dancer in the world."

Mary smiled and ducked her head shyly, 'I'm not the best either. David would always try to get me to dance but I never...' She cringed and sighed, 'I'm sorry, baby. I keep mentioning him...'

Jon shook his head. "I'm not gonna freak out every time you mention him. Not that I want to hear you talking about him all the time. I just got upset 'cause you were, you know, talking about trying to sleep with him and talking about me with other girls...it's all in the past." He sighed and gazed up at her. "I know the song. I'd asked Kasey about it 'cause I wanted to be able to play it whenever I wanted to remember that night. Although the last time I heard it I was out with the guys and it came on...I just kept thinking about how I lost you. The two of them got really freaked out and kept asking me what was wrong, what could they do, and Seth asked if it had something to do with the picture I was always looking at." Jon laughed, remembering how Seth kept saying,_ "Dude, no one carries around a picture of a friend and fucking wears it to the ring, what the fuck is going on, man?"_

Tears fell from her eyes and she smiled softly. She knew exactly what song he was referring to. She had that song on her ipod and would listen to it almost everyday. She listened to the song constantly, wanting to remember one of the most beautiful moments of her life.

She smiled through her tears and stroked his face, 'It's City and Colour's 'Coming Home' isn't it?'

He nodded eagerly. "You remember it? You know it?"

Mary smiled through her tears and nodded, 'Of course I do. It was one of the most special moments of my life. You gave me the prom I always wanted. You didn't want to come, but you did...for me. I knew right then and there you were the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I felt like a real girl for the first time ever.'

He sat up and hugged her tight. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Good?"

She was sobbing tears of joy and nodded her head eagerly, 'Should I maybe put on some clothes first?'

He lowered his head so she wouldn't see his look of disappointment. "If you want, sure. But don't plan on wearing them for very long."

Mary shook her head and grinned, 'On second thought maybe I'll just stay as I am.' She tugged the edge of his boxers and whispered, 'Take these off, baby. I wanna feel my husband when I'm sharing our first dance as a married couple.'

He nodded and picked her up, setting her to the side so he could get undressed, then crawled to her and began kissing her neck. "You got the music?" he whispered, running his fingers down her back.

Mary nodded and smiled. She got up from the bed and dug her phone out of her purse. She quickly searched through her music collection and found the song.

She pushed play and extended her hand out toward him, smiling softly, 'Come dance with your wife, handsome.'

Jon got up and took her hand. It still hadn't sunk in that they were married. Every single day from now on he'd look at her in awe and wonder what the hell he did in a previous life to deserve such a woman. "It'll be my pleasure," he murmured, and pulled her close, humming with content as she embraced him.

Mary rested her head upon his chest and wrapped her arms around his midsection. She closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. She kissed his chest and whispered, 'I am so happy, Jon. So happy. This is all I've ever wanted. You're all I ever wanted.' She ran her fingers down his abdomen and sighed, 'Baby, you're so fucking beautiful. So beautiful. I used to dream about you, us like this.' She chuckled, 'Ya know the first time I ever touched myself was the night of my graduation?' His eyes widened and he gasped aloud, 'I was lying in bed that night and I started touching myself pretending it was you. It was the first time I ever did anything like that, but I wasn't scared cause it was you. I remember coming so hard I thought I was gonna die.' She ducked her head shyly, 'When was the first time you ever...ya know thought about me?'

"Uh..." He started laughing, feeling oddly self-conscious. "Jesus. It was long before that, sweetheart. I remember you wore this shirt to school that was kinda tight, and you looked so fucking beautiful...at first I thought, 'Oh shit, all these guys are gonna hit on her' and then I thought 'Well, yeah, she looks fucking sexy' and then, you know, that night.." He shrugged. "I remember the shirt was blue and had like white lines on it or some shit...it looked really good. I could tell that you, uh, filled out a bit. You sure didn't look like a little kid anymore." He snorted. "And then I felt like a fucking pervert 'cause I was like a brother to you or something."

Mary smiled and nuzzled his neck, whispering, 'Tell me what ya did. Tell me what ya thought about, baby.'

He gazed down at her and raised an eyebrow. "You know you're gonna start something if I do that, right?"

Mary smirked and nodded, 'Oh, I know.' She raked her nails down his chest, making him shiver and leaned up to kiss his neck, , 'Tell me, baby. Tell me what ya did that night, what ya thought about.'

Jon leaned in close. "I wanted to take you someplace...I wasn't sure where, but someplace nice...and you'd hop up on a table and start unbuttoning your shirt, and you'd tell me how much you wanted me." He kissed her neck and nuzzled into her hair. "Then you'd ask me to come closer so you could kiss me...and after I kissed you, you said you wanted me to make you feel good, so I finished unbuttoning your shirt, but you said I was going too slow...so I ripped it off you..." Jon licked at her neck. "Want me to go on?"

Mary had her eyes closed and she nodded eagerly. She grasped his waist and pushed him flush against her. She could feel her heart already racing.

She kissed his chest and whispered, 'Go on, Jon...please.'

He grinned down at her and began stroking her back. "Well, after I ripped your shirt off, you pulled me close and told me how you'd always wanted me, that you've dreamt of fucking me...and you wanted to touch me, to see how big I was..." Jon licked at her ear. "And you slipped your hand in my pants and gripped me tight, and told me how you wanted to feel me in you...you wanted me to make you come..."

Mary grinned and gently gripped his cock, making him gasp, 'It's true. I wanted that. I always wanted that. Go on, baby. I know there's more. What were you doing to yourself that night?'

He placed his hand over hers, guiding her strokes. "I...fuck...I tried to go slow, but the thought of you...mmm...touching me...got me so hot...had to move faster...yeah, yeah, like that." Jon moaned in her ear as she quickened her strokes. "Oh, fuck...wanted this...mmm...kept thinking about...those fucking long legs of yours...wrapped around me...and me fucking you, and you screaming my name and scratching my back, feeling you come on my cock...shit yeah..."

Mary grinned and stood on her tiptoes to bite the cartilage of his ear. She bit the skin and released it as she whispered in his ear, 'Ya wanna know what I thought about? I thought about you laying me down on the grass by the lake. You would start off by kissing me and then touching my breasts. I thought about you fingering me and licking my pussy...' Her eyes rolled back in her head and she sighed, 'Fuck, I tried to go slow too but I couldn't. I thought about you fucking me and I kept moving my fingers in and out of myself as fast as they could go. I even tasted myself. ' She quickened her strokes and whispered, 'How hard did ya come that night, baby?'

He bit at her chin and licked up the side of her face. "Came so hard I almost passed out...but when I actually got to be inside you...god...it's like I'm dying baby, but it feels so fucking good...god...need it..."

Mary bit and kissed his neck, making him groan. She tightened her grip upon his cock and whispered in his ear, 'I fucking came so hard I had to bite the pillow and change the bedsheets.' She smirked, 'I squirted.' She chuckled, 'I've never done that for you yet. You up to the challenge?'

Jon picked her up and set her on a nearby dresser, throwing a couple of things to the floor. "You know I am," he growled in her ear. "I wanna fuck you up against the wall. Never did that with anybody. Only wanted to do it with you. You want that? You wanna wrap those legs around me and have me fuck you senseless?"

Mary wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around his neck. She smirked and nodded, 'By all means, baby.

Do your worst.'

Jon bit into her neck and pulled her close and picked her up off the dresser, pressing her against the wall. Just as he'd fantasized for years, she wrapped her legs around him and moaned his name, begging for him to fuck her.

"God, yes," he moaned, and slid inside her.

They both gasped at the sensation and Jon began fucking her, his heart already pounding. He'd wanted this for so long, dreamt of it, jerked off to it. And now he had her like this, wrapped around him as he rode her.

"Feel so fucking good," Jon growled, and tightened his grip on her. "I get so deep in you...I fucking love it."

Mary grabbed his neck and meshed her fingers in his his hair as he fucked her. She dug her heels into his ass and ground

herself against him as he rode her. Her back was hitting the wall. She closed her eyes as he panted her name in her ear. His groans spurred her on, making her wetter than she already was. She scratched her nails down his back, making him hiss and moan.

Mary licked his ear and whispered, 'Harder, baby. Fuck me harder. I want you to fuck me so hard we both can't walk tomorrow. Come on, baby. Show me how much ya want this.' She clenched her pussy around his cock, gripping him tighter, 'Harder...please.'

Jon pushed her closer to the wall and fucked her as hard as he could, her gasps and screams of pleasure filling the room. He buried his face on her neck, moaning in her ear as he pushed himself in her, her body squeezing around him.

"Always wanted you," he gasped. "Always. Needed to make you mine...needed to feel you...needed this..."

Mary rode his cock as he fucked her. He pushed in and out of her with such a force the wall was shaking. Her back sharply hit the wall and she knew she'd most likely have bruises in the morning, but she didn't care. All she cared about was him inside of her, filling her up and making her whole.

Somehow Mary managed to push him off of her. He was so far gone she could have done anything to him. She slid down the wall and onto her feet. Her knees were wobbly, making it difficult for her to walk.

Mary turned around with her back facing him and braced her hands against the wall as she gasped out, 'Come on, baby. Ya know what I want.'

He leaned close and bit her shoulder. "Beg me," he growled. "Want to hear your pretty mouth beg me for it."

Mary whimpered and gasped out, 'Fuck me, baby. Jesus take me from behind...in my ass...in my pussy...both...however ya fucking want.' She arched her back against him, 'Jesus God please...fuck me hard.'

"That's my girl," he whispered. "I already came in your ass tonight, though. Gotta fill you up another way." He grasped her hips and slid inside her as hard as he could, making her gasp. "Fuck...so wet for me..." He slid a hand down her front and rubbed her clit until she squirmed against him. "Shit...gotta fuck you now." Jon sunk his nails into her hips and began pumping into her at a furious pace.

Mary kept her hands against the wall as she swirled her hips, grinding herself against him. Her heart was beating out of her chest, her nerve endings were on fire and her body was drenched with sweat.

She looked at him over her shoulder and gasped out, 'Come on, baby. Give it to me harder. I wanna to not be able to get outta bed tomorrow. I issued you a challenge baby. Make me fucking squirt, baby. Think you're man enough to do it?'

With a growl Jon picked her up, still inside her, and set her closer to the dresser. "Hold on," he hissed in her ear, and moved one hand down her stomach. "Gonna make you come so hard you won't be able to breathe," he rasped in her ear, and began rubbing her clit. She moaned and writhed against him, and he gripped her hip with his free hand and began pounding into her again.

Mary felt tears spring from her eyes as he pounded into her. He was pushing in and out of her so forcefully her feet were lifting up from the floor. She gripped the dresser, needing something to hold onto. Her knees were weak, her entire body was melting under his powerful weight. He was everywhere. His fingers were squeezing her clit, his cock was deep inside her womb. Her eyes popped opened as she felt her orgasm approaching. She tried to stop it, but it was useless.

She let out a choked sob. Her body felt as if molten lava was coursing through her veins. She let out gasping heaving breaths, almost as if she were internally suffocating. She's never felt anything like this before. It felt as if she were dying. Her knees buckled as she convulsed underneath him. Her pussy clenched his cock as her juices ejaculated out of her in spurts, spilling onto his hand.

Mary banged her hands against the dresser and shook her head, squirming against him, 'Stop, Jon...oh fucking...god...you're gonna...kill me...fuck!'

Part of him wanted to keep fucking her, but Mary seemed to be struggling to breathe. He slipped out of her and carried her to the bed, collapsing onto it beside her. He rolled over so he was half laying on her and stroked her face. "Breathe, Mary. Breathe."

She whimpered and shivered, weakly pushing at him.

Jon nuzzled against her neck, waiting for her to recover. After a few minutes her breathing slowed and she cuddled up to him, running her hands over his chest.

"My wife," Jon whispered, pulling her closer. She sighed and threw a leg over his hip, grinding against him.

"Want more?" he asked, rolling on top of her.

Mary grinned and nodded. Her eyes were half-lidded, filled with lust.

Jon slid into her with ease and began moving on top of her. He kept a slow pace for a while until Mary thrusted harder up at him, demanding more. He held her tight and began fucking her again, his pride swelling as she moaned his name and wrapped herself around him.

"Love you," Jon moaned, reaching in between them to rub at her clit again. Mary sobbed with pleasure and began clawing at his back, her moans turning to shrieks. "Fuck...wanna feel you come again, baby...let me feel it, come on your husband's cock...let me feel it again..."

Mary cupped the back of his neck and rested her forehead against his own as she gasped out, 'Love you. God you're so fucking sexy, baby. So beautiful. And all mine. My beautiful husband.' She tightly wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against him. She squeezed her thighs together, clenching his cock as tightly as she could. She felt the tight coil in the pit of her belly unwinding and she whimpered as she felt the electric shock jolting through her body. She whimpered, clawed and pleaded for him to ease the ache, the burning.

She let out a guttural moan as she screamed his name and whispered raggedly, 'Oh God, I'm coming so hard...so hard...fuck you're so fucking hot, baby. My pussy juice is dripping down my leg. Wanna taste it on your fingers, baby. Jesus god!'

Jon fucked her through her orgasm, waiting until she was coming down to bring his fingers to her mouth, letting her suck on her own juices. "So fucking sexy," he muttered. "God...no one's as hot as you, baby girl. Make me so fucking hard it hurts." Mary squeezed him, making his jaw drop in pleasure. "Fuck...yeah...god, wanna come in you. Wanna fill you up...need to fill you up, baby..." Jon moaned and rode her harder, feeling his orgasm start to approach.

Mary gave him open mouth kisses upon his neck and licked the sweat off of him as she whispered in his ear, 'You've done that. Want your come all over my body, baby. Wanna feel my husband's come on my skin. Do it baby please.' She arched her back and clenched her thighs together, 'Want you to come so hard for me, baby. So hard. Describe everything. Wanna know what it feels like for you. Come for your wife, baby.' She grabbed his ass and inserted a finger inside of his hole as deep as it could go, making him gasp. His eyes widened and she grinned, 'How's it feel, baby?'

"Fuck...oh god...it's like...I can feel myself...getting lost in you...fucking intense..." Jon whimpered and grabbed her hips. "Fuck, oh god...unh!" He spurted deep in her, moaning helplessly as she squeezed around him, but then he managed to pull out and positioned himself over her, jerking his cock as he shot his remaining seed onto her. Mary purred and moaned, reaching up to stroke him and rub his come into her skin. Jon fucked his fist as his orgasm began tapering off, and he leaned on the headboard, trying to catch his breath.

Mary grasped his hips and muttered, 'Wanna taste us together.' She licked her lips and put her mouth on him, sucking him in as deep as he could go.

Jon held onto the bedposts with both of his hands and hunched over gasping out, 'Please...baby...stop...fuck...too much!' She smirked around his cock and kept going, wanting him to lose control to the point where he didn't even know his name.

Jon began shaking, the sensations overwhelming him to the point where he couldn't speak. He managed to pull away from her and fell back on the bed, groaning slightly when she rested her head on his chest. It felt like his heart was pounding so fast that he was going to die and he shuddered as Mary covered him with the bedsheets and began murmuring to him, trying to soothe him.

Mary nuzzled her nose against his neck, reveling in the scent of them. She threw her leg over his midsection and rubbed soothing circles upon his chest. His heart was beating so loudly she could hear it pounding. His body was shaking and she shivered from the reverberations. She could not help but grin. She loved knowing she had such power over him, unlike anybody ever has before. She would never be able to get over the satisfaction in knowing she could deduce such a willful and powerful man to his knees.

She kissed his neck and whispered soothingly, 'Baby, you okay?'

He managed a small smile and nodded slightly. They lay together for a while, slightly dozing off but still holding each other. After what felt like forever Jon managed to take a deep breath and kissed her forehead. "Love you."

"I love you," she murmured.

"Gonna take care of you," Jon continued. "Gonna provide for my wife." He laughed softly. "Always wanted to be the one to give you a good life. I actually, uh...I kinda paid for some of your school stuff," he admitted, blushing slightly.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock. She lifted her head up from his chest and stared down at him in confusion.

She shook her head in bafflement, 'When? How did you do that, Jon?'

"Um..." Jon squirmed slightly under her gaze. "Sold some stuff. My car. Some other stuff. It was, uh, not too long after you left. I wanted it to be anonymous. I thought you might, I don't know, get mad or something." He sighed and looked up at her. "You're not mad, are you?"

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head, unable to believe that anyone would do something like that for her. She was in a state of disbelief as she turned her head away. She found herself trembling, overwhelmed with the realization that someone loved her enough to want to take care of her.

'What did you pay for, Jon?' She asked him

"Um..." He picked at the sheets, feeling awkward. "Books and stuff. They said they cost a lot, and you know. Scholarships don't always cover them for some reason, so..." He shrugged. "It was actually easier to do than I thought. I figured I'd have to do a shitload of paperwork but it was cool. So, yeah. You're, uh, not mad, are you?"

Mary shook her head. She rested her forehead against his chest and began sobbing. He held her head against him and shushed her as he rubbed her back soothingly.

She held his face in her hands and kissed his face, 'You...why...god...' She shook her head in disbelief, 'I was wondering who the hell did that. I was so fucking scared cause I didn't have the money. Why didn't you tell me?' She laughed in spite of her tears,' We could have been married by now. You could have saved us a lot of trouble.'

Jon laughed. "You're crazy." He lightly scratched the back of her neck. "I doubt you would have said yes. I was such a mess. I guess I still am, but..." His voice trailed off and he frowned, remembering her awards night and trying to hook up with Desiree.

Mary frowned when she saw the look of distress upon his face. She crawled onto his lap and rested her head upon his chest.

She kissed his neck and whispered, 'Hey, all that's in the past now, baby. It can't hurt us anymore. We're not gonna let it.' She chuckled and to lighten the mood, said, 'Now lets talk about your life in the past two years. We've been so busy with wedding planning and your tapings that I never got a chance to ask ya some stuff, Mr. Neil Diamond Cutter.'

"The fuck?" He cracked up and held her close. "Okay, ask away. Ask me anything, baby."

Mary got comfortable on his lap and sighed, taking a moment to think about what she wanted to ask him.

She chuckled, thinking about a particular video she saw of him, 'Were you really drunk for that video I saw of you where you were singing Neil Diamond? I was kinda surprised ya knew that song. Closet Diamond fan are ya?'

"Uh...I like all kinds of stuff. So. Not a closet...anything." He snickered and stroked her back. "And yeah, I was kinda trashed."

Mary chuckled and rolled her eyes, 'I fucking knew it. Kat and I were going back and forth. She swore you were faking it cause ya were in a match and she said wrestling's fake.'She rolled her eyes and chuckled, ' She's such a blonde.' She sighed, 'Anyway, did ya really make a girl quit when ya did that one promo?' She averted her eyes downward, 'That one kinda weirded me out. Ya were talking all kinds of nonsense about the inside of your mom's purse and shit...'

"Oh, that." He laughed and squeezed her shoulder. "I made all that shit up on the fly. She, uh, I don't know about her quitting. She kinda ran off after we were done and I tried to thank her for her time or some shit, I don't know, but she didn't want to be around me...whatever." Jon paused. "Sorry, uh, for making you feel weird." His smile faded. The idea of making Mary feel uncomfortable made him feel ill.

Mary kissed his cheek and whispered soothingly,'Hey,it's okay, sweetheart.' She smiled, 'That's a compliment. Shows how talented you are. You're so captivating, sweetheart. You have God given talents.' She snickered, 'In more ways than one.' He laughed at that and she smiled, 'Now...tell me...let me see...there is so many things I wanted to ask you.' She snapped her fingers, 'Oh, what about that one ya did in our apartment? Ya know, the one where ya talked about you can't just drive the speed limit and all that shit. I remember ya talking about spending Thanksgiving alone. Was that true, baby?'

He nodded. "It's not like I had anybody to spend holidays with. I'm used to being alone. Not that I like it, I just figured that's how it would always be. Shit, I usually feel alone even when I'm with other people. Unless it's with you. Or the guys, or Cody. Five people. Christ, that's pathetic, huh?"

Mary shook her head, smiling softly, 'No, cause that's how I usually feel too. Ya know you were right about me not fitting in with...David's friends. I never really did. All his friends wives would never invite me anywhere and always talked down to me cause I couldn't tell the difference between Gucci and Prada. They would always be condescending about the clothes I wore and how I would talk. I was never that sophisticated and so fucking awkward. It was like fucking high school all over again. Most of the time I would sit in a corner by myself or play with the children. They never judged me or made me feel like trash.'

Jon nodded silently. Hearing her talk about her life with David, however unsatisfying it was for her, wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. "Well, it's their loss," he muttered.

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Damn right.' She sighed,'So, I still have some questions, buddy. When I was in Kenya I watched a dvd of yours where you talked about your work and life. I...ugh...you mentioned about dating this girl when ya were younger that was crazy, but ya didn't know any better.' She chuckled, 'Crazy, huh? I find it funny you said that while you were wearing that sweater I gave you.' She arched her eyebrow questioningly, obviously wanting an explanation.

Jon sighed, fighting the urge to pull away. Why was she bringing this shit up?

"We weren't really dating. We weren't really living together either. Sometimes I crashed at her place. It wasn't a big deal and, you know, obviously not serious. And yeah, she was crazy. Always fucked up on drugs. The sad thing is she was even more fucked up than my mom was. Maybe it was just that I was used to that, being around someone who was always high and treated me like shit."

Mary chuckled and sighed in relief, 'Holy shit. So you weren't talking about me?' She laughed, 'For the longest time I thought ya were talking about me.' She shook her head and laughed to herself thinking about the memory, 'That night I watched it I went to this club in Kenya with another girl I worked with and got drunk. I even danced on a fucking table...' She covered her face to hide her blush, 'My God!'

He blinked rapidly. "Whoa. Jesus. You were...you thought I meant you? Christ! Christ, no. She was fucking trash, baby, nothing like you. And what's this about dancing on a table?" Jon tickled her sides. "Show me! Dance on the bed!"

Mary giggled and playfully pushed him away. She shook her head and laughed, arching her eyebrow, 'Ya really want that? Cause I'll do it and you'll want to gouge your eyes out afterwards.'

"Of course I want that," Jon murmured, stroking her hip. "You're so fucking sexy, you have no idea."

Mary ducked her head shyly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, 'Yeah...well...' She shook her head in disbelief, unable to fathom someone found her beautiful. For the longest time she never thought she would have that. Her mother ruined her self worth, her image of herself and skewed her perception of the outside world and how people perceived her. When he said these things to her she believed it. Never did she think she would believe those things about herself.

He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm serious. You drive me so crazy, baby. Nothing turns me on as much as you. Nothing ever did."

Mary smiled through her tears and covered her hands with his own as she rested her forehead upon his, 'I feel the same way about you too, honey. You're the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Inside and out. You are so handsome, so strong. You're such a good man.'

Now it was his turn to shake his head in disbelief.

"I don't think anyone can call me a good man with a straight face," he replied, looking away. "But I'm glad you think so...I gotta do better, though, baby. I need to be, you know, more reliable and shit." His face burned as he remembered his crazed search for her in the airport. He still couldn't believe he almost fucked up their reunion with his own stupidity.

Mary smiled and gave him the loving look he deserved as she stared directly in his eyes, 'I can. You are a good man, Jon. I've known that since we were kids. And we both gotta do better and we'll do that...together.'

Mary kissed his forehead and sighed, 'So, now that I interrogated you. It's your turn. Lay it on me, baby. Two years of unanswered questions. I am an open book.'

"Okay. Well...did you ever consider going out with anyone else? There's no way other guys weren't interested, asking you out and shit like that. A babe like you?" He grinned and kissed her cheek. "You're mine now, of course."

Mary bowed her head and sighed, 'Ugh...you're probably gonna think this is pathetic but...no. I pretty much focused on school. ' She chuckled nervously, 'Guys asked me out...yeah...but I turned them down. Kat would always try to make me go out with her friends or take me to parties but it just felt weird, ya know? Believe it or not I'm awkward as fuck and shy around new people, men especially. You're the only one I ever...thought about like that.' She scoffed, 'I'm just gonna fucking crawl under a rock now.'

He snorted. "Crawl under me instead." Jon pulled her close and settled on top of her, kissing her deeply. She sighed into his mouth, stroking his hair and giggling as he pulled away to kiss her nose and forehead. "You're so damn beautiful, so smart, so perfect. I'm goddamn lucky."

"You're too sweet." Mary sighed and rubbed his back. "Any other questions?"

Jon rested his head on her shoulder. "Did you watch Survivor Series? They tried to keep it a secret but apparently there were some rumors online about the three of us debuting...I didn't know if you were watching or if you even cared, but I've always wondered."

Mary closed her eyes and nodded, 'I did care. I've been following your career since it started. I...uh...was supposed to go to this charity benefit for my work. We were trying to raise money for our budget.' She looked away and chuckled nervously, 'I told them I was sick and couldn't make it. I...stayed home and bought the pay per view...just in case...shit you probably think I am such a fucking stalker.'

He snorted and held his ring finger in front of her. "Yes, because I would pledge to spend my life with a goddamn stalker." Suddenly he remembered being followed and held her close, feeling protective. Jon had never told her about that, as he didn't want her to worry. But now that they were married...

Mary noticed the look of worry upon his face and rubbed the back of his neck soothingly, 'What, baby? What is it? I'm your wife. Ya know you can tell me anything, right?'

Jon took a deep breath. "Okay, look. You know firsthand how fucking weird fans can get, but something happened a while ago, something I didn't tell you about before."

She frowned and moved closer. "What happened, baby?"

He gritted his teeth. "The three of us were leaving a show and people were taking pictures, which, you know, was annoying but whatever...but we were on our way to the hotel and this car turned around and started following us. We tried to lose them, but they followed us to the hotel and we didn't want to get out, so we called the hotel and they sent out security. They distracted them so we could park the car and get in. It was fucking scary as shit, Mary. Seth and I stayed in Roman's room for a while 'cause it scared the fuck out of us. I just...I think maybe we should get you a bodyguard or something. I don't...if something happened, I couldn't..." Jon shook his head, unwilling to finish the thought.

Mary sighed and looked away, suddenly becoming uneasy, 'Bodyguard, Jon? Don't ya think that's being a little paranoid?'

He narrowed his eyes. "Fuck no. Baby, nothing's gonna happen to you and some of these people are fucking sick. Shit, I'll ask around at the next show. The guys'll know how I can set it up."

Mary rested her head against his chest and whispered, 'We can travel in separate cars so we're not seen together...or maybe I can go back to stay with Kat until everything is figured out.'

It killed her to say those words, but she did not want to cause any unwanted trouble for him. This was a life he carved out for himself and she did not want to complicate things. Sure they were married, but they still had a lot to figure out. He has worked so hard to get to this point. She would be damned if she screwed it up for him.

He shook his head. "No, I don't want us to avoid each other, fuck that. I just want to keep you safe. And when we have kids, I'll make sure they're kept safe too. That's my fucking job."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I just don't wanna cause trouble, ya know? It's just ya worked so hard to get where you're at. Even though we're married I still feel like an outsider.' She sighed, 'God, can I ever make sense?'

"You're not alone, you know. Lots of the guys are married and have kids. I'm not saying you have to have fucking tea parties with them and shit, but you know, it's not like you're by yourself..." Jon laughed. "Baby, you make perfect sense, I'm the one who's rambling here."

Mary shook her head and kissed his forehead, stroking his cheeks, 'Baby, we'll figure it out...together. That's what married couples do. There is nothing scaring me away...not anymore.' She playfully slapped his shoulder, 'Hey, weren't ya supposed to be asking me questions. You only asked two, buddy So , since I've been stalking you on the internet these past two years. Tell me...have you been doing the same.' She grinned, 'I didn't get a Facebook for nothing, ya know. ' She wrapped her arms around his neck, 'Did ya ever sit there and look at my photos like I used to do of you? Like of the ones with Kat and I at the beach. That bikini was very hard to keep together in the ocean.'

She smirked when she saw his face go beet red and he quickly bowed his head. Guilty as charged.

"Well, yeah, I saw those," Jon mumbled. "Sometimes...sometimes I'd look at them right before a match, or a promo, cause I'd get worked up. I'd think about what I'd do if you were watching, or I'd start getting, you know, fucking pissed about stuff, the whole situation and stuff, and you know, use that energy." He ran his hands through his hair. "So."

Mary nodded and chuckled, 'So what, baby? This is us clearing the air remember? I take it ya liked what ya saw?'

"Definitely," he murmured, and kissed her. "Okay, so I gotta ask...did any of your friends give you shit about me? I mean, I'm surprised Kat doesn't think I'm a total piece of shit after she saw how I acted that night."

Mary took a deep breath and sighed, 'Well, Kat tried to talk to me that night, but I didn't wanna talk to anybody. I just...got a shower and went to bed. She cornered me the next morning and...wanted to know what happened.' She bowed her head and twiddled her thumbs nervously in her lap, 'I...had...bruises on...my...back and arms. She...wanted to...call the cops on you.'Tears filled her eyes and fear clutched her heart in an ironhold grip, but he asked and she wasn't going to lie to him. He deserved to hear the truth. They both did. If they were ever going to get past the bullshit they needed to clear the air once and for all.

"Maybe she should have," Jon mumbled. "Mary, I can't ever forgive myself for that night. Jesus, I didn't want you to think I forced myself on you...I just...shit." He looked away and took a deep breath. "I'm fucking still surprised you wanted anything to do with me after that night. I treated you...I treated you just like he did." Jon's voice broke and he blinked away tears.

Mary had tears in her own eyes as she cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'Hey, I told you that I wanted that...I did.' He averted his eyes downward and tried to pull away from her, but she kept her grip upon him, 'Stop doing this, Jon. I...came that night if you don't remember. Yeah, I was scared a bit because of the state you were in, but never once did I think of him...ever. You saved me from him. If it wasn't for you I would probably be dead like my mom or one of his fucking whores. There was love behind your actions that night, always love. Why would I fucking let Kat call the cops? I could never do that to you. I never came with...him. Not once. I always would pretend I was somewhere else. I never pretended when I was with you. Not even then. ' She let out a choked sob and gritted her teeth, 'I hate him for what he did to me all those years. I could never hate you...ever. You're my angel, you know that? When I saw you that night in that kitchen I knew that you were the one. I knew.'

Jon felt tears run down his face and he put his arms around her, holding her tight. "Baby girl, I'm gonna keep you safe, okay? For the rest of our lives. I swear to you that you and our family will be safe. I always wanted to save you..." He closed his eyes and rubbed her back as she cried into his shoulder. "Mary, you saved me. I fucking...I fucking know I would have tried to end it all again if I hadn't met you. And you fucking got me clean. You could have left me there. Shit, you could have left me all those times. Even after you told me...when you told me you were engaged I always felt like maybe you were watching me...like we were gonna end up together no matter what."

Mary wiped the tears from his eyes and kissed his face, 'Baby, I felt the same way...I think that's why I sent you that invitation. I...needed to see you again. I had to. I wasn't happy. Not really. I've always been happy with you because it was you...understand?'

"Yeah..." The memory of seeing her invitation in the mail was still devastating. He'd spent the next week or so wandering around backstage almost in a daze, not wanting to believe it. Half the locker room avoided him while the other half approached him and asked how they could help. He would just laugh and walk off.

But that was the past. He needed to let go of all that pain. He had to find a way.

"Jon?" Mary rubbed his chest. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Just remembering stuff." He sighed. "Well, okay. Got another question. You said you were watching all that time...what were some of your favorite matches?" Jon smiled at her, wanting to move on to less depressing subjects.

Mary took a moment of deliberation to carefully think about his question. She beamed and her eyes lit up, 'One of my favorites had to be with Bryan Danielson...no fucking doubt. Ya took it to another level with him that night .He's one of the best technical wrestlers in the world, but you held your own. Ya really fucking did.I found it fucking awesome when the two of you reunited for TLC. It was like you came full circle.' She bowed her head, sighing deeply, 'I was at that match that night. That's why it's one of my favorites.'

"Are you fucking...holy shit!" Jon laughed and shook his head. "You keep fucking surprising me, baby." He kissed her forehead. "Bryan's a cool guy. You'd like him. He, uh, kinda knows about you. We were hanging out and talking and I just sort of started blurting shit out...not too much, don't worry...but yeah, he even said I seemed happy after we spent the night together after your party." Jon kissed her again. "That was one of the best nights of my life. And just knowing you were gonna watch my first WWE match was fucking great, baby." He laughed, remembering how he checked his phone in the hotel, nearly doing a victory yell when he saw that she'd texted him.

Mary chuckled and held his face in her hands, kissing him, 'It was one of my best nights too...hands down, baby. I was so proud of you that night.' She sighed, shaking her head' Although ya fucking almost killed me when ya did a suplex off that fucking table with Seth. You're a maniac. You're facial expressions were hilarious.' She ducked her head, shyly and stammered, 'Sorry, I'm rambling...I just...get excited when I see ya wrestle. I always did because I know how much it means to you. I'll shut up now.'

"Wasn't that awesome?" Jon sat up, excited. "Fucking A, it was cool as shit. And I got chokeslammed through a chair! That was fucking cool as shit. You know what's funny? They fucking had to dig Kane out of there after the match. It was awesome. I'm glad you saw it baby." He kissed her and giggled into her hair. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

Mary shook her head and hid behind her hair, not wanting him to see her blush, 'No, I couldn't.' She sighed deeply, 'I tried to, but I couldn't. Seeing you on video and tv was never enough. I had to see you in person even if you couldn't see me. Shit, now that I think about it I was a stalker. There were so many times I was at your matches and thought you saw me.' She shook her head, laughing at the memory, 'Ya know when I told ya I went to that CZW match and yelled at the event staff?' He nodded his head, smiling.

She chuckled nervously, 'I...uh...got Kat and I kicked out. Ya had like fucking mousetraps put on you and ya were screaming in pain. I kept yelling at the guy to help you, but he just kept laughing.' She bowed her head, 'I...ugh...grabbed him by his shirt and...told him I was gonna stab him with my nail filer if he didn't get you out of there...They...uh...escorted me out I was screaming out your name, but they held...me back. It took Kat hours to calm me down. I thought for sure ya saw me there. I was...pretty obvious.'

"Holy shit." She was right...he could have sworn he heard her or saw her, but he'd just assumed it was his crazed mind or the pain making him loopy. "Jesus, baby. Why...I wish you hadn't seen that." He pulled away a bit, feeling shitty. It seemed like no matter what, he'd found a way to make her miserable.

Mary frowned when she saw the look of sadness upon his face. She held his face in her hands and wiped his tears away, resting her forehead upon his own, 'Baby, I've been meaning to ask you. In CZW were you...okay? Ya looked..emaciated and...' She shook her head, sighing, 'I hate to ask, but were you...doing drugs? The things ya said in your promos, the things ya did...were you okay?'

"Wasn't using. I promise you that." Jon sighed, pulling the sheets up around him. "I was drinking a lot, not really eating much. Didn't really spend a lot of time with people. I'd look up your Facebook pictures and I saw you with David, and you seemed really happy..." His voice trailed off and he looked away. "I don't know, I just kinda felt sorry for myself." He shook his head. "You don't wanna hear about this, I'm sorry."

Mary tightly wrapped her arms around him and threw her legs around him, wrapping him up within herself. She rested her head upon his shoulder and whispered, 'Tell me, baby. I need to know. I'm your wife. We need to talk about this to get through it.'

He put his arms around her but still couldn't look at her. "It's...it doesn't matter now." Jon shrugged. "You know, whatever. It happened."

Mary sighed and looked at him, shaking her head, 'Why won't you talk to me, Jon? I'm your wife. We should be able to talk about everything. 'She let out another deep sigh, 'Okay then, if you're not gonna talk then I will. Ask me anything. Come on. I'm a big girl. I can take it.'

Jon closed his eyes and pulled her close. He didn't want to talk anymore. All this shit about the past...he just wanted to forget it. He was finally married to the woman he loved and didn't want to think about all the times he thought he'd lost her, either to someone else or because of his own fucked up problems.

Mary pulled away to study his face. He was doing it again. He was shutting down and hiding inside himself, away from her and the rest of the world. She shook her head, sighing. This is what normal people do. She didn't know enough about normal relationships, but she was pretty sure that this is not how married couples handle their problems.

She sighed deeply and rested her head upon his shoulder, 'Ya know, David saw me watching your videos in the middle of the night one time.'

"Yeah?" Jon mumbled, his voice thick. "Bet that went over well."

Mary swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped away her tears and shook her head, 'No, it...didn't. He told me that I would rather spend my time looking at videos than be with my fiance.' She closed her eyes, thinking about that night, 'He was...so angry. He said I was...using him...for his money...cause I was...' She shook her head and scoffed, 'That's what his friends and family thought. Wasn't anything new...he...asked me if I...still...loved you.' She covered her face in shame and sobbed, 'I told him...no...I'm so sorry.'

Something broke inside him and he rolled on his side, pulling her hands away. He smiled at her and began stroking her face. "Mary, baby...it's okay. You did the right thing. No man wants to be married to a woman who loves another man." Jon smiled and looked deep in her eyes. "Wanna hear something funny?"

Mary sniffed and nodded, wiping at her eyes.

Jon laughed softly. "Well...remember how I said that Paige left the night you called, 'cause she knew I was still in love with you, and always would be? Thing is, I knew she didn't even really like me. She said I was wasting her time, but, uh, I wasn't the one she really wanted. She always had a thing for Wade Barrett. Shit, I even saw the two of them making out backstage not even a couple of days after we called it quits." Jon laughed. "I'm actually happy for them. I know it's not the same thing, but...even with her, the way she looks at him, hell, even the way he looks at her...they're the real deal. Me and Paige, that wasn't us, not by a long shot. So I don't know how David feels, but I kinda do. And even if I really liked Paige or even loved her, I couldn't be with her knowing she really wanted to be with someone else."

Mary smiled through her tears and cupped his cheek, 'Ya wanna know about the night I told David I couldn't marry him?'

Jon nodded eagerly. He always wanted to know what made her change her mind. It's something that's been plaguing him ever since she called him that night. He wanted to ask her, but just never knew how to. Shit, he was just glad she was back in his life after everything they've been through.

She chuckled, 'I was having dinner with David's friends and one of them asked me about who you were because one of their kids watches wrestling. I told them you were a friend. Another one of his friends made a stupid comment, saying that wrestling was a joke or something. I took it the wrong way, automatically thinking they were talking about you. ' She rolled her eyes and laughed, 'I just started flipping out, saying how dedicated and passionate you were. I mean I went full on Cincinnati on this girl. She was looking at me like I was fucking nuts.' She scoffed, 'One of them had the nerve to call me trash and I said, 'I'd rather be trash than a stuck up fucking bitch who sits home all day and takes Xanax cause she's too stupid and helpless to work for herself.' She shook her head, cringing at the memory, ' David just stared at me, as if he knew. He escorted me out of the restaurant and that's when I told him.'

Jon burst out laughing, burying his face in her stomach. The image of her telling off some haughty bitch in some fancy restaurant...he giggled hysterically and pawed at her sides, unable to even speak, he was laughing so hard.

Mary shook her head and began, laughing along with, 'Jesus Christ. I was really going to fuck kill her, Jon. All because of one stupid comment. I almost fucking got arrested all because I thought she was talking about you. I realized right then and there that if I loved you enough to defend you, I couldn't marry, David.' She snorted, 'Bet his friends are all thrilled.' She playfully slapped his chest and giggled, 'Did ya really fucking think I thought ya looked stupid in your costume? Is that really why you acting all weird during that interview with Cole? I thought you were just acting.'

"Uhh..." Jon lifted his head and scooted up her body, resting his head on her chest. "Yeah, well, uh, we were all nervous, you know. Fucking rehearsed it like a million times but they told us to improvise if we wanted...but part of me wondered if you were gonna watch and just laugh at me. I don't know." He traced his finger over her skin. "But yeah, I was encouraged to stay in character, so I guess it kinda worked out."

Mary took his hand and interlocked their fingers together and kissed them, 'Baby, why did ya think I would laugh at you? Is that why ya didn't look into the camera?' She averted her eyes downward, feeling shy, 'I was hoping you would. Kinda wanted look into the camera ya know? '

"We were supposed to save that for the found footage stuff." He peered up at her. "Did you like those? They were fun to shoot." He grinned at her as she stroked his hair.

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I did, especially the one ya did before TLC.' She shook her head and rolled her eyes, 'I must have watched it over a million fucking times, I swear. The intensity and the way you spoke...' She laughed and scrunched her face up as she put on a caricature of his voice, 'Bring ladders, bring chairs.' She shook her head and laughed, ' I fucking loved it. When ya were looking right into the camera, I swear you were looking at me.' She let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes, 'It rattled me, sweetheart.' She stroked the sides of his face and whispered, 'You turn me on, baby. '

"I did, huh?" He kissed in between her breasts and smirked up at her. "Interesting..." He licked at her skin, making her purr. "So...did you watch all the promos? Did they get you off?"

Mary turned her head away, feeling shy all of the sudden, 'The one you did on Smackdown in December...' She let out a shaky sigh, 'The way ya looked into the camera.' She closed her eyes, 'I remember your hair being all...wild...how it would look when I would run my hands through it. You kept...licking your lips...' She laughed nervously, 'I came hard that night.'

Jon squinted. "You mean the one where we interrupted Miz TV and Team Hell No?"

Mary nodded, 'Yeah, I remember it being special to me cause it was shown on your birthday. ' She chuckled nervously, unable to look at him, 'You were all sweaty...'

"Like now?" Jon teased, kissing her neck. "Wish you'd been there for my birthday. I know a few ways I would have liked to celebrate with you..." He trailed a finger down her side, then took her leg and lifted it so she was half-wrapped around him. "Well, we could always make up for it now..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked, 'Oh really? Well, tell me. Since we couldn't celebrate your birthday together, lets do it now. What did ya have in mind, birthday boy?"

He crawled up her body, trailing kisses along the way and stared down at her. "You know, we've only done sixty-nine once...been thinking about doing that again with you."

Mary threaded her hands through his hair and sighed in contentment when she felt his lips upon her body.

She chuckled, whispering, 'Ya know, there is a picture I wanted ya to have when we were dating, but never got to give it to ya...cause of...' She shook her head, not wanting to bring up the whole Desiree situation again. They fought enough about that skank. She was in the past and would remain as such.

Jon kissed and nibbled upon her neck, licking around her ear as he whispered in her ear, 'Oh yeah?"

She nodded and grinned, 'Yeah, it's in the pictures I gave ya. Kat was taking a photography class and asked me to take some photos in our dorm.' She rolled her eyes, 'She said it would help me with my confidence.' She reluctantly pulled away from him for a moment and dug through the photos. She beamed when she found it. She ducked her head shyly and handed it to him, 'Here...happy birthday.' She laughed nervously, 'Remember, the camera adds ten pounds.'

Jon gaped at the picture. She was so fucking sexy...she was wearing a white bra and panties, her hair was all wild like she's just been fucked, and her arms were behind her head. The look on her face...he recognized it. It was the way she looked at him right before he put his mouth on her or slid inside her. He was getting harder just looking at it. "Oh my fucking GOD..."

Mary laughed nervously once again, 'So, ya...like it?'

"Christ. I love it, baby. Jesus, how can you not see how fucking sexy you are?" Jon carefully set the picture on the dresser and began kissing down her body. "Know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make a few copies of that picture, and I'm gonna make sure I have a copy with me when I go to work. I'm gonna get off to it, right after my matches. I'm gonna come hard looking at my sexy wife."

Mary chuckled and felt tears fill her eyes. He looked down at her with so much awe and adoration. He made her feel like the sexiest, most beautiful girl in the world just with a look. She loved this man with everything in her and always would.

She reached down and cupped his face in her hands and smirked, 'Well, ya have the real thing right here now, baby.' She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, bringing herself flush against his body, 'Why not just come hard now?"

"Mmm, yeah." He pulled her on top of him and began kissing her, his hands on her hips, making her grind against him. They sighed at the contact and Jon nuzzled against her neck. "Baby...want your mouth on me. Wanna taste you while you taste me."

Mary bit her lip and grinned. She turned around so she was upside down and began making her way down his body, trailing kisses along the way. She nuzzled the hair above his groin, making him hiss and shiver. She gently grasped his cock, tugging it forcefully.

She arched her back, bringing her glistening sex close to his face and wiggled it in front of him, 'Come on, baby. I'm not putting my mouth on you until you do. Fair's fair.'

Jon growled and put his hands on her hips, bringing her closer until she was resting on top of his face. He teased her with small, short licks around her entrance, moaning helplessly when she took him in her mouth. He dug his nails into her skin as she sucked at him, and he sought out her clit with his tongue and began lapping at it. She moaned and writhed against him, and he moaned into her and began flicking his tongue harder against her.

Mary groaned, her pussy against his face as she sucked his cock. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she moaned around his cock when she felt him bite her clit. He inserted three fingers inside of her as deeply as he could as he tongue fucked her. She found herself faltering a few moments, but quickly regained her composure, not wanting to be outdone. She wrapped both of her hands around his cock and relaxed her jaw, taking him in as deep as he could go. She found herself gagging when he hit the back of her throat, causing her spit to spill all over his cock. She released him with a pop and used her spit to stroke and gently squeeze.

She looked over her shoulder and groaned aloud as his head thrashed from side to side with his mouth still latched onto her pussy. Mary ground her pussy against his mouth. She was so wet she could feel her juices spilling out of her and onto his face.

Mary rubbed the tip of his cock and licked the precum from it, whispering, 'Shit, you taste so good. Enough to make a girl come.'

Jon released his hold on her and licked greedily at her wetness. "Fucking love your taste," he growled. "You get me so hard...want you to keep sucking baby, gonna give you a mouthful of come. You gonna swallow it down for me?"

Mary released him and continued stroking as she looked over her shoulder at him, 'Oh, I'll do that, baby. Want you to titty fuck me, first. Always wanted to try that with you. Ya want your cock between your wife's tits, baby?"

Jon ran his tongue along her pussy and grinned. "Fuck yeah I do." He slapped her ass and dragged his nails against her skin.

"Get on your back for me, baby."

Mary rolled off his body and crawled to the top of the bed, lying her head upon the pillows.

She spread her legs wide and grabbed her breasts, whispering, 'Ya wanna get the KY or do ya wanna lather your cock up with my pussy, baby?'

Jon grinned. "What do you think?" He placed her legs on his shoulders and slid into her, groaning at the sensation. "Fuck...so wet...so wet and tight for me." Unable to help himself, he started riding her, moving faster as she moaned.

As much as she enjoyed his cock inside of her, it's not what she wanted, what she needed. She took her legs down from his shoulders and gently pushed his chest with both of her hands.

Mary cupped her breasts and brought them together. She met his gaze directly and flicked her nipples with her tongue. His eyes widened and he let out an audible gasp.

She bit her lip and arched against him, bringing him deeper inside of her, 'Come on, baby. I wanna feel my husband's beautiful cock between these breasts.'

"Fuck, you're a sexy bitch." He pulled out of her and slid up her body, pushing himself in between her breasts. His cock was still wet from being inside her, and the softness of her skin made him even harder. "Oh shit..." Jon balanced himself on his knees and rested his hands on the headboard. He started moving slowly but then picked up the pace, letting out a shout when she bent her neck to suck at his tip. "Oh, fuck! Oh god...oh baby...baby girl..."

Mary held her breasts together as he moved in between her breasts. She licked the precum off his tip and licked her lips as she stared directly into his eyes. She watched him as he moved above her, amazed and awed that he was hers.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and whispered, ''Finger fuck me, baby. Wanna feel your fingers inside me getting me off. Then I want ya to talk dirty to me. I am your fucking sexy bitch tonight. And you're mine. Come on, give it to your wife

dirty, baby.'

Jon leaned back and shoved three fingers into her, smirking when she arched up. "Like that? You like me fingering your pussy? I'll bet you screamed my name when you jerked off to me, didn't you? Hmm? Bet you got so fucking wet, thinking of my fingers, my tongue, my cock. All I have to do is look at you, baby, and you get wet, don't you? I could fucking tell. I get you soaked, don't I?"

Mary squeezed her breasts together against his cock, causing him to let out a guttural groan. She licked the tip of his cock and her nipples as his fingers moved in and out of her at a furious pace. She moaned his name and clamped her pussy lips upon his fingers, needing more. She arched her back and swirled her hips, creating a delicious friction.

She licked her lips and nodded, 'You fucking know it. Tell me, baby. Ya fucking looked at my photos and fisted yourself. didn't you ? I put those photos up there for you, baby. All for you.' She bit her lip and moaned, 'Fuck, I would look at your promos and fuck myself so hard. I'd get so fucking wet I'd have to change the sheets, squirted all over the fucking place. Tell me baby, what promos did ya jerk off to beforehand? Wanna hear you say it.'

"Shit yeah...I'd fucking get my hand wet and I'd fuck my fist, pretending I was fucking you...I'd fuck you so hard, Mary...fucking came so hard I'd nearly pass out...I jerked off before I did the one in the alley...fucking all the Shield ones...Christ, it was a wonder I could even fuck talk afterwards...shit...I'd have to bite down on my arm before I came so I wouldn't scream and everyone would hear..."

Mary groaned aloud at his words and arched further into his hand. She dug her heels into the bed when he pinched her clit and she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. She was holding her orgasm off as long as her body would allow her to, not wanting to come just yet. She wanted to make this moment last as long as she could.

She spit onto her breasts to keep his cock wet so it could move fluidly and his eyes widened as he shook his head in disbelief, 'Ya wanna know what promo of yours that got me off the most? It was the one ya did for Jimmy Jacobs. Your face was so fucking close to the camera and you were grunting and , ya sounded just like ya do when I fuck you. God baby I came so fucking hard I cried then I licked my fingers clean.'

"Yeah you fucking did," Jon growled, and circled his fingers inside her. "You've been dying for me to fuck you, haven't you? Want me every way possible, don't you? Want me all over you, all in you, want my come dripping out of you and on your skin. Nothing gets you off like I do, huh? You want every inch of me, don't you?"

Mary loosened her hold on his cock, wanting to enjoy this. She nodded, whispering raggedly, 'Fuck yeah, I do, baby. You're the only one who gets my pussy wet, who gets me off. Fuck, I love your cock, your mouth, your hands.' She smirked, 'I bet ya fucking got off on those bikini photos didn't ya, baby? Got ya so fucking hard and dripping...and slick.' She licked her nipples and groaned, 'Those pictures were for you, baby. I wanted you to get off of them. And ya did get off, didn't ya?"

"All for me...every part of you is for me...fuck, every part of you feels good, baby. Bet you thought of me fucking you when you had those pictures taken, didn't you? I could see it in your eyes, baby, I know that look. And fuck yeah, I got off, I always get off, so hard when I think of you...I fucking scream when I come for you. You make your man scream, baby...fuck yeah..."

Mary smirked arched up against him, 'I did, baby...I did. Do ya know I finger fucked myself in that bikini while I watched one of your matches? It was the one ya did with Austin Aries. Fuck, ya looked so...good. I propped my legs on the table and stuck my hand down my bikini bottoms, baby. I bit my hand so fucking hard I drew blood. It was right before those pictures were taken, baby. Right before. Ya knew I was watching didn't you? Fuck, seeing you in those trunks, your cock on display...I couldn't help it, baby.'

"It's yours, baby." He smirked down at her and pushed forward, slipping the tip of his cock past her lips. "Show me how

much you love it."

Mary licked the tip teasingly and shook her head, 'No...been there...done that.' She smirked, 'I wanna watch you fist yourself. I wanna watch what ya did and I'll do the same. Go sit on the bed, baby like a good little husband and do as you're told.'

Jon glared at her and grabbed a handful of her hair. "Nothing little about me, babe." He slid off her and kept his thumb on her clit, rubbing hard. "Fucking ask me nicely. Ask me nicely and maybe I'll let you taste my come."

Mary grinned and rested her hand upon his thigh. She danced her fingertips along his inner thigh, dangerously close to his cock, 'What if I don't wanna be nice? I'm tired of always being the nice girl. Sometimes a girl's gotta have some danger every now and then.'

Jon chuckled and slid two fingers in his mouth, getting them wet. "Mmm...gotta point there." He moved his fingers on either side of her clit and wiggled them so she could get off on the friction. "How about this, baby? You tell me a fantasy you have of me you never told me before. I'll tell you one too. And we can watch each other fucking ourselves. You like that? Hmmm?"

Mary nodded and pulled herself away from him. She hissed when she felt his fingers sliding out of her. She sat in front of him with her legs spread as wide as they could go, opening herself to him.

She leaned over and grabbed his hand, licking his fingers clean. She licked her lips and moaned, 'Fuck, you're right. I do taste good. How do ya wanna start, baby?'

Jon knelt in front of her and gripped his cock, slowly stroking it. He wanted to last as long as he could. "Get your fingers in yourself and start to tell me your fantasy. If you get close, you stop. Then I go. Back and forth." He squeezed his cock, making himself moan. "Make it a good one, baby."

Mary leaned back in the bed a bit, getting comfortable. She inserted two fingers inside of herself, swirling them around her clit. She arched her back and let out a moan, closing her eyes, 'I used to..fantasize about...seeing...you at a show...' She smirked, 'As Mox, of course. I would... fuck...' She took a few deep breaths and stopped playing with her swollen clit. Instead she eased her fingers in and out of herself, prolonging her pleasure, 'Ya would...see me...in the crowd...and...mmm...we'd make eye contact...shit...every time ya would make a move ya would...smirk at me...getting me wetter and wetter every fucking time...' She braced her one hand against the bed and gasped,'...baby...'

Jon grinned and began stroking himself. "My turn...I used to think about holding off for a while, getting fucking full...and then you coming to visit me and finding a way to get backstage...and of course all the guys would look at you but you'd find me...I'd still be in gear, baby. You'd reach in my vest and take out your picture, and you'd ask me if I wanted the real thing..." His strokes quickened and he gasped. "Fuck...mmm, Mary..."

Mary smirked and met his gaze directly and clenched her clit between her fingers, letting out a guttural groan, 'After your match you'd look at me and nod your head, telling me to follow you backstage...and I would...you'd take me back to the locker area...' She added another finger inside of herself and gasped aloud, 'Fuck, baby...spit on your cock...wanna see you do it...'

He licked and spit on his palm and made a fist, fucking it slowly. "You'd pull me into one of the private dressing rooms...maybe you paid off security or something...and you pulled me close, and you'd kiss me, and you'd run your hands over my chest and slip your hands down my pants and you'd grab me, and you'd tell me you wanted to get fucked..." Jon moved faster, fucking his fist. "I'd rip your clothes off and tell you to lie down on the bench and open yourself up for me...I'd get my gear off and get on top of you...fuck...oh fuck, you'd be so wet for me..."

Mary rubbed her foot against his leg as she pushed her fingers in and out of herself at a furious pace, 'You'd tell me to get down on my knees...I'd pull your trunks down to your ankles and put you in my mouth as I'd finger myself...you'd grab my hair telling me how much ya want me...fuck...ya don't even know my name...' She shrieked as she became wetter, her juices spilling out over her hand.

Jon fucked his fist harder, his cock dripping with precum. "I'd tie you to the bench...you'd beg me to fuck you, you'd tell me you never wanted anyone like you wanted me...I'd tease you, but I couldn't keep that going, I had to be inside you...so I'd slide my cock into you...and oh fuck, you'd scream my name..." He gasped and moved closer, desperate to feel more of her. "Fuck...you're getting close, aren't you, baby girl?"

Mary shook her head and smirked, 'Baby, I can do this all fucking night...my fantasy's not over...' She placed her legs on opposite sides of him and kept her legs wide, wanting to tease him a bit. She had three fingers pushing in and out of herself while her other hand was playing with her swollen clit. She moaned and closed her eyes, losing herself in the fantasy, 'You would grab me by my hair and pull me up from the floor...ya would turn me around with my back facing you...while you ate me out from behind...shit...my clothes would still be on...ya would have me beg for your cock...ya like when I beg don't ya, baby?'

"You know I do." Jon reached down and gathered some of his precum on his thumb and brought it to his mouth, sucking and grinning at her surprised expression. "You're not the only one who tastes good, sweetheart." He chuckled and squeezed his cock. "Mmm...I'd ride you hard, and you'd beg me to untie you, you wanted your hands on me...so after a while I untied you and sat on the bench and told you to ride me...told you I wanted to feel your tight cunt on my cock...and you were such a good girl that you did it, you rode my dick and got me wet. Such a good girl." He gathered some more of his precum on his fingers and rubbed them on her lips. "Taste that. Taste how wet your husband gets, just thinking of your sweet pussy."

Mary eagerly licked his fingers and groaned at the taste, 'Fuck, my husband taste so fucking good...I would beg you to fuck me...so ya hiked my skirt up and shoved my panties down to my ankles and shoved your cock so deep in my pussy my feet came off the floor...shit you pounded into me over and over..." She took her fingers out of herself and put them in his mouth, grinning as he licked them and closed his eyes savoring the taste 'You taste that, baby? You're the only fucking one who ever has...I love being your dirty girl.' She chuckled, 'I am your dirty little girl aren't I?'

"You're my everything," he rasped, and leaned over her, his cock still in his hand. "I'd let you ride me, and after you came a few times, I'd throw you off and have you get on the floor, on all fours...I'd fuck you from behind and you'd bend down, almost unable to take it...I'd ride you so fucking hard, baby, you'd tighten all around me...mmm, god you get so tight when I fuck you." Jon grinned and reached down, rubbing her inner thigh. "Your pussy loves my fingers, my tongue, my cock...you come so damn hard, baby...look how wet you are, just thinking about me fucking you..."

Mary grasped onto his thigh while moving her fingers in and out of herself at a furious pace. She tightly closed her eyes and moaned, while gasping out, 'You'd turn me around and throw me on the table...you would put my legs on your shoulders while you fucked me...damn your cock gets so deep inside me I can feel it in my chest...you're so fucking hard...make me feel so full...love it when you come inside me. Your come drips down my legs...shit..ya wanna watch me grind on my fist baby like I told ya I do thinking of you? Ya want my ass in the air while you spank it and jerk that beautiful cock of yours?'

Jon lifted her up and turned her over, pulling up her hips and resting his cock against her ass. He thrusted against her a couple of times and then pulled away, dragging his nails over her lower back while he jerked himself. "Fucking do it. Ride your hand, baby. Don't get too used to it, though. I'm gonna fill you up with my come. You're gonna feel every goddamn drop of me in you. You want that?" Jon chuckled and slammed his palm against her ass. "This is how I imagined it. You begging for my cock, telling me how good it feels...telling me how you had to get off every time you saw me on TV. And all the guys would think about fucking you, but I'd be the only one who got to feel you, who got to have you...fuck..."

Mary balled her hand into a fist and ground her pussy against it. She moaned every time her knuckles rubbed against her clit. She arched her ass in the air while Jon smacked it while stroking his cock.

She grinds herself furiously upon her fist as she gasped out, 'This is how I would fuck myself wishing I was riding your cock, baby. Shit I would watch ya on TV and get so fucking wet I had to take care of myself. I knew that smirk...ya knew exactly what ya were doing to your girl, didn't you? They may get Dean, but I get Jon...shit baby talk to me dirty...I wanna be

your fucking dirty girl on our wedding night.'

"You get all of me," Jon breathed, running his nails over her hip. He inched forward and pressed the tip of his cock against her ass, smirking when she moaned and instinctively pushed against him. "You're my dirty girl every day...the way you look at me, baby, I know you're thinking of my cock in you. God, you want it all the time, don't you? Wanna taste my come, want it filling your ass and your cunt...you're gonna get it for the rest of your life. You're all fucking mine, you hear that? Mine." Jon leaned over her, covering her body with his. He pressed his mouth against her ear and licked at it, grinding his hips against her. "Mine. All fucking mine. Every inch of you is mine. Mine to love, to want, to fuck."

Mary arched against him and moaned, 'Fuck, baby. I love you so much. So much. I fucking get you off don't I? You love my pussy wrapped around your cock and riding your face. I fucking love when you lap me up, baby. Fucking love it when you drink from me. I love seeing your face wet with my pussy juice while you fuck me.'

"You taste so good," Jon moaned. "Fuck, need it. Need it now." He scooted down and placed his hands on her hips, spreading her open with his thumbs. He leaned closer and lapped at her entrance, his eyes rolling in pleasure at her taste. She was beautiful, sexy...his wife. He had her forever now. Jon moaned and moved closer, getting his tongue in deeper, flicking it all

around inside her.

Mary grasped onto the bedsheets when she felt his tongue inside of her. She let out a choked sob as he explored her with his tongue. He nibbled on her clit, causing her to moan. Fuck, he turned her on. No other man has ever made her feel this way. He was the only one and would remain as such for the rest of their lives. The sudden realization brought tears to her eyes.

Through her lust filled haze Mary managed to gasp out. 'Get inside me, Jon. Need to feel my gorgeous husband deep inside me.'

Jon flipped her over, wanting to see her face when he pushed himself inside her. She was gazing up at him with desire and reverence, and he leaned over her, stroking her face.

"I'm in love with you, Mary," he whispered. "I'll love you forever. Forever, baby. It's us, you and me."

She nodded silently, her eyes filling with tears.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss, then settled closer as she wrapped her legs around him. He pushed inside of her with a slow, careful thrust, hissing with pleasure as he filled her to the hilt. "Oh...fuck...oh yeah...goddamn...so good." Jon moaned and began moving inside of her, his rhythm quickening, spurred on by lust. "Fuck, you feel so good...so good...mmm, yeah...you're perfect, baby."

Mary cupped the back of his head and rested her forehead upon his own. She closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. She has never known pleasure or a love like this before. The way he held her, pushed into her and gazed down at her with awe and adoration. This is what it's about. A precious acceptance that only they could give one another. He pushed in and out of her in deep, steady strokes. He held her face in his hands as he kissed her. They swallowed one another's gasps and moans as they breathed each other's names.

She groaned and lifted her hips, matching his movements as she whispered, 'I am so in love with you, baby. I'm gonna love you forever. Jon and Mary, like it's always supposed to be.' She stroked his face and smiled through her tears, 'You're such a good man, honey. Such a beautiful and strong man.'

Jon's eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief as tears fell from his eyes, 'You don't have to say that, Mary.'.

She kissed his forehead and whispered, 'But it's true, baby. I am so proud to be your wife. So proud.'

Something seemed to snap inside of him for he rested his head in her neck and began sobbing. He stayed inside of her, not wanting to lose that connection. Mary wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair soothingly as she asked him, 'What's wrong, sweetheart?'

He shook his head, unable to speak. His arms wrapped around her and he shuddered from emotion and the sensation of still being inside her. Jon's eyes closed and he breathed her in deep as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered to him. It was almost too much.

Mary shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. She cupped his face in her hands as she looked up at him. She tried to let her love reflect as much as it could as she looked into his eyes, 'You're so beautiful, baby. So beautiful. Everything about you captivates me, always has. You're extraordinary and I'm lucky to know you let alone be married to you. Never did I ever dream I would have you this way.'

Jon looked away and kept shaking his head in disbelief. It was almost as if he were unwilling to believe her words and didn't want to hear them.

'Why don't you believe me, Jon?' She asked him.

"I believe you," he mumbled. "Just, you know." He wiped at his eyes. "I just can't fucking believe I got you, baby. Jesus. You're so..." Jon smiled down at her and cupped her face in his hands. "You're incredible, baby. I can't believe I found you. I can't believe I get to spend my life with you. God...what did I do to deserve you?" He laughed, shaking his head. "It's not like I'm as great as you think I am."

Mary shook her head in disbelief and wiped the tears off his cheeks, 'I think you're wonderful, baby.' She chuckled slightly, 'Who the hell told you these things so I can kick their ass?"

"You're such a hellcat," Jon murmured, and began slowly moving inside of her. "You make me _feel_ wonderful, Mary. You make me want to be everything you need...everything you want." He kissed her and rested his forehead against hers. "You're everything to me, baby girl. Everything."

Mary wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and nuzzled his neck as she groaned softly, 'Mmm, honey. I can't believe I have you. I'm gonna love you forever...forever. You've always been my world and always will be.' She dragged her nails slowly down his back, making him hiss in pleasure and whispered in his ear, 'You feel so good inside me, loving me...make love to be, baby. I wanna make this last as long as possible with my husband. My love.'

"My beautiful wife." He kissed her forehead and gazed down at her as they developed a steady rhythm, every movement eliciting a gasp and moan from them.

"Love being inside you," Jon murmured. "Love this feeling. It's like I'm home. You're the only home I've ever had, Mary."

Mary felt fresh tears fall from her eyes as she listened to his words. She kissed his neck and took his hands at her sides and locked their fingers together, 'You're my home, always have been. You're the first and only person I'm ever going to love. You've always had my heart, darling...always. You make me feel so special, so beautiful, like a real woman.'

"You're so beautiful." He squeezed her hands and smiled down at her. "Always thought you were beautiful. Always wanted you, baby. God, you have no idea...you've driven me crazy all these years...I've loved you for so long."

Mary licked the sweat off his neck and breathed him in, sighing, 'God, I've always wanted you. I used to watch you work out at the gym.' She smiled softly and closed her eyes, groaning aloud at the memory, 'I wanted ya for so long, but never knew

how to tell you.'

'I used to wish you would watch me," Jon confessed, and leaned down so his mouth was right at her ear. "Used to wish you'd look at me and want me," he grunted, lowering his voice. "You looked so fucking good, and you weren't even trying. Wanted to take you into the back and lick you all over, wanted to taste you, to feel you, to fuck you."

Mary bit her lip and arched up into him, digging her heels into his back as she listened to his words. She bit his ear, sucking the skin in between her teeth and whispered, 'I wouldn't have stopped you.' She chuckled nervously, ' I tried kissing you once. We were sitting on your car at the airport and I put my hand on your back. You were talking about one of your matches and I leaned over to try and kiss you, but ya said something about having to get me back to Cody's cause I had school in the morning. Ya sounded like my brother...do you remember that?'

"I do...damn. Thought I was boring you, talking about my shit." Jon sat up and gazed at her. "So many close calls. It was like fucking torture living with you. Not that I hated it, but I could hear the water when you were taking a shower, and I'd see you in pajamas and baby, I wanted to take you in my bed and make you mine." He kissed her and began grinding against her. "I made you mine, though, didn't I, baby?"

Mary ground herself against him and moaned, 'Damn right ya did. And I made ya mine. Remember that black silk spaghetti strap shirt and jean shorts I always used to wear when we lived together? Kat told me to buy that. She said it would make ya see me as a woman.' She chuckled, 'Ya just looked at me and asked me if I was cold and said I should cover up.' She scoffed, 'Damn near broke my heart. I was so fucking mad.'

He snorted. "I told you that 'cause I didn't want any other guys hitting on ya. You looked so fucking good...wanted to pull off your clothes with my teeth." Jon bent his neck and bit into her shoulder, thrusting harder into her.

Mary chuckled and scratched her nails down his back, 'Fucking bastard. I fucked myself in your bed whenever you worked overnight. I would lie there and finger myself. I would be naked. I'd get off on your scent...'

"Jesus." Jon laughed and bit at her neck. "Thought I could smell you...I figured it was just wishful thinking. Shit, you know what I did once? You were in the shower, I could hear the water running...I swear, I could have heard you moaning...and I got down on the floor and tried to look under the door...and I saw part of your reflection and had to fuck my fist. I came in my pants." He laughed again and pushed himself deep into her. "Had to get changed after that."

Mary groaned and arched up into him as her eyes widened, 'Fuck, you heard that, baby? I remember that. Shit, it was right after you showed me one of your matches ya did in Texas. We watched it on video in our living room.' She nuzzled his neck and bit his pulse point, 'I got so fucking turned on I fucked myself in the shower. I fingered myself imagining it was you. Baby, ya should have joined me. I wouldn't have turned ya down. God, I wanted you so bad. I needed you. Ya could have came inside me, baby.'

"Oh, don't worry." He grinned down at her. "Gonna make up for it for the rest of our lives." He licked the side of her face and moved faster. "Not close now, though, wanna keep feeling you. You feel so fucking good. Damn...I always thought you'd turn me down...all those nights I just wanted to grab you and throw you up against the wall and fuck you senseless. Never thought I'd get to feel you...to feel this."

Mary grasped his ass cheeks and dug her nails into his skin as she grinded herself against him, 'Ya fucking should have. Sometimes the need would get so bad for you I would go to your room. I'd get as far as the fucking door and look through the crack. Ya would be lying there wearing nothing but your boxers. I wanted to go in your room and wake you up with my mouth on your cock, but I was so afraid ya would turn me down.' She cringed and sighed, figuring she should lay it all out on the table, 'I fingered myself while watching you sleeping one night. Fuck, the need got so bad for ya I couldn't help it.' She turned her head away from him, feeling ashamed, 'God, I'm sorry.'

"Hey." He narrowed his eyes at her and cupped her face, turning her so she'd face him. "Don't ever apologize. I'm fucking flattered." He bit his lower lip and drove into her hard, grinning when she gasped. "Feel that? That's how much I've wanted you." Jon licked his lips. "I, uh. I have a picture of you in my wallet. I've jerked off to it so many times...I came harder to that picture of you than I have with anything or anyone else. You're it for me, baby. You get me so turned on..."

Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she held his face in her hands, 'Why didn't you ever say anything to me, Jon? Why didn't you ever come to me? Why?"

He blinked at her, feeling strangely exposed. "I figured you didn't want me. You know. A girl like you..." Jon looked away, his jaw clenching.

Mary held his face in her hands and forced him to look at her, 'Baby, what do you mean a girl like me? Tell me.'

He stared into her eyes and took a deep breath. "A girl like you usually doesn't end up with a guy like me. Guys like me, shit, we usually end up alone. Sometimes..." He took a deep breath, not wanting to hide from her anymore. "Sometimes I

still think I don't deserve you, baby."

Mary scoffed and kissed his forehead, 'Let me decide what you deserve alright? Who put that shit into your head, baby?'

Jon looked everywhere but at his wife until she tapped his forehead, wanting his attention. He gave her a sad smile and settled on top of her, still inside her. "Everybody did," he admitted, and laughed. "Everybody except you."

Mary shook her head and smiled sadly, she rested her forehead upon his and kissed his nose, 'You deserve me, baby. If anyone deserves love it's you. I consider myself lucky because of how much you love me. They're fucking missing out, sweetheart.' She let out a bitter laugh, 'Ya think I didn't hear the same shit?' She averted her eyes downward, 'Even though I was so damn proud of you and happy that you were in the WWE...I couldn't help but feel as if I lost you forever. I mean, you were surrounded by fucking Divas and shit and here I was some social worker living in New York miserable and lonely. I couldn't compete with those girls.' She let out a shaky sigh, willing herself not to cry, 'I know I'm not the most prettiest girl in the world or ya know...I just don't want this to be pity, like ya feel this is some obligation ya have to fulfill to me since we were young.'

Jon's eyes grew wide in horror. "Jesus, baby." He cupped her face and gazed at her. "Mary, I've been in love with you for years. I fucking took your name. No other woman - listen to me - NO other woman can compare to you. Ever. And baby, you're making a fucking difference in the world. I'm running around in tights pretending to fight. Christ, you think I can compare to you in any way? Mary, you inspire me. You're everything, and you always will be. You're my life, baby. My absolute everything."

Mary smiled through her tears and kissed his forehead, 'Yeah, but ya really look sexy in those tights. Ya know, the foster kids I worked with. I would show them videos of your matches and talk about you. They thought it was so fucking cool that I knew a wrestler. You make people happy, baby.' She chuckled nervously, 'I...uh took a few of these kids to a house show in Jersey once...'

Jon laughed and kissed her. "You keep surprising me, baby." He slowly began moving inside her again. "Can't believe I found someone who loves me the way you do...never thought I'd get this." He stroked her hair and smiled at her. "I take you with me everywhere, baby. Always have a picture of you. I fall asleep to pictures of you. I love looking at you. I love the way you look at me. I feel like I can do anything." Jon kissed her again and brushed his fingertips over her forehead. "You know, I thought I saw you at an FCW show and grabbed a security guy, telling him to get you backstage. When I saw it wasn't you I was so disappointed I just left." Jon laughed. "She wasn't even there for me anyway. Huge Sandow fan." Jon kissed his wife and sighed. "That night I tried calling you from the hotel. You didn't pick up but I got to hear you on your voicemail. I kept calling and listening to it...I missed you, baby."

Mary's eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed every part of his face she could reach, 'That was you?' She sighed, 'My God, I was wondering who the hell called me so many times without leaving a message.' Her chuckle turned into a moan when he pushed inside of her to the hilt, making her arch off the bed, 'Ya know I always kept photos of you too. I would always look at them when I was lonely for ya, which was pretty fucking much all of the time.' She smiled softly, 'I even had a photo of you in a frame on my desk at work. I would always look at it and wonder what ya were doing and if you were thinking about me as much as I thought of you. You were always the first thing I thought of when I woke up and the last thing I thought about when I went to bed. I fucking love you, baby.'

"I love you, baby," Jon breathed, moving deeper and harder in her. "I love you so much. Every time I'm in the ring or shooting a promo I hope you're watching. I want you there, I want you with me. I want to carry you with me always. I want you around me, in every seat. You're my world, baby, and I wanna make you proud. Wanna make you feel loved, want you to feel my love, always." Jon moaned and moved faster. "Need you to feel this, to feel how much I love you...how much I want you."

Mary wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and ran her nails down his back, making him shiver. She nipped, kissed and licked his neck as she arched up to him, matching him thrust for thrust, 'I was always watching, baby. Always. Every fucking match, every promo...I was there.' She clenched her pussy around his cock, 'You do this to me, baby. You're the only one I ever want inside me, filling me up. God, you love me so fucking good. I love you more than anything. You're my world. The air I fucking breathe, baby. Ya know all those pictures I put on my Facebook? They were all for you. Every single fucking one. I wanted ya to get off on them. I thought of you getting off on me when they were taken. It's always been you...always.'

"Always with you...always in you...oh fuck, baby." Jon's words turned to moans as he fucked her harder, pushing in as deep as he could.

Mary scratched her nails down his back and whispered in his ear, 'Wanna ride you, baby. Want your wife on top of you,

loving you?"

"Fuck yeah." Jon pulled out of her and rested on his back, gazing up at her with adoration as she positioned herself on top

of him. "Love you so much, baby girl. My gorgeous, sexy as fuck wife."

Mary impaled herself upon him and let out a strangled moan. She rested her hands upon his chest and ground herself on top

of him, swirling her hips. She bit her lip and rode him, maintaining a deep steady rhythm.

She scratched her nails down his chest, making him hiss in pleasure and smiled down at him, 'You're so fucking hot baby. So hot.' She arched her back, bringing him deeper inside of her, 'Shit, my husband feels so damn good. I always wanted this, needed this, craved this. Used to dream about me having you this way.'

"Me too." He rested his hands on her hips and grinned up at her. "I fucking love this, baby. Love feeling you, love fucking you. I was meant to be inside you, baby."

Mary began riding him harder, spurred on by his words. She hooked her finger in the air in a come hither motion and smirked, 'Come on up here, baby. I wanna hold ya when I'm riding you.'

Quickly he sat up and put his arms around her, grinning up at her. "You're so damn perfect, you know that?"

Mary licked his neck and trailed her tongue along the side of his face as she embraced him. She wrapped her legs tightly around him, wrapping him up with her body as she slowly ground herself into his lap. She moaned, whispering in his ear, 'You're one to talk. Feel how wet I am for you, baby? Put your mouth on my tits, wanna feel your tongue on me.'

He licked in between her breasts and brought her hips down further, pushing himself deeper inside. "Ask me again, Mrs. Good. Love hearing you tell me what you want."

Mary's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she let out a guttural moan when she felt him hit the entrance of her womb. She arched her back slightly, wanting him even deeper and whispered in his ear, 'Want your mouth on my tits, devouring them. Want you to bite my nipples and leave your mark. Want my fucking husband to mark me.'

Jon licked around her right breast, taking it in his mouth and sucking greedily as he pulled her down, moaning around her skin when he could feel his cock pressing against her cervix. He dragged his nails across her hips and gasped when this made her squirm against him. Licking a path to her left breast, he scratched at her lower back and placed a small bite on her nipple.

Mary grabbed his hair and moaned into his ear, gasping out, 'More, baby. More. Love your fucking mouth on me. I wanna mark you on our wedding night so whenever I see ya on tv and see that mark I'll know that's me. Can I do that?'

"You can do whatever you want to me," Jon murmured, and grabbed her hips, lifting her slightly and slamming her back down on his cock. "Let everyone know I'm yours. Every inch of me, baby." He leered up at her and bit down on the swell of her right breast.

Mary lifted herself up as far as she could go and slammed herself down upon his cock, causing him to shudder. She grasped at his hair, holding his mouth in place as he bit down on her breast. She met his gaze and smirked as she bit down upon his left shoulder as hard as she could, sucking and licking his skin as her teeth gently gnawed upon him.

"Fuck!" Jon clawed at her lower back and grunted as she rode him, licking around the wound she created on his shoulder. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it, snarling and drooling as she grinded against him. "Fuck, yeah, fuck baby, you're gonna make me come so fucking hard..."

Mary clawed at his back and rode him as hard as she could. She ground herself against him with such a force their hipbones clashed together. She groaned in his neck, whispering, 'Wanna feel you come, baby. Want my husband's come to fill my pussy up. Shit, come on. Wanna come together. Wanna squirt on your cock as you come inside me.'

"Oh shit." Jon gasped against her skin and licked and bit at her as she rode him. "Oh fuck, oh fuck..." He could feel his cock start to throb and moaned. "Oh shit, baby, tell me you're close...I'm fucking close, baby, gonna come in you, you're gonna feel it..."

Mary moaned and thrashed against him, her movements become erratic. She grabbed his hair and rested her forehead against his. She whimpered and nodded, 'Fuck yeah, get me there, baby. Come on! Make your wife come.'

Jon managed a nod and slipped his hand in between them, using his thumb to rub at her clit. He lifted his head and kissed her as deeply and passionately as he could, swallowing her moans of pleasure.

Mary tightly wrapped her legs around him and cupped the back of his head as he kissed her. She bit and sucked at his lips as she bucked against him. She could feel her orgasm coming upon her with every swipe of his thumb against her clit.

She grinded herself against him as hard as she could and clamped her pussy around his cock. She tore her mouth away from his and rested her forehead against his, whispering raggedly, 'I'm coming for you, baby. Do ya feel it?' She let out a strangled cry that sounded like his name, 'Fuck, baby. I'm coming so fucking hard for you. Come on, baby. Come for me. Come for your girl.'

Jon gasped and held onto her, her words and her body tightening against him bringing him closer to the edge. "Oh fuck, oh my baby...I love you, Mary." He thrust up into her as hard as he could, making her shriek in pleasure. "Oh baby girl...oh shit,

here I come!" Jon arched his back and spurted into her, his cock throbbing and jerking as he released inside her.

Mary held onto him for dear life and rested her head within the crook of his neck as she felt his come spurt inside of her. She closed her eyes and smiled softly as she felt his seed warming the pit of her belly, making her tingle all over. Sweat was pouring down her face and along her body, coalescing with his own causing their bodies to fuse together.

They both sat there, holding each other as they let out ragged gasps of breath. Their hearts were pounding and neither wanted to move nor could they have the strength to do so. He was still inside of her, softening up, but they remained where they were, not wanting to lose this connection quite yet.

When she finally regained the strength to speak, she nuzzled his neck and whispered, 'I love you so much. You make me feel so good.'

Jon rested his forehead on her chest, moaning and panting as his body recovered. He whimpered as she stroked his hair, which was soaked with sweat. After a while he managed to pull her back so she landed on top of him, their bodies still joined. He sighed and stroked her back, placing small kisses on her neck. "I love you so much. You're incredible, Mary."

She laughed softly and gently slipped off him. They groaned at the disconnection and she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I mean it, Jon. You feel so good." Mary smiled and kissed him, feeling his heartbeat under her lips. "My husband."

"I mean it, baby." Jon hummed and smiled, gently scratching at her scalp. "You're the best. The absolute best." He grinned and closed his eyes. "I'm damn lucky."

Mary chuckled slightly and kissed his neck, 'Well, I doubt I'm the best, but I'm happy you think so.'

"Mmmm, you are." Jon kissed her forehead and rested his head on the pillow, burying his face in her hair. "You're perfect,

baby." He sighed and drifted off to sleep, feeling utterly satiated, peaceful. Loved.

Mary smiled softly and rested her head in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms tightly around him, joining her husband in slumber.


	25. Chapter 25

When Mary opened her eyes, she smiled lazily and gazed up at Jon. His head was resting on the pillow beside her and his legs were tangled with hers. The sheet was covering the lower half of his body and his arm was under her. He had a peaceful smile upon his face and his face was lax in sleep. His hair was obscuring his eyes and his face was covered in stubble. He looked so masculine yet like such a little boy. He looked so peaceful she did not have it in her heart to wake him. Besides, she tired him out last night.

She slowly untangled herself from him and gently climbed off the bed as not to wake him. She stretched her overused muscles and grabbed her robe off the floor, putting it on. She treaded over to the desk and and sat in front of her laptop to check her emails. She smiled when she saw a couple emails from Kat, no doubt wanting the details of the wedding, right down to what she was wearing and what color nail polish she chose. She opened the first one she saw and frowned when she noticed a link attached to it. Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud when she read some small article on , a dirtsheet website. Apparently news of their nuptials was already out. She was thankful to see the details were minimal and her identity was left out. She scrolled down the comment section, curious as to read what people were saying. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw scathing comments such as, "I bet she's a skank like Trina." and "wonder if she's already thinking about divorcing him to get his money.' She could have read through them all, but they were all the same. They thought she was nothing more than a gold digging whore. They has no clue of who they were about as people. They jumped to conclusions and created false assumptions and preconceived notions about her. Tears filled her eyes and she sat back in the chair as she stared at the screen numbly. It was already happening. Not even two days into their marriage and she was already a whore.

Jon woke up alone, and for a second had a terrifying thought that the wedding and reunion with Mary had been some long, elaborate dream. He felt at his left hand, smiling in relief when he felt the wedding band.

He'd done it. He married the love of his life.

A soft humming sound filled the room, and he looked over to see Mary sitting at the desk, staring at her computer with a horrified expression on her face.

"Mary?" Jon mumbled, and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "What's going on?"

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Mary?" He sat up and stared at her, his mind becoming more alert as he started to fully wake up. "Baby? You okay?"

Instead of responding, she shook her head again and cringed, bringing her hand to her mouth.

Mary shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. She pointed to her laptop, 'Well, news of our wedding is out.' She snorted, 'Your fans send their regards. Read some of the well wishes.'

Jon frowned and leaned over her, reading the comments. After seeing the hateful remarks about his wife his hands balled into fists. "Those fucking...fuck them!" He slammed the cover of the laptop down and gritted his teeth. "Fucking cocksucking cunts. Assholes can't fucking stand to see me happy. Fuck them, Mary. They don't know you, they sure as fuck don't know me, they don't know us. They can go fuck themselves."

Mary laughed bitterly and wiped at her eyes. "Well, they care enough to call me a whore."

"They don't fucking know you! They're probably the same kind of fucks who fucking follow us after shows and get in our faces, and fucking...ugh!" He pulled at his hair and closed his eyes, forcing himself to take deep breaths. Flipping out would accomplish nothing. The important thing was that Mary was upset. He had to fix that.

Jon opened his eyes and put an arm around his wife. "Hey, hey. Come here."

She scowled and got up, not looking at him. He took her hand and led her back to the bed, pulling the sheets back so they could crawl in together. He held her close and kissed her as she sighed and settled against him.

"Baby, forget them. You're not a whore. You're the woman who loves me. You're my wife, and you're beautiful and perfect. I love you, Mary." He kissed her and laughed softly when she smiled. "See? We're all that matters, baby, not those assholes." Jon sighed and rubbed her back. "God, this is all my fault. Some of the guys said this sort of thing might happen. Jesus. I should have warned you. Dammit."

Mary closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh. She knew that she should not let their words bother her, but they did. As she read their hateful and spiteful comments she felt her own insecurities creep to the surface. It made her question not only herself, but him as well. She thought about the porn star and Playboy model he had been linked to along with the other countless rats and felt sick to her knew there was a reason why they thought she was a whore. It's because that is all he associated himself with.

She sighed and pulled away from him, 'Wonder why they call me a whore, Jon. Isn't that your MO?' When she heard his audible intake of breath, she regretted her words as soon as she said them.

He sat up, feeling a chill run through him. "Wait, what? Are you fucking...?" Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you saying that this is because of some girls I used to date fucking years ago?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders and sighed, 'I'm sorry, Jon. It's just...those girls...all of them...I don't blame them for what they said. You've been with...a lot of girls.'

He shook his head. "That was a long time ago. Who fucking cares?"

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed again.

"Wait a minute." Jon stared at her. "Are you saying you're disgusted with me or some shit? Are you fucking serious?"

Mary bowed her head and took a deep breath, 'I...just find it hard to believe some of the things you say, Jon. When we're together I wonder if I'm enough.' She snorted, 'You been with a fucking porn star and Playboy model and I've only been with you. So forgive me if I second guess certain...things you say.'

Jon crossed his arms, numbed by her accusation. "Okay. So what exactly are you second-guessing here? Let's clear this shit up now, I'm not gonna have my wife thinking I'm some lying asshole."

Mary turned away from him with her back toward him, 'I find it hard to believe the things you say when we're in...bed, Jon.' She gritted her teeth ,'Sometimes I think ya say things just to make me happy, like you say things I wanna hear.'

He snorted. "That makes no fucking sense. Why would I lie about that?" Jon crawled forward and put his arms around her waist. "Baby, I love you, and I love sex with you. I wouldn't bullshit you about that." He kissed her shoulder. "Are you telling me you can't tell how turned on I get by you?"

Mary felt herself smiling despite her mood, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right. Maybe it was those comments she read that caused her self-doubt, but she could not help but feel as if it was more than that.

She reluctantly pulled away from him and got off the bed and walked over to stand in front of the window. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out it. Mary sighed deeply, 'Have you ever done...anal with other women, Jon? Considering ya were with Trina Michaels.' She scoffed, 'I've seen the caliber of her work. It just doesn't make any sense to me why ya wouldn't have done...that.'

Jon recoiled in shock. "I didn't fucking lie about that! I never did that with anyone else! Fuck, Mary, are you serious about this shit?"

Mary whipped around to face him and shrugged, 'Come on, Jon. We're married. You can tell me. It won't fucking hurt my feelings. I'm a big girl. I can take it. With all of the countless women you been with never once was that brought into the equation?' She snorted and rolled her eyes, 'Really...'

Jon glared at her. "I wouldn't fucking lie about that," he snapped, enunciating each word. "I never did that before. Seriously. Now can we fucking move on? I don't want to talk about this stupid shit with you."

Mary narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to drop the subject, 'Come on, Jon. I've seen all the women you have been with. Most of them looked like they've been around the block quite a few times. Ya mean to tell me you never fucked any of them against a wall?'

"I didn't realize all this stupid shit was so important to you," Jon muttered bitterly. "I'll fucking say it again: I've never lied to you in bed, Mary, or anywhere else. Happy?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and laughed bitterly, 'Oh I am ecstatic, Jon. Ya mean to tell me that out of the countless women you fucked none of them told you to fuck them against the wall or in their ass?' She scoffed, 'Ya mean they were too classy and proper. Not like me, right? Whore just like her mama.'

Jon stood up and gaped at her. "What the fuck...where is this shit coming from? Jesus! You know what, Trina fucking offered it to me but I didn't do it. There! And I've done lots of other shit I'm not going to go into, but no, never fucked someone up against a wall 'cause it would have felt weird to do that with someone who wasn't you. And stop fucking calling yourself a whore, Mary! That shit's not fucking funny!"

Mary walked over to him and looked up at him, challenging him, 'Why didn't you do it , Jon? She was a fucking pro. Most guys would jump at the chance to have anal sex with a porn star. Tell me. What's the shit you've done, Jon? For future reference, of course.'

"Oh, Jesus." Jon rolled his eyes in utter disgust. "Give me a fucking break. I'm not playing this fucking game with you, Mary. You wanna be jealous of some of the skanks I fucked, go ahead. You realize that's fucking stupid, right? You fucking know you turn me on more than any of them did, and that you're the only one I loved. Did you forget that I married you yesterday? Jesus." He scoffed. "I never thought you'd throw this shit in my face."

Mary balled her hands into tight fists at her sides and gritted her teeth as tears filled her eyes, 'Stop treating me like a fucking child and be honest with me, Jon.'

"I'm not treating you like a fucking child!" Jon yelled. "You're the one who's pissed off about bullshit! I'm not going over this shit with you! It's over, it's in the past! Fuck it!"

Mary scoffed and shook her head, 'You say you were in love with me all those years and yet you fucked anything that walked. Yeah, I did get engaged but at least I never fucked him. I was too busy being in love with you to want anyone else. I just wanna know why it was so goddamn easy for you.'

Jon burst out laughing. "I'm a fucking guy! It's different for us!"

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock, 'You fucking son of a bitch. It's different, huh?' She scoffed, 'Maybe I should have fucked David. I could have at least got some while you were getting yours. God knows he wanted it. Ya should have seen the way he looked at me.' She smirked, 'It's a shame I missed out. He probably would have been a good fucking lay.'

Jon's eyes widened and he dug his nails into his palms. He managed to take a deep breath. "Mary...this conversation ends now. Right fucking now. We never talk about this shit again, got it?" He shook his head and turned his back to her, digging into his overnight bag. She was upset, and talking bullshit. He needed something to distract himself until she calmed down, maybe a fucking magazine or the itinerary for next month or something...

Mary grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, forcing him to look at her, 'No, you don't get to decide when the conversation ends. You don't own me, Jon. I'm your wife, not you're fucking property. I asked you a fucking question. How is it different? How can you say you're in love with someone and put your dick in someone else?'

Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Look, you know girls come backstage and offer themselves all the time. You wanna know why we take advantage? It's a fucking distraction. And for me, I thought it was all I'd ever get. After you left me..." Jon shook his head but forced himself to continue. "I was a mess, okay? So I fucked around. It didn't mean anything, and you're not gonna gain anything by hearing details."

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and stared directly into his eyes, 'Tell me , Jon. I wanna know.'

That made him laugh. "No, you fucking don't. If it's anything close to what I feel when you say shit like how you should have fucked David, then no." He shook his head and walked past her out of the bedroom.

Mary followed him into the bathroom, not finished with what she had to say, 'Ya wanna know some things, Jon? I fucking hate that you couldn't be my first. That choice was taken from me.'She let out a choked sob as tears fell from her eyes, 'Ya fucking remember how you were mad at me for missing an important match of yours? Ya didn't fucking talk to me for a week. Wanna know what happened? Slim drugged me and a few of his friends had a good ol' fucking time with me. I woke up in his bed naked the next fucking day not knowing what the hell happened. I was on my fucking way out the door too when he grabbed me.' She shook her head in disgust as tears fell from her eyes, 'They fucking acted like nothing happened the next day, like they didn't even gang rape a drugged up fifteen year old girl.' She snorted, 'So I guess it is fucking different for guys, huh?'

"Jesus Christ." Jon gripped the edge of the sink. "Mary..." He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight against his rage. Just hearing Slim's name...

He took a deep breath and faced his wife. "Mary, baby. God, I'm fucking...I can't even goddamn say how fucking sorry I am...Jesus." Numbness was setting in. "Baby, I didn't mean...That guy was a fucking monster and I want to fucking kill him for what he did to you. And just knowing...Christ." He reached for her, wanting to hold her. "Can we just move past all this shit? I really fucking hate this, Mary."

Mary wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She felt numb, cold and exposed, 'You were mad at me for a week, Jon. Ya didn't talk to me. I was having trouble walking, do you remember? Ya didn't even care. You thought I didn't give a shit about you. I did. When I woke up and got a shower I went to the gym that day. I was gonna tell you everything, but I saw you with that girl who worked out there. She was older, blonde and beautiful.' She shook her head, 'Even then that's all you fucking cared about.'

Jon laughed incredulously. "Holy fucking shit. You're still pissed about Desiree, aren't you?"

Mary scoffed, 'You're the one who still remembers her name...'

"Yeah, well, it's hard to forget the name of the girl who caused the worst time of your life." Jon shook his head. "Christ. I can't fucking believe this. You're the one hung up on this, Mary. I explained all that shit, and let's not fucking forget you almost kicked a girl's ass 'cause she reminded you of her!"

Mary's eyes widened, 'So I'm the crazy one, right? Is that right, Jon? How about you ruining my awards night, huh? Do you know I got my fucking scholarship almost taken away because of you not being able to control yourself? ' She snorted, 'They fucking investigated me and searched my dorm cause they thought maybe I was hanging around with the wrong crowd. You fucking humiliated me, Jon.'

"I'm done with this shit," Jon snapped, and walked past her. His head was spinning from all the shit she was bringing up. Was this all because some asshole fans called her names online? Christ, it was only going to get worse, didn't she see that? And why did she fucking care what some moron strangers thought?

"We're not done!" Mary followed him into the living room, her eyes wide with fury. "You don't get to decide that!"

"The hell I don't. You're pissed off and I get it, but don't take this shit out on me!" Jon shouted. "We've been over all that shit, it's done, it's fucking over. And I'm not talking about the girls I fucked before you! Not gonna fucking happen! This discussion is OVER!"

Mary stood there looking at and shook her head sadly as tears fell from her eyes, 'Maybe getting...married was a ...mistake. We rushed into things without even hashing anything out between us.'

Jon felt his throat close up and shook his head. "You don't mean that. You don't." His voice broke and he took a deep breath. "Mary, if you wanna talk, we can, but don't fucking say shit like that." He blinked away tears and cleared his throat. "Why are you asking me about Trina? Why now? You knew about her before, Mary."

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Cause I know you deserve better and deep down you know I'm right. I am so fucking afraid you're gonna wake up one day and realize you made a mistake. I'm not perfect, Jon. I'm insecure and really fucked up. I am and you fucking deserve a woman who has her shit together.' She shook her head, 'I don't. We should have talked about all this shit and then decided if getting married was a good idea.'

Jon scratched at his head. "You wanna know? Fine. Fine. I'll fucking tell you everything." He gritted his teeth and stared at the floor. "If it'll make you stop this shit, I'll tell you. Most of the girls, I was on top, a few were on top of me. Trina liked it from behind. She kept calling me 'Mox' and that's fucking why I didn't fuck her ass. She didn't give a shit about me, Mary, you're the only woman who ever did. Everybody else wanted Mox or Ambrose. They didn't want me. They just wanted to fuck the guy in the ring. They probably couldn't tell you anything about me." He rubbed his face. "So yeah, that's what happened. I fucked Trina mostly from behind, and same with Reby and a few other girls. Are you fucking happy now? Need any other details? Wanna know how many times they came?"

Mary tightly closed her eyes and cringed, not wanting to hear anymore. She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I never liked Mox. I fucking hated that part of you. It reminded me too much of...him.'

Jon looked away and brought his hands to his face. "Jesus. Well, that just makes me want to jump off a fucking bridge. Thanks for that."

Mary let out an exasperated sigh, 'Was...he your inspiration for...Mox?'

"NO!" Jon screamed, and slammed his fist on the counter. "I fucking made him as a part of me, the part that wasn't afraid of him! Fuck you! Fuck you for comparing me to him!"

Mary shook her head, 'I wasn't comparing, Jon. Jesus fucking Christ, but the things ya said and did, especially with...women...scared me. The way Mox treated them is how...' She stopped herself, unwilling to finish. Not only for his sake, but for her own as well.

"That is bullshit," Jon spat, pointing at her. "This isn't about me fucking Trina and all those other girls. This is about you getting pissed that girls want to fuck me."

Mary glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest, 'Well what about all those guys that wanna fuck me, Jon... hmm?'

Jon glared at her. "Well, you don't see me getting all shitty about that, do you? No shit guys wanna fuck you, you're fucking gorgeous and sexy. You're acting like I'm a piece of trash, and you fucking compared me to - No." He shook his head and walked away. "I'm not letting you fuck up our life together because some assholes wrote shitty things about you online, Mary."

'This isn't just about what those girls said online, Jon. Yeah, it didn't help, but I just can't help but think about all those other girls.' Her eyes widened in horror and she let out a shaky sigh, 'You and I...don't...use anything, Jon. Did you even protect yourself...protect me?'

His jaw dropped. "Are you...are you fucking KIDDING me with this shit?" Jon laughed humorlessly and stared at her. "Jesus. Of course I did. Christ! You must think I'm a fucking piece of trash. If it bothered you so much, why didn't you insist on it? Christ, the first time we had sex you said you wanted to feel me. Look, we'll use condoms if you want. You wanna get tested? I'm fucking clean, Mary!"

Mary took a step back from him and stared at him in shock, unable to believe he was throwing her words back at her that she said to him on one of the most important and special moments of her life. Then again, she asked for it. She was goading him, but she couldn't stop herself. She didn't want to. It was as if something broke within herself. She was releasing all the pent up rage and anger she has been carrying in her heart for years. Not just toward him, but towards everyone else.

She shook her head sadly, sighing deeply, 'I really think this...what we're doing now, Jon shouldn't have happened right now.' She turned her back on him and ran shaky hands through her hair, 'We're not normal people. Why would we be stupid enough to think we could fucking have a normal marriage? I'm not cut out to be someone's wife, Jon.'

"What the fuck are you saying?" Jon demanded. "That fucking site's got you all fucked up. We were happy last night! Why the fuck are you turning on that now?"

Mary held herself as tears fell from her eyes as she whispered, 'I think we made a mistake, Jon.'

Jon stumbled back, falling onto the couch. "What...what are you saying? You can't mean..."

Mary swallowed the large lump that formed in her throat and shook her head, whispering, 'Jon, we hadn't seen each other in almost two years, we sleep together one night and I broke up my engagement to another man only to get married two weeks later. Do ya know how fucked up that is? We should have given each other more time. I think we were so afraid to lose each other we just rushed into this without thinking.'

"So you..." Jon scratched his forehead, feeling an overall numbness set in. "You don't wanna be married to me?"

Mary shook her head, 'That's not what I'm saying, Jon.' She sighed, 'I just think we rushed into this...that's all.'

Tears filled his eyes and he looked away from her. "You wanna divorce?", Jon managed to ask, his voice thick with emotion.

Mary let out a shaky sigh and let out a dry laugh, 'I don't know what to fucking do, Jon.'

"Well, it sounds like you have an idea." Jon rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "You obviously regret marrying me."

'I don't regret it, Jon. I just..." She shook her head, letting out an irritated sigh, 'I think I should go back to Jersey and think about shit.'

Jon held his face in his hands. He could feel himself start to shake and he gritted his teeth, desperate not to cry in front of her. Mary knew how to make him feel amazing, special, loved, but she could also completely destroy him. The worst moments of his life were when she rejected him, saying things to make him feel like the lowest scum on earth.

She sighed and put her hand on his shoulder. "Jon, just listen..."

"Don't fucking touch me!" Jon screamed, getting up and backing away from her. Tears fell from his eyes and he glared at her, wanting her to see the hurt she caused. "You're fucking killing me with this shit! God, why are you doing this? It's like when you shoved your fucking engagement ring in my face before my match. You make me feel like such shit sometimes! Do you fucking get off on it? Do you like seeing me in pain, Mary, what the fuck?"

Mary's eye's widened in shock as she stared at him. The wild and crazed look in his eyes reminded her of when she first saw him with that rat in their bed and he broke down in the parking lot. She slowly backed away from him, her heart pounding in fear.

She whispered, 'Jon, I'm trying to be honest here. Don't you fucking understand what I'm saying? We hardly know anything about each other. We're not the same people we were when we first fell in love.'

"You don't love me." Jon started pacing around the room, his heart pounding. "Okay, so all that shit you said to me over the phone and when we got back together, it was all bullshit? The things you said to me last night, bullshit? Your fucking _wedding vows_, Mary, all _bullshit_?"

Mary stood there looking at him as he paced around the room. She scoffed, 'I didn't say that, Jon. You're not understanding what I'm saying. Once again you're not grasping what I'm trying to say.'

"Bullshit! You just fucking stood there and said we shouldn't have gotten married and you want to move away. What the fuck isn't there to understand?" He ran his hands through his hair, trying to breathe normally. "Christ, if you felt like this, then why did you marry me in the first place? You wanted to get married as soon as possible. What the fuck changed? What the fuck is going ON with you?"

Mary bowed her head, staring directly down at the floor below her, 'I just think...maybe we...should have waited a bit before we...did this. You're career is just taking off, Jon. I'll just be tagging along. Reading those comments made me realize that they're just saying what everyone else is thinking. I'm with you now because of that.' She gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists at her side, 'I can't stand to see their faces, hear their fucking whispers. You don't need that shit right now. It's perfect inside these walls. We can pretend everything is beautiful, but once we get out there and face the world everything is gonna change. Ya know that.'

"Since when do we give a fuck what other people think?" Jon paused and narrowed his eyes at her. "You know, this is really kind of interesting, sweetheart. You visit me before an indies match, tell me you're engaged, and then you see me at your engagement party, and oh, how convenient, now I have a WWE contract. You came to my hotel room that night! You know, you spout a lot of shit about rats, but that was a classic fucking rat move, sweetie. So I fuck you and then I never hear from you, but you find out I'm dating another girl and you flip the fuck out, and you want to get back together...and let's not forget that YOU proposed to ME, and you do it right before you see me on Raw...the timing is interesting, let's just say that!"

Mary's eyes widened in horror as tears of anger and sadness fell from her eyes. She saw nothing but red as she looked at him.

She walked up to him and without thinking, slapped him right across his face, causing his head to snap to the side, 'You fucking asshole! How dare you call me that.' She pushed him forcefully, causing him to stumble back, 'How fucking dare you!'

Jon sneered at her and rubbed his jaw. His mouth curled up in a smirk. "Just calling it like I see it, babe. Know what? I'll fucking help you out." He stomped into the bedroom and pulled his phone out of his bag and walked back into the living room, holding it up to her. "Tell you what, sweetheart. I'll fucking call Seth and Roman right now. I'll tell them I found a girl who wants to fuck her way through The Shield, and she's willing to do and say anything to make that happen. You want that, sweetheart? Will that make you fucking satisfied?"

Mary knocked the phone out of his hand, causing it to fall to the floor, 'You fucking piece of shit.' She snorted, 'Why don't you just take me out to your car and fuck me in the backseat? That's all I'm good for, right?' She shook her head in disbelief, 'You do think I'm a whore. You use me, just like every other fucking man that came into my life.' She turned her back to him, 'Slim was right. No one would ever want me for other than my pussy.' She scoffed and wrapped her arms around herself, 'I should have fucking stayed in Ohio and worked for him. It's where I belong.'

"What the fuck is your fucking problem?" Jon screamed. "Jesus Christ! I fucking married you! Why would I marry someone I thought was a fucking whore? Jesus! The things you're saying now, they're fucking crazy! Fuck, and you think I'm a goddamn lunatic, are you fucking hearing yourself right now?"

Mary slowly turned around to face him and wiped the tears from her eyes. She nodded and took off her ring, handing it to him, 'Then if you think that, here take this.' He stood there silent with his head bowed. She shoved the ring in his face and screamed, 'Fucking take it!'

Jon shoved her hand away and stumbled back, sliding down to the floor. His eyes lost focus and he started shaking. Every part of him hurt.

He looked up at her, tears running down his face. "I swear, Mary. There's a part of you that fucking hates me. You fucking hate me." Jon bowed his head and started sobbing, unable to hold back anymore.

Mary stood there, looking down at him as he sobbed. Tears fell down her face as she watched her husband's heart breaking. It was agonizing to witness such a willful and prideful man fall down onto his knees. The ironic part of it is that she had no one else to blame but herself. It seems all she does is cause him hurt. Her cruelty towards him is unjustified. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves far better than she could give him. As much as she loves him, she cannot bear to stay here knowing all she does is cause him pain.

'I'll go, Jon. I'll leave. I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you. I don't wanna do this to you anymore.'

He shook his head and curled into himself. Jon could barely breathe, he was crying so hard. Dizziness was setting in, and he covered his head like he was protecting himself from kicks and punches.

Mary stared down at him in wide eyed shock, unable to believe what she was witnessing. There was a huge part of herself that wanted to just up and leave him again, but she couldn't. This was her husband. She loved this man before her with every fiber of her being. She couldn't just run away as she had done in this past. She shook her head as realization dawned upon her. This wasn't Slim, Mox or Dean Ambrose she was dealing with. This was Jonathan Good. The man she has loved ever since she was a little girl. The man who saved her life, who rescued her from peril and inevitable death. This was the man who gave her rides, who protected her from harm and kept her safe at all costs. The man who gave her food when she was starving and too prideful to ask. This was the first person who ever loved and gave a damn about her and she was killing him.

He was right. She was crazy. She was no fucking better than Slim.

She slipped her ring back on her finger and fell down upon her knees before him. She tightly wrapped her arms around him and lifted him up to rest his head against her chest. He was limp in her arms as she gently rocked him back and forth.

Mary kissed and stroked his head, whispering, 'Baby, I'm so sorry. My fucking God, I'm sorry. I love you so fucking much. So much.'

Jon was silent as he sobbed. He had a glassy and dazed look in his eyes, almost as if he weren't there. It was the same cold and lifeless stare she had witnessed that night in the parking lot of their apartment complex all those years ago. What the fuck has she done?

Everything was breaking down. Everything was a lie. Everything was bullshit.

It was so clear now.

It was all bullshit.

Jon stopped crying and began taking in small short breaths. He could tell he was twitching, but it didn't matter. Not if it was bullshit.

Mary...Mary was in front of him. Talking to him.

Didn't matter. It was all fake.

All of it.

Except him. He survived everything. Everything. They kept trying to fuck with him, break him down, but he got right back the fuck up to fuck their faces, because THAT was what he DID and THEY couldn't HANDLE it.

He looked up at her and grinned, feeling his eyes go wide. "I'll take every challenge," he slurred. "Line them up, I'll knock them all down." He cackled at her horrified expression. "Knock 'em all down."

Mary shook her head in bafflement and held his face in her hands, staring directly into his eyes, 'Baby, what are you saying? You're talking nonsense, honey. It's Mary, your wife...' He sneered and pulled away from her disgust, bowing his head, muttering to himself.

She sat there on his lap, looking at him in fear. She was not afraid of him, but FOR him. He was behaving irrationally, just as he did in the parking lot. Except this time it was worse. Far worse. Her Jon, her husband, the man she loved was nowhere to be found. She had not a fucking clue who this man was.

He leaned in and smelled her. Damn, she smelled good...so pretty...fuck, everything was CLEAR and BRIGHT and so fucking loud...

"You're so pretty," he rasped, giggling and pulling her close when she tried to squirm away. "Smell good...you smell like the inside of my mom's purse...she used to hide Tootsie Rolls in there. C'mere..."

Mary crawled away from him and took a few steps back from him, but she didn't stray far. She sat close to him, lightly grasping onto his legs. She stared at him, eyes wide with horror as she covered her mouth to hide her gasp. His words chilled her to the core. She remembered those words. They were the same ones he had uttered in a promo once when he was still Jon Moxley. She remembered watching that promo. It made her feel ill and slightly creeped out. She had trouble sleeping for days after watching it. She feared for his sanity and well being then, just as she did now. But she refused to leave him. Never again would she abandon him as she had all those years ago. Fear crept in her heart as she looked at him, wondering what in the hell she could do to make it right. She felt partly responsible, knowing she was the cause of his breakdown. Tears of guilt filled her eyes as she grabbed his hands, squeezing them tightly and kissing them.

She repeatedly kissed his hands, 'Jon, please. Snap out of this. What's going on?'

He snorted and pulled his hands away. He didn't like her tone. It was shitty and mean and condescending and STUPID, fucking STUPID.

After a second he got to his knees and stumbled into the kitchen. Fuck, he was thirsty, everything was so goddamn _bright_ -

"Dos cervezas, por favor! We're celebrating!" He walked into the counter and grunted. "Fucking...ugh...keep at it...I can feel everything..."

Mary shook her head confusingly and got up, following him into the kitchen. She watched him as he began raiding the minibar, pulling out the small bottles of whiskey and tequila, along with shot glasses.

She grabbed the bottles of liquor out of his hands and smashed them into the sink, watching as the amber liquid poured down the drain.

Mary grabbed his face, forcing him to look down at her. She looked into his eyes. They were darting back and forth. They were wild and ferocious. The look within his eyes was unsettling and uncontrolled. She knew this look. It was one she had witnessed in her mother's eyes many times. It was usually before she started having one of her 'episodes' in which she liked to call it.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm, for them both, 'Baby, ya gotta stop this. This is Mary, your wife. This is our honeymoon. We were just married. You're Jon, my husband. Do you understand me?"

Jon snorted and pulled away. Him a married guy. Ha. Funny.

"Baby." She reached for him and put her hand over his heart. "Baby, listen to me."

"Listen here," he announced, opening the fridge and pulling out a beer. "I will never be with you. I date CLASSY girls, girls with real beauty, girls like Trina Michaels - an award winning actress, by the way." He opened the beer and tossed the cap to the floor and snickered.

Mary shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Don't say that, Jon, don't -"

Jon scowled. God, she wasn't getting it. "For God's sakes, have some respect for yourself." He leaned in close to her, wobbling slightly on his feet. "I will not date you because you have thick ankles, I'm pretty sure you're bad in bed and you're just not good enough for me, alright, so just drop it, stop trying and go home." He sneered at her and moved past her. Shit, the lights in there were bright as FUCK. He bowed his head and sat in front of the couch, stretching his legs out. The carpet was this dark red, almost black...were there patterns in it? Huh. Funny. They swirled around, creating shapes, and he laughed. "Nice. Real nice." He took another huge sip and leaned his head against the couch, moving it back and forth. Oh shit, it was like he was floating...

Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision as she watched him walk over to the couch. His words stung and cut her deep. Even though she knew in her heart he didn't mean them, it still hurt to hear her husband said she wasn't good enough for him. She slowly walked over to the desk where her laptop was situated and grabbed her phone. She opened up the camera's photo gallery and searched through the photos that Kasey took of their wedding day.

Mary walked over to the couch where he was sitting. He was holding a cigarette in one hand and had a beer clutched in the other. She wondered where he got the cigarette for she thought he had quit. Old habits die hard, huh?

She hesitantly sat down on the couch next to him and put her phone on his lap. She had the photo up of the two of them right after their first kiss as husband and wife. Their foreheads were resting against one another and they were looking up at each other with so much love and adoration. You can tell just by looking at them they were in love. Their hands were clasped together and their wedding rings were on display, signifying their everlasting union.

Mary pointed to the phone, whispering, 'Look, Jon. Look at us. Look how happy we are.'

Jon grunted and pushed her phone away. "Happy, happy, happy." This cracked him up and he started laughing.

"Listen to me," she was saying. "Listen."

He finished his beer and dropped his cigarette into it. Fuck, he was tired of listening. He wanted to get away. Shoving the bottle aside, he crawled over to a chair and pawed at it. Why wouldn't she leave him alone?

Everybody wanted a piece of him. Everybody. All the fucking time.

"Jon..."

"Go away!" He yelled, his voice breaking. "It's always me, I'm always the one who gets in trouble. I am an innocent man!'

Mary looked down at her phone and smiled sadly at the picture of them. Fresh tears filled her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She had to be strong. She could do this. She could get them through this. They were married. He was her husband. Through sickness and in health.

Through sickness she would be his rock and would not falter. She had witnessed her mother's manic episodes enough times to know that he could not be left alone right now. He was inside of his head and she had to get him out of it. She just had to. No matter what happened to her. She trusted and loved him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her on purpose.

She got up off the couch and slowly crawled over to him to rest upon her knees behind him. She tentatively touched his back and rubbed it in soothing circles.

Mary took a deep breath and whispered, 'Mox? Is that who you are right now?"

He growled and settled on the floor. It was better there, more settled. FUCK he was cold. Jon started shivering and groaning. God, everything felt WRONG.

"Jon?" Mary took a deep breath. "Mox?"

Jon growled again and rolled on his back. Shit, that was a bad idea. Now all the lights and brightness was in his face, in his eyes, burning into him. He crossed his arms over his face. That helped, kinda.

The floor was too hard and the lights were so shiny and everything everything everything was so wrong, so wrong...

"Jon..."

"Fuck OFF!" He growled, rolling on the floor. God, she was talking too much.

Mary sat on the floor and watched him, feeling helpless. She sat there, trying to figure out how to help him, but she just didn't know how. Her eyes widened when she thought of something. If she couldn't get through to him there was only one other person who could...Cody. He has known Jon since he was a kid. Surely he has dealt with him having episodes like this before. At least she hoped he did anyway.

She frantically searched for her phone, but couldn't find it after he threw it. Thankfully, she found his phone lying in the middle of the living room where she had thrown it. She quickly grabbed it and brought it with her to sit next to Jon and keep an eye on him.

With shaking hands she searched through his directory. She gently placed her hand upon his leg, murmuring comforting words to him as she listened to the ringing on the other end. She looked over at Jon, who was lying on his back muttering nonsensical words and staring up at the ceiling laughing to himself.

Mary tapped her fingers impatiently upon her leg and whispered under her breath, 'Come on answer, goddammit.' She doesn't know what she's going to do if he doesn't answer.

She sighed in relief when the phone clicked on the other end, 'Hello?'

Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock. This wasn't Cody's voice. She recognized this voice from hearing Jon talk to him on the phone when he had him on speaker. This was Seth Rollins. Not only was he one of Jon's very good friends, he was also a colleague of his. She froze in shock, not knowing what to do or say. She couldn't say anything to him. She would be damned if she would embarrass him that way. Seth kept saying, 'Hello? Hello? Jon, is that you?"

All of the sudden, Jon yelled out, 'You sir are a coward and I can defeat you with a fork and spoon!'

Mary's eyes widened and she closed her eyes, cringing. Fucking wonderful. That was the worst possible thing for him to say in this moment.

Seth chuckled on the other end and said, 'Dude, aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon? Are you fucking drunk? Sounds like you and the wife are having a good fucking time. Fucking crazy bastard.'

Mary felt numb. She didn't know what to say without giving them away. She could also not help but feel as if his words rang true. Little did he fucking know...

Jon must have heard his voice on the other end because he was trying to grab the phone out of her hand, as if wanting to talk to him. Mary pushed his hands away and quickly hung up the phone. They would deal with that later. They had far more important matters at hand, such as how to make him better.

She turned to look at him and gasped at the look upon his face. His teeth were gritted in anger and his eyes were cold and devoid of all emotion as he stared at her. She gulped and backed away from him, wondering who the hell she was dealing with now.

Jon stared at her, blinking rapidly.

That voice on the phone.

That voice...

That was...

"What. Did you. Just. DO." He sneered and crawled toward her.

Mary took a deep breath. "Jon, you're not well enough to-"

He snorted and shook his head. "Don't. Don't. Don't."

"Okay." She cleared her throat and stood up, backing away. "What do you want me to do, Jon?" She spoke very slowly, like he was a kid or some shit why the FUCK did she hang up the phone-

"What I want," Jon muttered, getting to his feet. "...is some GODDAMNED RESPECT! And we're gonna get it!"

Somehow she got him into the bathroom or some shit, the floor was fucking COLD and was she throwing water on his face? That was annoying. He left and went into another room and she got him sitting down.

His head HURT like fuck and he kept squeezing it but it still hurt. He shouted and grunted at her, wanting his phone, but she wouldn't give it to him. Fuck.

"Why won't you let me talk to them?" Jon hissed. "You won't stop it. No one will! And turn those fucking lights off! Fuck!"

She was talking into the phone, sounding upset. A few of the lights went away and he opened his eyes wide, seeing everything and less of everything.

"Gimme that. Gimme the fucking phone. You're not getting in the way of our plans!" Jon lunged at her but she smacked his face and everything stopped.

She hated to hit him or hurt him in anyway, but she needed to snap him out of whatever the hell was happening to him. She had dialed Cody's number, hoping to God he answered. She spoke to him frantically, trying to explain what was going on as best as she could. Surprisingly, Cody was not shocked. Apparently this has happened to him before. He had told her that Jon had an episode similar to this around the time she was to be married to David. Cody had gone to Tampa to visit him for he didn't want to him be alone around that time. She listened with tears in her eyes, feeling more and more guilty. It seems she's always the cause for his strife and anguish. She vowed in this moment never again. The past was in the past and would remain as such. For now she would be focused on the future...with him. She would be fully dedicated to his recovery.

Mary handed him the phone and smiled softly, 'Here, Dean. Seth's on the phone. He wants to talk to you.' He stood there looking at her suspiciously. She gave him an encouraging smile, pushing the phone in his face, 'Here...take it.'

He blinked at her a couple of time and then snatched the phone out of her hands. "She's part of it," he snarled into the phone. "She's gonna try and stop us."

"Jon?"

The voice wasn't Seth. It was someone...

"Jon. It's Cody, man."

His face was numb but he still rubbed his eyes because this was all wrong and he didn't want to feel anything. "No."

"Jon, listen. Hey. It's okay, dude. Everything's fine. Can you sit down for me?"

The room was filled with furniture but he didn't want to sit. "No."

"C'mon, Jon. How about the bed? Go lie down, okay? I have something important I want to tell you."

"Mmkay." He stumbled into the bedroom and got into bed, pulling the covers over him. It was nice and dark in there and he was covered and would be safe.

"Okay, Jon, so I need to tell you something. Are you listening?"

"...Yeah."

"It's very important. I need you to hear me when I say that Mary loves you, okay?"

He huddled further under the covers. He couldn't stop shivering.

"Jon? Did you hear me?"

"You don't know everything," Jon muttered.

"I don't, but I know that. She loves you and she's always going to love you. And you've got a family, Jon. I'm part of it, okay? You're my brother. You're Kasey's brother. And now you've got a wife, and she loves you so much, Jon. She loves you."

All his hurt and fear came rushing back at him and he began sobbing.

"Jon, it's okay. She told me what happened, okay? Man, couples fight all the time. You should have heard me and Kasey the other night, it was like a war." Cody chuckled. "But I'm telling you, man, it's gonna be fine. Trust me. You're meant to be with her. You know that, right?"

Jon nodded and wiped at his eyes.

"You there, man? C'mon, bro, you gotta talk to me. You don't even have to say much, just one word, okay? I gotta know that you're okay."

"I'm sorry," Jon choked out, cringing into the sheets. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"No, no. You've got nothing to be sorry for. We all love you, man, and you're gonna be fine. You know, you're a lot stronger than you realize. You are, dude. You're gonna be fine and you're gonna be a good husband." Cody paused. "Hey, is Mary there? Can I talk to her real quick?"

Jon sniffed. "She's probably gone."

"No way. She's there. Five bucks says she's standing right next to you. Wanna check?"

Jon pulled down the sheets and sure enough, Mary was watching him, tears running down her face. She looked worried at first, then relieved when he returned her gaze.

"Jon," she whispered. "Hey."

"You owe me five bucks, don't ya, buddy?" Cody laughed again. "Hey, you're fine, man. Can I say hi to her real quick?"

"Sure." Jon handed her the phone and turned so he lay on his stomach, resting his forehead on his arm. Mary rubbed his back and spoke quietly to Cody, and Jon managed to get himself together. He was utterly exhausted and humiliated. What was going to happen now?

Mary spoke to Cody on the phone quickly, asking him what she could do for him. Cody basically told her to let him get some rest and sleep it off. Rest was the best thing for him right now. She thanked him profusely for his help. She truly would not know what she would've done without him. Cody had saved Jon today. Shit, saved them both.

After their quick conversation, Mary hung up the phone and laid it on the table. She looked over at Jon and sighed. During her conversation he had already fallen asleep. He really must have tired himself out. She wasn't surprised considering all that had transpired over such a short amount of time. She kept rubbing his back in soothing circles, wanting and needing for him to know that she was there. Even in his sleep.

She carefully laid down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, lying her head upon his shoulder. She wasn't in the least bit tired. She just laid next to her husband, the love of her life and carefully watched him. She refused to leave him. Not now...not when he needed her the most. It took something like this for her to witness how much she loved him, how much he meant to her. She would be damned if she let the past or her insecurities get in the way of what she truly wanted, which was Jon. It's always been him and always will be. He is her soulmate. He needed her now more than ever and she refused to ever leave him. He deserved someone who would love and take care of him. Kasey had told her on their wedding day that he desperately needed someone to take care of him and that's exactly what she was going to do.


	26. Chapter 26

Jon groggily opened his eyes and cringed, letting out a groan. His head felt as if he were ran over with a tractor trailer and exhaustion ran down deep into his bones. His entire body felt stiff and his muscles were sore. He felt as if he did when he walked out of the ring after a match.

He slowly lifted his head and groaned. His head felt as if it weighed a ton. He quickly laid it back down on the pillow and wiped his hand over his face. He felt disoriented. His mind was muddled and he had a difficult time discerning his surroundings. What in the hell happened to him?

Jon gasped when he heard Mary whispering his name and everything came rushing back to him. He shook his head and sighed deeply. What the fuck had he done to them now?

Mary sat there looking at him, breathing a sigh of relief. She was thankful to see he had finally woken up. He had slept for almost four hours. She laid there in the bed, never once leaving his side. She dozed off every once in awhile, but not for very long. She refused to leave him for one second. Not even in sleep did she want to abandon him. She had ordered room service, taking Cody's advice that he needed to eat something when he woke up to gain his strength back. Apparently, these episodes took a lot out of him...physically and mentally. She didn't get him much, just a bagel and some fruit along with some orange juice.

He slowly sat up in the bed and kept his head bowed, refusing to look at her. He twiddled his thumbs nervously in his lap, feeling more ashamed and embarrassed than he could ever remember. He has never felt more humiliated in his life. Considering all the shit that's happened in his past, that was saying something.

She leaned over and carefully put her hand over his, whispering, 'Baby, how are you feeling?"

Tears filled her eyes and hurt grasped her heart when he flinched, almost as if her touch burned him. She quickly took her hand off of his and swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat. Her own husband couldn't even stand her touching him. She really had a knack for fucking things up.

There was no way he could look at her. It was way too humiliating. If she wasn't sure about leaving him before, she sure as shit was going to do it now.

Mary took a deep breath. "I got you some food. I'll be right back, okay?"

He nodded, keeping his gaze down.

She hurried out and returned with a plate of food, setting it in between them. "Here. You need to eat."

Jon just nodded again and slowly began eating. It had been a long time since he had a panic attack, and it was embarrassing enough to have known Cody saw it. Now he had to live with knowing that his wife had seen him like this.

Mary sat next to him, seeming uncomfortable. He'd been afraid to touch her, as he was sure she was disgusted with him and was only taking care of him because she felt guilty, but he hated feeling a disconnect between them. He gathered up his courage and looked her in the eyes, taking her hands in his.

"Mary." He cleared his throat and swallowed. "Mary, I'm so sorry."

Mary squeezed his hands and smiled softly through her tears. She reached up and cupped his cheek, whispering, 'Hey, it's okay, baby. Are you okay?'

Jon managed a small smile. "Feeling better. But what about you?" He looked away again. It was hard to face her after knowing she saw him like that.

Mary smiled, wanting to let him see that she was okay, that he didn't scare her off or was frightened by what happened. She loved him, that will never change.

She sighed, shaking her head, 'I owe you an apology, Jon.' She covered her face in embarrassment, 'God, I'm such an asshole. I saw all that shit and freaked. All because I'm an insecure idiot. I caused what happened here. I'm so sorry, Jon. '

Jon frowned, then held out his hand. "Can I hold you? Please?"

Mary nodded, sobbing into her hands, 'God, yes...please.'

He smiled and pulled her close so her head rested on his shoulder. "I love you, baby. And it's not all your fault. I shouldn't have said all the things I said, you know, before." Jon sighed and kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Mary.'

Mary wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested her head upon his shoulder. She smiled through her tears and kissed his neck, 'I'm so sorry, Jon. I forgive you for nothing. It was me. I shouldn't have instigated you.'

Jon gathered up his strength and stroked her face. "Baby...if you need more time and you wanna slow things down, we can talk about that. Or if you want to get an annulment or something. I'm not gonna lie, it kills me to say that, but if you need it..." He looked down, unable to continue.

Mary held his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes. She had tears falling from her eyes and down her cheeks, but she made no attempts to hide them from him. Not anymore. She was through with hiding from him.

She shook her head and smiled through her tears, 'Fuck no, I've waited ten years for this, Jon.' She averted her eyes downward and whispered, 'Unless you...want that.'

He smiled and stroked her hair. "I don't. I want you. I've always wanted you, Mary. I always will." Jon took her hands and held them tight. "Are you sure, though? I know that wasn't, um, fun for you." He cringed at knowing that she saw him so unhinged. Hell, even Cody admitted that Jon was fucking scary when he saw him like that.

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'No, it wasn't, Jon. You scared the shit out of me.' She stroked his face, 'Cody said this has happened to you before. What brought it on the first time?'

Jon shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "You were supposed to be getting married, and..." He pushed around his empty juice glass on the plate. "I was pretty miserable." There was a question she didn't answer, and it gnawed at him. "But Mary...do you want to stay married to me?"

Mary kissed his forehead and wrapped her arms tightly around him, kissing his neck, 'Of course I want to. I've always wanted this. You're what I always wanted...always. You're the love of my life, Jon.'

He smiled and held her. "Thank god for that."

They held each other for a while, then Mary sighed. "Jon...do you remember anything?"

"Some of it." Jon scratched his head and gave her a flustered look. "I'm really sorry, Mary. I wasn't, um, myself."

She nodded. "The thing is, while you were...you know...I accidentally called Seth. He heard you, Jon."

His hand fell to his side. Great. Another friendship ruined. "Well that's fucking great. Now my friend thinks I'm a psycho. What did he hear, exactly?"

Mary took a deep breath. "You were...giving one of your old promos. He thought you were joking. I hung up. I didn't know what else to do. He might ask you about it."

"Fuck." Jon was relieved that Seth wasn't horrified - he didn't even want to imagine Seth going into Vince's office and requesting a change to The Shield - but still, Jon knew he'd have to answer for it. "What am I going to tell him?"

Mary shook her head. "I don't know, Jon."

"I'll think of something." Jon sniffed and looked down. "You must think I'm a fucking nutcase." He laughed bitterly and glanced up at her. "Still want me to be a father to your kids?"

Mary held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'Hey, of course I do, honey.' She scoffed, 'Do ya really want me to be the mother of yours? It's not like I had a great fucking role model, ya know?' She looked away, 'I don't know how to be anyone's mother. I'll probably fuck it up.'

"Mary..." Jon took her hands and looked in her eyes. "You've got to stop talking like that. You're wonderful, baby. You'll be a fantastic mom." He kissed her hands and smiled. "You've taken care of me."

Mary chuckled slightly, 'Somebody's got to.' She winked letting him know she was kidding. She kissed his forehead and smiled softly, 'Baby, you're gonna be such a great father. You took such good care of me when I was young and Olivia thinks the world of you. You have so much love in your heart. So much knowledge and blessings to offer a child. Any child would be lucky to have such a great man as their father.' She held his hands and kissed them,' Such a good man. They're gonna be so proud of their father and what he's accomplished.' She gave him a cheeky grin, 'They're gonna think you're so cool, Mr. Master of the Shield.'

Jon laughed and put the plate of food aside and then pulled her close. "Wanna hear a funny story?"

"Sure." Mary settled against him, putting her arm around his stomach.

"Me and the guys were getting in late - the flights got screwed up - and we ran into Punk who apparently had the same problem." Jon laughed at the memory. "We were tired as shit and the hotel lobby was mostly empty, but there were these guys who saw us, and we could fucking tell they were professional autograph collectors." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, they approached Punk, and he turns to them and says..." Jon cleared his throat and did his best Punk imitation. "He says, 'Take a look at yourselves! Look at yourselves! You're grown fucking men! Grown fucking men asking for other grown men for their autographs! It's three in the fucking morning! You could be in bed, by yourselves I'm sure, because from the looks of you fat fucks, you've never had your dick in anything besides your own hands!'" Jon cracked up at the memory. "Oh shit. They fucking started crying, telling him he didn't have to be so mean, and he made fun of them and they ran off...we got in the elevator and the three of us were laughing so hard that Punk had to push the buttons."

Mary covered her face and burst out laughing at the imagery. She could just imagine him saying something like that. Shit, she had to admit even she was afraid to actually meet him in person, especially if he is in one of his moods, which seems to be pretty much all the time.

She took a sip of her orange juice and laughed, 'I have one better for ya. I was at this really fancy charity benefit for my work.' She rolled her eyes and sighed, 'We were trying to raise money for this community center we were trying to open up and I was the Director. Anyway I was supposed to give this speech about why they should give money and shit. Same old guilt trips into swindling rich people out of their money. So I was wearing this really fancy dress, which was kinda long...' She cringed at the memory and laughed, 'I was walking up to make my speech when I stepped on the bottom of my dress and the entire bottom ripped off...' She covered her face in her hands, 'Everyone saw my underwear. I had to fucking wrap a tablecloth around myself.'

"That sounds _awesome._" Jon hugged her and snickered. "Oh shit. Once Roman got attacked by an old Mexican woman."

"What?" Mary collapsed in giggles. "What happened?"

"We're leaving a Denny's and this woman who had to be like, eighty, came up to us fucking started yelling at us in Spanish. That by itself was pretty weird, but then she got in Roman's face and said he was an evil bastard for attacking that nice young Rey Mysterio. And she tried to hit him with her purse. He was kinda freaked out."

Mary collapsed into a fit of giggles and shook her head, 'That is fucking awesome. Holy shit!' She playfully poked his ribs, 'So what about you, Mr. Ambrose? Any funny stories of you on the road? As your wife and traveling companion I need to prepare myself.'

"Um..." Jon thought it over and laughed. "Oh, yeah. Well, once I was in the bathroom and I thought Sandow was in the next stall, and so I kicked his shoes 'cause he'd said something about wanting to cut a promo about how his shoes cost more than what I made in a year or some shit, and uh, it wasn't Sandow. The guy freaked out and started screaming that he didn't want gay sex with me and ran off."

Mary's eyes widened and she doubled over with laughter, 'Holy shit. That's hilarious. ' She smirked, 'One time I was hosting a party at my apartment for...David's parents. His mother is a really uptight bitch that I just wanna punch in the mouth. I...uh...spiked her ginger ale with just a smidge of whiskey.' She chuckled at the thought, 'She had five glasses. She was really...thirsty. I caught her and his dad having sex in our living room. I told her that I would forget what I saw if she stopped talking down to me and stopped acting like a fucking asshole to me all the time. David always wondered how I charmed her. His dad never looked me in the eye after that. Sorry for bringing him up, but I thought ya would appreciate that.'

Jon buried his face in her shoulder and giggled. "Holy shit. You're such a wildcat." He tickled her sides and kissed her neck. "You're such a badass. You talk about me."

Mary chuckled. "Thought you'd like that. Seemed like something you would do."

"Damn right." He kissed her shoulder. "I guess I've rubbed off on you, huh?"

Mary chuckled slightly and nodded, 'I guess so.' She sighed deeply and bowed her head, 'Jon, about today...' She folded her hands in her lap, 'I think that maybe you...we...need some sort of...counseling.'

That was understandable. Christ, she'd just seen him at his worst, and he wasn't even high or drunk. Still, her words stung. "You want me to see a shrink?" Jon mumbled, looking away.

Mary lifted her head from his chest and heaved a laborious sigh, 'It's not a shrink, Jon. It's counseling. We need an outside perspective, someone to help us move forward.' She bowed her head, 'I go to therapy. It's done a lot for me. It's helped me. I think you...we...need that.'

She sighed, 'You know, we keep bringing up the past, Jon. I know we don't mean to, but I don't want to fight over this stuff years from now. I don't want our children to witness our bitterness. I want my children to have two parents who love and respect one another. Parents who love them and will do everything for them, something we both didn't have. We need to make sure it's all behind us.' She took a deep breath, 'Maybe we need to see a marriage counselor or something. Nip this in the bud, ya know?' She looked away and whispered, 'Are you schizophrenic, Jon? I've...uh...seen my mother act like that before and she had that...problem.'

"Jesus _Christ_." Jon laughed humorlessly and moved away. "I'm not schizophrenic, I'm not a total fucking...do you think they would have signed me if I was so fucking unhinged? Jesus. Okay. Guess what? I'll fucking show you."

He got up and took her laptop, bringing it back to the bed. "I looked it up, okay? So did Cody. You've seen this happen before, in the parking lot after...you know. I'm not proud of it, it's goddamn embarrassing, but it's not like I'm a total fucking nutjob. Here." He pulled up a site explaining panic attacks and pushed the laptop at her. "Look, they're not pleasant, but I'm not fucking crazy." Jon pointed to the section for derealization and depersonalization. "See? I'm not the only one." He sat back and sighed. She was probably relieved as shit that they couldn't have kids. Who would want his DNA fucking up their kids? Jon took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling, waiting for her to finish reading.

Mary sat there, taking a few moments of deliberation to let the words she read sink in. He was right. Derealization is when someone disassociated themselves from reality. It is an alteration in the perception or experience of the external world so everything seems unreal. He depersonalized himself. He couldn't handle the situation at hand so he escaped from it by being someone else, someone who was stronger and more capable to handle the situation, hence Mox and Dean. She looked over at him. He was staring mindlessly up at the ceiling, as if he were bracing himself for something. She smiled sadly and took his hand, gently squeezing it. He looked at her wide eyed.

She smiled warmly at him and gave him the loving look that he deserved, 'I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I'm just worried for you, ya know?' She chuckled, 'I'm your wife. That's my job.' She sighed, 'With that being said, I still think we need to talk to someone. We're not going to make it again if we keep doing this to each other. We're both not perfect. Lord knows I have my own problems too. We'll do it together, Jon. I'm in this forever. You and me.'

"I don't..." Jon scowled and kicked at the sheets. "Look, I'll do what you want, 'cause yeah, maybe we need something like that, but I don't like the idea of talking to some shrink about all the shit in the past. I don't even like thinking about it."

Mary sighed and ran a hand through her hair, 'Look, baby. I can't have you reacting like that every time we have an argument. I refused to walk on eggshells around you. Always afraid if I say the wrong thing you're gonna blow up.'

Jon cringed. "I don't want you being afraid of me, Mary." He sighed deeply and looked over at her. "You were, weren't you? I remember you trying to talk to me."

She crawled onto his lap and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'Baby, I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid FOR you.' She laughed nervously, 'Sure, I was little weirded out. Ya started saying shit ya did in your promos when you were Mox, about me smelling like your mom's purse and shit.' She averted her eyes downward, 'Ya even told me ya would never date me and that I was bad in bed. Ya said ya liked classy beauties like...Trina Michaels.' She lightly slapped his chest, narrowing her eyes, 'Ya said I have thick ankles.'

Jon covered his face. "Fucking...that wasn't about you. None of it was." He lowered his head, feeling his face burn up. "Fuck. That's embarrassing as shit. What else did I say? I remember trying to grab your phone."

Mary laughed nervously, 'Uh... Dos cervezas, por favor! We're celebrating! Ya also yelled out 'You sir are a coward and I'll defeat you with a fork and spoon' when Seth was on the phone.'

"Christ." Jon winced. "I'm a fucking idiot." He covered his eyes, unable to face her. But he had to know. "Anything else? I mean, I might as well get used to talking about this shit."

Mary sighed deeply, 'Uh, ya were behaving like Dean Ambrose. Ya accused me of trying to break up The Shield and that I was working undercover to infiltrate you guys. Ya kept saying I was in on it. You...uh...lunged at me to grab my throat...I had to slap you in the face.'

"Oh, fuck." Jon got up and stood in the corner of the room, covering his face.

Mary got up and walked over to him, putting her hand on his back. "Jon, c'mon. Stop hiding."

"It's embarrassing!" He shook his head. "And god, I could have hurt you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever hurt you."

Mary wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and laid her head upon his back.

She whispered, 'Hey, but you didn't, Jon. You didn't. I'm still here and I always will be. You're my husband and I love you. I meant my vows. Every word'

He turned and took her in his arms. "I did too. I just, I wanna protect you. I want to be good for you." Jon shrugged. "So yeah, I think maybe counseling's the way to go. We'll find somebody. Maybe somebody we can talk to over the phone 'cause we'll be on the road for a while."

Mary leaned up and held his face in her hands and kissed him, 'That sounds perfect. Whatever we can do. We'll do it, baby. And you are good for me, always have been.' She averted her eyes downward, 'I'm sorry for being so shitty to you earlier. I shouldn't have said the things I did.' She cupped his cheek and rubbed her thumb upon his lower lip that was slightly bruised, 'I hit you, baby. You didn't deserve that. I shouldn't have badgered you about all those women. You didn't deserve that.'

Jon leaned close and kissed her. "I said some really terrible things to you," he whispered. "I wasn't gonna actually, you know, call the guys about you." He winced. "Fuck, that was a shitty thing to say. I didn't mean it, Mary. I love you."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'Baby, I love you too. It's okay. You were upset. I understand.' She scoffed, 'I pretty much asked for it.'

He rolled his eyes. "You didn't ask for that. Stop belittling yourself." Jon kissed her again. "Well, I _am _gonna introduce you at some point. You'll like them, they're cool. Know what's funny? For a while I think they thought I was making you up."

Mary's eyes widened and she chuckled, 'Really?'

Jon giggled. "Well, at first. I kept checking my phone for a while after I got signed 'cause I was hoping to hear from you. So they noticed and asked me what was going on, so I told them about you - nothing too personal, don't worry. Then I started talking about you some more, like I'd see something cool and I'd say that you'd like it or you wouldn't, and Seth was like 'Where is this girl?' and I'd just, you know, change the subject 'cause I didn't want to get into it. But then they saw the pictures and then I think they knew." He grinned. "You should have seen the looks on their faces when I told them I was getting married."

Mary laughed, 'Holy shit. I can imagine.'

He grinned and pulled her close. "Yeah, they were pretty shocked. Roman thought I was kidding for the longest time. He kept saying, 'But seriously, seriously. Are you actually getting married?'" The memory cracked him up. "Yeah, once everybody found out, they were cool about it. Um, a couple of the girls asked if you wanted to have a bachelorette party. I told them you wouldn't be into it. Hope you don't mind."

Mary nodded, laughing nervously, 'Yeah' She looked up at him, smiling softly, 'I have all I need.' She sighed, 'Besides, I would be so fucking nervous. Those girls could probably break me in half.' She bowed her head, 'Gotta be honest, I'm nervous about meeting everybody. I'm so fucking awkward I'll probably just stand there like a deer in fucking headlights or say something really inappropriate because I won't know what to say.'

He rubbed her arms. "Don't worry about it. You won't even probably meet half of them. I can even find out the next time they're doing a big party or some shit, 'cause it's not like you're the only one who married into the business. And shit, you forget they have to put up with my ass all the time. They're gonna love you."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Okay.' She playfully slapped his shoulder, 'And stop talking shit about my husband.' She sobered up and had a serious look upon her face as she took a deep breath to gather her courage for what she was about to say, 'Jon, I wanted to apologize for what I said to you in the bathroom earlier about what...Slim and his friends did to me. Ya had no way of knowing that and it was a such a fucking horrible thing to say. You're nothing like him. I never thought that...ever.'

Jon put his arms around her. "I know, baby. Look, we both said some fucked up shit. I'm sorry I said all that shit about Trina. Seriously, she meant nothing to me. I know that's a cliched thing to say but it's true." He kissed his wife's forehead. "None of them, did, baby. You're the only one I've ever really wanted, and you know you're the only woman I've ever loved'

Mary wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her head in the crook of his neck, smiling softly, 'You're the only one I ever loved too, baby. Ya wanna get into bed, baby? I wanna hold you.'

He nodded and let her lead the way, crawling under the sheets and resting his head on her chest. "Thank you, Mary."

Mary stroked his hair and shook her head confusingly, 'Baby, why are thanking me?"

Jon snuggled closer. "You take care of me and you love me."

Tears filled her eyes and she smiled sadly, holding his head to her chest. She kissed his forehead, 'Sweetheart. Don't ever thank me for that. I'm so happy to be the one to do it. I love you so much.' She sighed, 'Which is why ya scared me so much earlier. And when I heard about you almost taking those pills around the time I was to be...married. Baby, you would never hurt yourself, right? Please tell me...' She kissed the top of his head, 'I couldn't bear the thought of losing you.'

"No, baby. I wouldn't do that. I won't. But when you were gonna get married...it was a really fucking hard time for me," Jon confessed. "I knew you loved me as much as I love you, but you were still gonna marry him. I was thinking about going in there and busting up the wedding - objecting and shit - but I thought you'd hate me or tell me to get over it and move on. And I tried to do that, but it felt so fake and hollow. So, uh, I was waiting for the guys outside a venue and this guy came up to me and started talking...I could tell he was kinda shady. But I humored him, figuring he was a fan and all, and he pulls out this baggie of stuff and said if I was in any kind of pain, he was my pharmacy. And for a moment there I thought about taking it and ending it all, 'cause I _was _in pain, but I remembered how you stayed with me and got me clean. I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't take all the shit you went through for me and throw it away 'cause I was feeling weak. So I told him to fuck off and never bother any of us again. I got out my phone and gave him five seconds to get the fuck away from me or I was calling the cops."

Mary stroked his hair and kissed the crown of his head as she listened to him speak. She sobbed quietly, not wanting for him to see her pain. She will never be able to get over the guilt of all the pain and anguish she has caused him due to her selfishness and maybe she never will. But now they were together, they had each other forever and nothing was going to tear them apart ever again. Not anyone or anything.

She kissed his forehead and stroked him as if a mother would her child, 'It's okay, baby. I'm here now and I'm never going to leave you ever again. For better for worse I'm always gonna be here...always.'

He gazed up at her, smiling as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Promise?"

Tears ran down her cheeks and she stroked his ruggedly handsome face, smiling softly, 'I promise...always.' He closed his eyes, sighing contently with a serene smile on his face as he rested his head back down upon his chest. Mary kissed his head and began whispering in a lulling and melodic tone, 'I've been down to Georgia...I've seen the streets in the West...I driven down the ninety...hell...I've seen America's best...but I'm comin home...I'm comin home...' He began sobbing softly, his tears wetting her chest. She chuckled slightly, 'My singing's that bad, huh?'

He shook his head and huddled closer to her, pawing at her chest. It was awe-inspiring, the love he felt for her. The gratitude. He was loved, and would be loved for the rest of his life by the most incredible woman ever.

He was blessed.

Mary stroked his back while he cried, shushing him with comforting words and gentle caresses. She whispered to him, 'Whatever you need, baby. I'm here. I'm always gonna be here. Whatever you need to say to me, whatever it may be I'm here. I'm never gonna judge you. I'm always gonna love you. Always. I meant what I said in our vows. You're my home and I'm yours. I'm yours.'

Jon moved up and cupped her face in his hands, staring at her in complete reverence. He leaned close and kissed her deeply, taking his time to savor her taste.

Mary wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and gently gripped the back of his hair,pulling him closer to her. She knew what he needed, just as she did. They needed something tangible. Love, pure and raw in its basic form.

She tore her lips away from his and licked the shell of his ear, making him shiver as she whispered, 'Take what's yours, baby. What's always gonna be yours.'

Jon pulled away her robe and kissed down her body, pausing to suck on her breasts. He moaned into her skin as she hummed and stroked his hair, encouraging him. His hand moved down and he caressed her inner thighs with light touches.

This wasn't about fucking, or getting off. He wanted to make love. He wanted to show his wife how much she meant to him.

Gently he removed her robe, throwing it to the floor, and guided her on her back. He left a trail of kisses down her stomach and then kissed between her legs, licking her wetness off his lips.

Mary closed her eyes and gently grabbed the back of his hair as he lightly sucked upon her. She arched her back on the bed, moaning as her husband pleasured her. Tears filled her eyes as she met his gaze. The adoration and reverence in his eyes shook her to the core. This is what their love was about. Precious acceptance leading into rebirth.

Jon reached up for her hands, interlocking their fingers as he began licking at her clit. Mary gasped and arched up, her hips finding a steady rhythm as he worked on her. He swirled his tongue around, moaning into her wetness as her breaths quickened.

"Oh god, oh god." Mary squeezed his hands. "Jon..."

Mary felt as if she were dying as he touched her. She felt everything. Her nerve endings were on fire, her body shivering. She held onto his hands as if he were a lifeline. He rode her orgasm out with her, gently licking and nipping at her clit. He trailed lazy kisses up her body as she lay there, trembling and whimpering.

Jon nuzzled her neck and licked the sweat off her skin, groaning aloud at the taste of her. She held his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, moaning at the taste of herself.

She gave him open mouth kisses upon his neck and whispered in his ear,'Tell me what you want, baby. How can your wife make you feel good?'

He licked around her ear and buried his hands in her hair. "Taste me," he whispered, and kissed her earlobe. "I want you to taste me."

Mary smiled and nodded. She lightly pushed him off of her and crawled on top of him and kissed his neck, trailing kisses along down his body. She licked her way down his navel and nuzzled the hair above his groin, making him groan aloud.

She gently grasped his cock, slowly stroking him as she lovingly kissed his tip and took him in her mouth, slowly taking him in her mouth. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze and smiled around his cock.

"Oh god." Jon exhaled as she licked around him and slowly sucked him to oblivion. His fingers stroked her scalp as she worked on him, making him whimper as she swallowed around him. She brought her mouth up and flicked her tongue around his tip, making his jaw drop in utter pleasure. "Oh baby girl..."

Mary kept up a slow rhythm as Jon lost himself in the sensations, his hand trailing down her back. He felt a slow build in his stomach and reluctantly pushed at her shoulder. "Baby girl..."

She sat up and smiled at him, keeping a gentle grip on his cock and stroking him slowly . "What do you want, baby?"

He returned her smile and ran his hands through her hair. "I want you, Mary. I've always wanted you." Jon sat up and kissed her, cupping her cheek in his hand. She sighed into his mouth and gently squeezed him, making him groan and deepen the kiss.

Jon broke away and rested his forehead against hers. "Let me love you," he whispered. "Lie down, baby girl."

Tears of joy fell from her eyes and she nodded. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he positioned himself at her entrance. She closed her eyes as he slowly entered her. They both groaned aloud at the penetration. He grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head as they built a slow deep steady rhythm.

"Mary." He uttered her name like a prayer as he moved inside her. "Mary, my love, my life, Mary..." It was like drowning. This connection between them was more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced. It was everything. He shivered and rested his head in the crook of her neck, breathing her in.

Mary gently scratched her nails down his back and kissed his neck as he moved in and out of her. He pulled all the way out before driving into her in smooth gentle strokes. She found herself sobbing softly as he rested his forehead upon hers and cupped her face in his hands. Their lips hovered above each other as they swallowed each other's breaths.

She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes, 'Love you so much. You're my world. You're everything to me. My soulmate. God, I love you.'

"I love you," he breathed. "I love you so much. More than anything." Jon kissed her and sighed. "You're always with me, Mary. I carry you with me everywhere. I have to. You've been my life for so long...I didn't really exist until you came along."

Mary began sobbing uncontrollably at his words. Never did she think that she would have something this beautiful, this true. He was everything she has always wanted, but never dared to dream she would be worthy of someone like him.

She kissed his forehead and whispered, 'I love you so much, Jonny. So much. You've always been the one. The only one I've ever loved. You're the air I breathe. I would die for you. Never leaving you. Never.' She arched her back, bringing him deeper inside of her and grinded herself slowly against him, wanting him to feel how much she wanted him, needed him.

"God, yeah." Jon kissed her cheek and thrust into her as hard as he could, wanting to fill her completely. "Love you, Mary. Love you. It's so good...we're so good, baby."

Mary nodded and arched her back sharply. She clawed at his back as her breath came out in ragged gasps. She could feel her orgasm slowly creeping upon and she clenched her pussy around his cock, wanting him to join her in ecstasy.

She bit at his neck and whispered raggedly, 'Baby, I'm coming for you. My god you make me feel so good. Going to come so hard for you, Jonny. Always.'

Her body tightened around him and he shivered, feeling his own climax approach. "I love you, love you forever. You feel so good." Jon gasped and moved faster, losing himself in her. "Mary, here I come...take me." His movements lost rhythm as he climaxed, emptying himself inside her. His whole body shuddered as he came and he was dimly aware of his wife moaning his name. He whimpered and rested on her, shaking uncontrollably as he rode out his orgasm.

Mary and Jon laid there as they held each other as they came down from their orgasms. Their sweat slicked bodies stuck together. They were both too sated and tired to move. He was still inside of her, neither wanting to lose this connection. She smiled and sighed in content. She could still feel his seed deep in her womb, warming her up.

She stroked his sweat drenched hair and kissed his forehead, 'God, I love you, Jonny. You make me feel so good. So beautiful. I'm the luckiest woman on the planet cause I have you.'

He gave her a lazy grin and kissed her neck. "Love you so much."

After a few minutes he pulled out of her, both of them sighing at the disconnect. Jon settled on top of her, giggling slightly as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You happy, baby?" Mary asked softly, rubbing his back.

"Mmmhmm." Jon kissed her chest. "I married the perfect woman."

Mary scoffed. "I'm hardly perfect."

"You are." Jon rubbed her side. "You are to me. You make me feel amazing. No other woman has made me feel like this, Mary." He glanced up at her, wanting her to understand. "You're everything, baby."

Mary kissed him and smiled softly, stroking his face, 'God, I love you baby. Love you so much.' She frowned when he looked away and sighed deeply, 'Baby, what's wrong?'

"I, uh." Jon cleared his throat. "If we're gonna be going to therapy, I think I should tell you something."

Mary rubbed his back. "Baby, you can tell me anything. I'll never stop loving you. Never."

Jon nodded and moved up, resting his head on the pillow next to her. She kept stroking his hair and waited for him to speak.

He took a deep breath, ready to tell her something he'd never told anyone before. "I was fourteen. My mom was around, she brought one of her...associates...back home." Jon swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "She came on to me. I thought I was hot shit, you know, maybe I could get this older woman...she wasn't even pretty. But I think I was just excited that someone was paying attention to me."

Mary took his hands in hers and nodded. She wasn't judging, she was just listening.

"She took me in another room, although she didn't really need to bother, 'cause Mom was passed out on the couch," Jon continued. "So, uh, we got undressed and I tried to make something happen, but I was nervous. I was a kid, I had no idea what was going on...I couldn't do it. She got up and put her clothes back on and started laughing, saying that Mom told her I was useless and apparently she was right." He looked down, keeping his gaze on his hands interlocked with his wife's. "So Mom woke up and came in, and they were laughing, and Mom said she knew I wasn't gay but that I'd never know how to make a woman happy, so I might as well either learn to love cock or get used to the idea of living alone." His jaw clenched at the memory. "I'm guessing the shrink's gonna say that's why I fucked around so much."

Mary smiled sadly and cupped his cheek. It was shameful what was done to him in the past. It made her want to hunt down every single person who has hurt him. She loved him. He was her husband. He needed to know she was going to be there. Sure, he may not think so now, but she would spend the rest of her life making it up to him.

She turned his head, forcing him to meet her gaze. She smiled through her tears, 'Baby, you're not gonna die alone. I'm here and always will be.' Suddenly awareness lit her features and she shook her head. It all made sense to her now. 'Is that why you..slept with all those girls. To prove something, Jon?'

He shrugged. "I guess. Each girl was like a challenge." Jon glanced at her. "I know it's sick."

Mary shook her head, 'No, Jon it's not sick." She kissed him, whispering words of love,' It's not sick. You're not. Why were they a challenge?'

"I guess 'cause I always remembered what she said. And Mom used to bring it up all the time. She knew I loved you, and she'd say that I shouldn't bother, 'cause you saw me as a brother, which was just as well, since I wouldn't be able to fuck you even if I got the chance." Jon frowned. "Sorry, this is really fucked up."

Mary wanted to break down and cry upon hearing his words, But she couldn't do that. She had to be strong. For the both of them.

She held his face in her hands and stared into his eyes,' Hey, don't listen to your mom. She was a fucking scumbag. I never saw you as a brother.'I love you always, always wanted you. She grinned, 'If you're my brother then I'm pretty sure that this is incest considering all the these thoughts I have in my head about you.'

Jon snorted. "Don't start that, the shrink's already gonna have a field day with me alone." He leaned close and kissed her. "Thanks for listening, baby. I know this shit's not easy." He took a deep breath. "Do you wanna talk about the stuff you saw online? I wish I could tell you that you won't have to get used to that, but it's part of this life."

Mary averted her eyes downward, feeling embarrassed. She felt guilty for blowing up at him like that. She acted irrational and immature all because some strangers made unjustified judgments about her.

She sighed, 'Look, Jon I am so sorry. I didn't mean to blow up like that.'

"What bothered you so much about it?" he asked carefully. "I mean, I know they're dipshits, but what was it that got you so upset?"

Mary shrugged, feeling self-conscious, 'I just...' She sighed, 'When I read those comments about me being a...whore. I thought of the things...Slim would say to me.'' She gritted her teeth as tears formed in her eyes, 'He would always say to me that he was gonna make me just like my...mom.' She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes, 'He would always grab my...crotch and say that it was his and nobody else's. He...knew about you and I being friends. He would punish me for it.' She looked him directly in his eyes, saying in a pleading tone, 'I'm not a whore, Jon. I'm not.'

"Of course you're not." Jon pulled her close and kissed her neck. "Baby, you're nothing like your mom. You're beautiful and intelligent and strong. And those people are idiots, because they don't even know you." He rubbed her back, wanting to soothe her. "Do you think it would help if you talked to the other wives about this kind of stuff? When some of the guys found out I was getting married they told me some stuff that their women went through. Would that help or would it just be weird?"

Mary smiled through her tears and nodded, 'Yeah...I think that might be helpful...thanks.' She stroked the back of his head, grinning, 'So, what exactly did you tell your friends about me?' She chuckled, 'I gotta make sure I live up to the hype.'

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "I told them you did social work, making a difference and all that stuff...I told them how funny you are, how beautiful." Jon kissed her forehead. "All good stuff. And hey, you don't have to meet anyone you don't want. It's not like you gotta know everyone in the company. Although the guys are dying to meet you. You might get a shitload of questions from Seth."

He hopped out of bed and rummaged through his bag. "I don't know all the traditional shit they do, but uh, here." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. "I didn't read it or anything. They said I wasn't allowed to." Jon shrugged and got back in bed, watching her open it. "So what is it? Like an invitation to a spa or some shit?" He laughed nervously, watching her reaction.

"No, it's..." Mary smiled to herself, reading through it. "It's a wedding card, but they also printed out stuff that was said about them online, rumors and things like that. It's kinda funny." She read one and scoffed. "Yeah, like that they're all prostitutes and stalk the male wrestlers. I guess they're letting me know me know that this sort of thing is normal." Mary bowed her head, feeling self-conscious again. "I guess I should have read this sooner, huh? Could have saved us some grief."

"Stop worrying about that." Jon leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You know, I read fucked up shit about myself online too. So have the guys. Don't get Punk started on the rumors about him. Seriously. If anyone mentions that piece of shit Chris Brown around Punk, he flips the fuck out."

Mary chuckled and rested her head upon his shoulder, 'I love you, baby. I really honestly do.'

Jon wrapped his arm around her and smiled, 'I know ya do, baby. I never doubted that. Not once.'

She smiled and her eyes lit up, 'Shit, that reminds me. I have something for you.'

He shook his head and laughed as he watched her jump off the bed and go through her bag, sifting through the contents. She smiled triumphantly when she took a manila folder out of her bag.

Mary walked over to the bed and sat down, putting the manila folder in his lap, 'Here, this is for you.'

He narrowed his eyes and opened the folder quickly, curious as to what was inside of it. His eyes widened and he let out an audible gasp when he saw three pieces of colored construction paper with crayon drawings upon them. He went through each one of them, studying them carefully. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at them. Someone had drawn what appeared to be him in the ring dressed as Dean Ambrose. There were little bubbles above his head with captions written on them saying how cool he was. He could tell it was him because they had his name above them. Sure, they weren't the best of drawings, but he got the idea. He could tell that a small child had drawn them because the writing was a bit shaky and hard to decipher.

Jon shook his head in disbelief as tears filled his eyes, 'Who drew these, Mary?'

Mary picked up one of the drawings and smiled softly, 'One of the kids I was helping out drew them. His name's Kyle. His mom was a drug addict and basically left him in a crackhouse to fend for himself. We found him in some abandon home malnourished. He was such a skittish little boy. He was so damn afraid. My heart went out to him. I felt bonded to him for a reason because I had lived in similar circumstances. I told him all about you. He was the boy I took to your house show.' She stroked his back, 'He thought ya were so cool. He said that he wanted to be like you one day because you were strong.' She chuckled at the memory, 'Ya should have seen his face when he watched you. His eyes lit up and he was mesmerized by you. You gave him hope, baby that he could do that one day. People love and respect you, honey. They look up to you. You inspire them. Just as you inspire me everyday. I wanted you to see these to show you that I'm not the only one who knows what an extraordinary person you are. And when we have children they're gonna love you just as much as I do.'

Tears filled his eyes and ran down his face as he held one of the drawings in his hand. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to fathom what he was seeing.

Jon carefully set the paper aside and wiped at his eyes. "Wanna hear something crazy?"

Mary rubbed his back. "Tell me, baby."

He laughed and took her hands in his. "You're, um, my beneficiary. I had to fill out a shitload of paperwork when I got signed and we had to pick a beneficiary in case something happened. The only person I could think of was you, even though we hadn't talked in forever. I didn't know your social security number but Kasey said she'd find a way to get it to me without you finding out what was going on. I figured you could use the money for your social work or you know..." Jon sobbed. "If, if you had kids, and um, if I couldn't be their dad I could maybe help take care of them or something...I don't know." He cringed and started shaking. "I know it sounds weird, I just always knew you'd be a great mom, and I wanted so badly to be a part of that, and I thought if I couldn't be with you, at least if something happened to me you'd be okay...not that you needed the money, but you know, it c-could help you and maybe I'd do some fucking good f-for once..." He realized he was stuttering and clenched his jaw in frustration.

Mary was sobbing as she crawled onto his lap and tightly wrapped her arms him as he laid his head upon her shoulder and cried. She petted the back of his head and kissed his forehead. Tears fell down her cheeks, falling onto his shoulder. She could not believe how damn lucky she was. This man was the most extraordinary person she has ever met. He's so beautiful, inside and out. She was going to spend the rest of their lives showing him everyday how much he was loved and appreciated.

She kissed his neck and whispered, 'Baby, you're the only man I ever wanted to have a family with. And you do good. You do. You make people happy. You love me so good. Our children are going to be the luckiest kids on Earth. They're going to have so much love.' She smiled through her tears, ' I can't wait for us to have a son just show you could teach him to be as great of a man as his dad is. He's going to think the world of you. Just as I do.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'Before I was to be...married...David wanted to start the adoption process to have a child. It takes a bit of time so he wanted us to start on the paperwork.' She sniffled, 'I got as far as the waiting room to the adoption agency and I couldn't do it. I couldn't. It felt wrong because all I was thinking is that it wasn't you. You're the only man I wanted to have a family with. No one else will do. If I couldn't have children with you I didn't want to have them at all. I even started doing research on my...condition.' She smiled brightly, 'Turns out I'm not the only woman with this problem. There are a couple alternatives I can try, just to see if I can conceive naturally.' She held his face in her hands, 'I want a child with you. Not right this minute, of course. But someday. A little bit of you. A little bit of me.' She cupped his cheek in her hand, 'I hope they get your dimples and your eyes.'

She saw the fear in his eyes and asked him, 'Did I do the wrong thing?'

Jon shivered. "I'm not...made of the best stuff, Mary. Christ, just look at my mom." He sniffed and looked down. "I don't wanna mess my kids up with my fucked up genes."

Mary cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She stared directly into his eyes and smiled, 'Baby, stop saying that shit about yourself. There's nothing wrong with you.' She snorted, 'Besides, the same could be said of me considering my mom...' She didn't finish her sentence. She refused to entertain the thought. She was through with living in the past, 'We've been through it all. We know what to do and not to. The mistakes that our mothers made with us. We can learn from them and not repeat them. We have a love so strong that I know we can do this one day. We've been through Hell and back together. Raising kids should be a piece of cake. We can give them all the things we wanted from our mothers that they refused to give us...love and acceptance.' She grinned, 'Tell me ya would not want a son one day. A little man you could take to your shows and teach how to wrestle.'

He smiled and looked down, feeling strangely shy. "It's not like I'd insist on him doing the same thing I'm doing..."

She chuckled and nodded. She had to make him see for himself that he could do this. He could be a good father.

'So, what kinds of stuff would you teach him, baby?'

Jon sat back against the pillows and shrugged. "I guess...how not to be completely useless, like me. I gotta try to be more neat and learn how to cook for myself. How to be safe. Make sure he treats women with respect, no matter what's going on. Don't treat people like shit unless they really deserve it. Or just avoid shitty people. Maybe how to look into things, you know, not automatically trust everything at face value and stuff. Not listening when people tell him he's worthless." He looked up at Mary and smiled. "Stuff like that, I guess. And playing catch, that sort of thing. Take him fishing."

Mary rested her head against his chest and wiped the tears from her eyes. She kissed his neck, 'Stop calling yourself worthless, baby. Ya gotta stop putting yourself down.' She scoffed, 'As for the cooking and cleaning thing goes...leave that stuff up to me. No offense, baby but there's some things in life where ya just gotta throw in the towel. He snorted and rolled his eyes, which made her giggle. She traced the planes of her chest with his fingers, 'I would love to have a daughter one day.' She smiled, 'A little girl to have tea parties with and play dolls. Teach her how to plant flowers and knit like my grandma showed me. I wanna teach my daughter to be a good person, no matter the circumstances. To always have respect for her body, to cherish it and don't let anyone tell her she's not worth anything. She could be a fucking ventriloquist for all I care. As long as she's happy. That's what I want. For her to be happy.'

"You're gonna be a great mom," Jon whispered, pulling her close. "I'm fucking honored you want my kids, Mary."

Mary kissed his forehead, whispering, 'The feeling's mutual baby.' She sighed and arched her back, stretching her muscles, 'Well, I think I'm gonna go get a shower. I feel all sweaty.'

Jon nodded, laughing, 'Wonder how in the hell that happened?'

She smirked, shrugging her shoulders, 'I haven't a clue, but I do know that I need one.' She kissed him quickly and crawled out of the bed.

Mary looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a smirk, 'Ya look a little sweaty too, baby. You're gonna need a shower yourself.' She winked at him and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey!" Jon got up and knocked on the door. "Not funny!"

Mary laughed, and he could hear the distinct sound of the shower being turned on. He tried opening the door but it was locked.

"Aww man." He scowled, but then he could hear his phone ringing. Sulking would have to wait.

Panic set in when he saw it was Seth. Mary had assured him he didn't hear anything incriminating, but still. Jon took a deep breath and answered the call. "Hey."

"Hey man! What were you guys doing this morning?" Seth laughed. "Nevermind, it's probably something dirty."

"Oh, you know, we were just messing around. Uh, Mary wanted to get a video of me doing some old promos and she accidentally called you. Sorry about that." Jon held his breath, hoping his friend wouldn't question that.

"Kinky. Hey, I got some news. Nothing official, but word's going around."

After a few minutes Jon stood in the doorway when he heard the water shut off. Mary got out wearing a towel and smiled. "Someone looks happy," she cooed, walking up to him and placing her hands on his chest.

He beamed at her, his eyes wide with excitement. "Guess what? We're gonna have another match in the Elimination Chamber. It's gonna be us against Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus." Jon giggled and bounced on his heels. "They're still working shit out and things might change, but that's how it's looking."

Mary shrieked and hugged him tight. "Congratulations, baby!" She kissed him deeply and sighed into his neck. "Oh my god, that's so exciting!" Her hands slipped down his chest. "We should celebrate, don't you think?"

"Definitely. I know one way I wanna celebrate." He smirked down at her and turned them around. "And that's me taking a shower. See ya!" Quickly he darted in the bathroom and slammed the door behind him, cackling when she pounded on the door.

Mary was sitting on the bed when Jon came out of his shower. He was wearing a pair of boxers and his hair was still wet from the shower. It was obscuring his eyes and sticking in every which way direction. She grinned as she stared at him. His hair reminded her of how it used to look when he was younger. There was a calm aura around him she had not seen before. He seemed more calm, cool and relaxed. His eyes were bright and alert and his skin had a healthy glow. He had put on some weight muscle, which made his six foot nine frame that much more intimidating. His face was covered in two day old stubble, making him look more masculine. Staring at him in this moment, her chest swelled with pride in knowing this was her husband. This is the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

She knew why there was a sudden change to in his demeanor. He was happy. They both were. For the first time in their lives they knew true happiness. They never really considered themselves to be the lucky ones. They figured this kind of happiness wasn't for people like them. Then they grew up and realized that if anyone was deserving of such happiness it was the two of them. It took them being apart from one another for them to finally take their heads out of their asses and realize they were meant to be together. They were miserable without one another. No one else could compare to them. They have tried to move on and failed miserably. They weren't going to waste one more second without each other.

Mary smiled softly as she watched him rummage through his carry on. She was so damn proud of him and all that he has accomplished. Everyone was seeing what she knew all along. It was about damn fucking time.

She leaned back in the bed, resting her elbows upon it, 'So, we going out or are we gonna stay in the room and fuck all day? Husband's choice.'

"Hmm." Jon rubbed his jaw. "That's a tricky one." He snapped his fingers. "Oh! Wait, I just remembered something." He reached in one of his bags and pulled out a box. "Seth reminded me of this. It's wedding gifts from all the guys." Jon set the box in front of his wife and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "He said we could have a lot of fun with the stuff in here."

Mary looked at the box curiously and took it from him, shaking her head in amusement. She opened the box and began sifting through it. Her eyes widened when she grabbed onto what appeared to be an extremely large dildo. It was long and had a lot of...girth.

She took it out and cringed, 'Well, this is definitely weird.' She noticed there was a note attached to it. She took off the note and read it aloud, 'To the new married couple. This here is for your lovely new wife. She's gonna need something to keep her satisfied. To the new wife, sorry for your loss. '

"Son of a bitch!" Jon grabbed the note and glared at it as Mary started giggling. "Fucking...I know this handwriting! That asshole!"

"Who wrote that?" Mary managed to ask, her body shaking with laughter.

"Ugh, nevermind. Let's just say he's gonna have really horrible fucking things done to his bag and his gear. Fucking god." He eyed the box warily. "What else is in there? I'm afraid to even fucking guess."

Mary cackled with laughter and dug into the box. She took out a pair of a fuzzy handcuffs and smirked as she dangled them in front of him, 'Care for some payback later, Jonathan? I remember me tying ya up with a belt. Karma's a bitch.'

He grinned and picked up the handcuffs. "Okay, these are awesome. So maybe not all of it is..." His smile dissolved when he took another look in the box. "What the fucking fuck is that?"

Mary's eyes widened when she picked up a dice . She twirled it around in her hands and noticed there was writing upon it.

She grinned and handed it over to him, nodding her head, 'Oh yeah, we can have fun with this.'

Jon stared at it. "Huh. Okay. Cool. For a second I thought they were like...I don't even know. Maybe that...thing...was the only, uh, bad part of this package."

Mary grinned. She leaned over and rested her hands on opposite sides of him, trapping him in between her body and whispered, 'You a gambling man, Mr. Good?'

He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. "Well...if the stakes are interesting, sure."

Mary smirked and placed the dice in his lap and whispered, 'What's your wager?'

"Um..." He blinked at her, then read the dice and grinned. "Is this for me to do to you or vice versa?"

Mary picked up the dice and studied it and smirked, ''How about we go back and forth? Whoever rolls the dice has to do what it says to the other person and vice versa. Sound good?'

"Awesome!" He grinned at her. "You first."

Mary rolled the dice on the bed and read it. She grinned, reading the word aloud, 'Kiss.' She tilted her head thoughtfully and tapped her finger upon her lips and asked him, 'Tell me a place you've never been kissed. Don't be shy either, baby.'

Jon sat back, not wanting to dwell on past encounters but also not wanting to lie to her. "Um..." He grinned, then lay on his stomach and pointed to his lower back. "There."

Mary leaned down and kissed his lower back. She dipped her tongue in the indent of his lower back, causing him to shiver.

She placed the dice upon his back and whispered in his ear, 'Your turn, baby.'

Jon turned on his side and quickly rolled the dice, which landed on "suck". He gave her a wicked grin. "Well...instead of asking where you _haven't_ been sucked, my question is where do you _want_ to be sucked?"

Mary gave him a wink and a sultry smile. She rolled onto her stomach and arched her ass in the air.

She looked over her shoulder at him and whispered, 'Make it count, baby. No one sees this ass but you.'

Jon grinned and sunk his teeth into her ass, sucking and biting along her skin. After a minute or so he pulled back and smiled at his handiwork. "Could take a picture of this."

Mary turned and grinned at him. "What, did you give me hickeys in the shape of something?"

"Just my initials." He laughed as she fell to the floor, cracking up. "Hey, you said to make it count!"

Mary huffed and looked up at him grinning. She shook her head and laughed. This is how it should be between them. Young, in love and happy. They deserved this.

She jumped on the bed and crawled in his lap to tickle him, making him giggle, 'You're so gonna pay for that, buddy!'.

Jon nodded and smirked, 'Oh, really?' He handed her the dice and stroked her face, 'Roll it good, baby.'

Mary bit her lip and met his gaze directly and rolled the dice on the bed. She glanced over quickly and shook her head, 'Blow...hmm...now tell me...where would you like your wife to blow you, Mr. Good?'

Jon began giggling and tickled her sides. "Guess. No, wait. I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with 'cock'."

Mary took a moment to think about what he said and rolled her eyes. She playfully slapped his shoulder and laughed, 'You perverted bastard. Now I wasn't an English major but I can make an educated guess that nothing rhymes with cock and that's what you want me to blow. Is your wife getting warm?'

He nodded, unable to speak from laughter. When she sighed in dramatic exasperation, he batted his eyelashes at her and tried to look adorable.

Mary grinned and rolled her eyes in a dramatic fashion and gave him a shy smile, 'Well, I guess I should. Since it's apart of the rules and all.' She winked at him and slowly crawled down his body. She tightly gripped his knees as she blew on his cock without touching it with her mouth.

She laughed when he let out an exasperated sigh. She looked up at him innocently and batted her eyelashes in the same fashion, 'Honey, what kind of girl do ya think I am?'

"One who doesn't play fair," he grumbled, and grabbed the dice with a sigh. "Well, let's see if I get some revenge here...hrm." Jon looked at the word on the dice and smirked. "Interesting. 'Caress'. Wonder what part of you I should do that to? Tell you what, I'll let you decide." He sat back and waited for her reply.

Mary ran her hands through her hair and took a moment of deliberation to carefully think about his question. She had so many places she was dying for him to touch her, but this was a game. One she intended to win.

Deciding to make him sweat it out a bit she rested her back against the headboard and spread her legs wide apart, exposing her glistening sex to him. She licked her lips and gazed at him from under her lashes, 'Mmm...baby...I have been fucking dying for you to touch my...legs...' She smirked when she saw the look of irritation on his face.

He narrowed his eyes, but then thought of a way to get even. "Sure," he agreed, throwing in a half-hearted shrug.

Jon leaned over and started at her feet, his fingers barely grazing her skin. Mary giggled and squirmed as he moved his hands up, but instead of teasing her with light touches on her thighs, he brushed his hand over her calves and then pulled his hands away.

She immediately scowled. "Hey, you didn't get all of my legs. No fair."

Jon wagged his finger at her. "Now, now. You didn't say to touch all of your legs. I'm just going by what you said." He tossed her the dice and managed to bite back a grin. "Your turn."

Mary glared at him and let out a huff. She was really starting to get bored of this game, but she refused to give in and admit defeat. She was going to see this through, regardless of the fact if it killed her or not.

She rolled the dice and grinned, reading the word aloud, 'Lick.' She braced her hands upon his thighs, giving them a gentle squeeze as she gazed up at him, 'Tell me, handsome. Where would you like my tongue? I'll make it worth your while this time. Don't tell me. Show me.'

Jon raised an eyebrow at her. She was almost there, almost right where he wanted her. "I can think of a place...but you have to lick only where I show you, nowhere else. Deal?"

She grinned and nodded.

"Okay then." He lay down and slipped off his boxers and patted his lower stomach, right above his groin. "Right here would be good. And remember, no straying from this area."

Mary gave him a cheeky grin. She licked her lips slowly, wanting him to watch her tongue. Her gaze never wavered as she bent her head and licked the area above his groin. She smiled as his head snapped back and he let out a hiss. His erection was hitting her chin. It would only take one simple movement on her part and he would be in her mouth.

She licked her lips again and looked at his erection, 'Impressive display ya have there baby. I hope you're gonna put it to good use. She picked up the dice and threw in on his chest, 'Your turn.'

Jon took a deep breath and rolled the dice. It was time for him to take charge. He was gonna have to end this soon, 'cause this was just getting too...hmm. "Bite."

"Oh really?" Mary grinned. "I can think of a few places..."

"Actually, there's only one place where I wanna bite you right now." Jon smirked at her. "Tell you what, you can decide where you do whatever you roll next."

Mary huffed but nodded. "Fine. So where do you wanna bite me?" She ran her hand down her body. "Just tell me."

"I'll show you." He grinned and beckoned to her. "Come here."

She crawled forward and giggled when he adjusted her so she sat in his lap, her back against his chest. Jon ran his hands up her sides, then brushed her hair away from her neck and bent forward, sinking his teeth into the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

Mary gasped and writhed as he bit down, creating a delicious friction against his cock. He moaned and sucked at her skin, sliding his tongue out so he could taste her. She mewled and pressed against him, nearly taking him inside her. Jon growled and slightly moved his mouth to bite another part of her neck, holding on to her hips when she tried to lift up to guide him inside.

"You sit there and take it," he hissed, and bit the other side of her neck. Mary gasped and grinded on him, her hands wandering over his arms, his legs, his hair. Jon sucked on her skin, moaning as the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance.

"Please." Mary was shaking, trying desperately to adjust her hips so she could join their bodies. "Please, please...in, want you in me, please."

Jon licked at the back of her neck. "You gonna admit that I won? You gonna be a good girl?"

Mary whimpered and nodded.

"Want me in you, don't you? Want me filling you up with my big cock?" Jon bit at her earlobe. "I wanna hear you say it."

Mary bit her lip and groaned, nodding her head, 'Fuck yes...want you inside me, Jon.' She squirmed against him, bracing

herself against his legs, 'Fuck me, please.'

He brought two fingers to her lips and hissed when she sucked them in. "Beg me for it. Tell me what a good girl you're gonna be." His teeth scraped her shoulder and he gently pushed against her, teasing her.

Mary squirmed against him in frustration and tightly gripped his knees. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he gnawed and licked upon her neck. She gasped as his cock brushed against her pussy and whispered raggedly, 'Please, baby. Fuck me. Want you so fucking deep inside me, Jonny. I'll do whatever ya want...anything. I'll be such a good girl, I promise. Just,

fuck get inside me.'

He smirked. She was almost there, but he wanted her incoherent. His fingers were still wet from her mouth, and he moved them down and gently swirled them against her clit, then moved his hand lower and pushed them inside

her. Mary whimpered as he moved them around with ease, her wetness coating his hand.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Jon whispered, and bit the back of her neck. "Want more, don't you?"

Mary's mind was unfocused and addled with lust. Her vision was hazy and she was physically trembling. His fingers moved around inside of her teasingly. He bypassed her clit and she groaned aloud in frustration, knowing he was doing this on purpose.

She dug her nails into his knees, causing him to hiss. She tried moving her hips to connect herself with his cock, but he had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, halting her movements. Mary whimpered, saying in a pleading tone, 'Please, God...need...fuck.' She didn't even know what she was asking from him. All she wanted was this ache, this burning need to go away.

With one quick movement Jon got her on her back and settled between her legs. "Now you're gonna get fucked," he growled, and shoved himself inside her.

They moaned at the connection, Mary digging her nails into his back as he started pounding into her. Her moans turned to screams as she tightened around him, whimpering as he bit at her shoulder.

"That's right, take it. Feel my cock in you." Jon rode her harder, his fingers pressing against her sides. "Come on my cock, Mary. Feel me fucking you."

Mary scratched her nails down his back and bit his ear, whispering raggedly, 'Get me down on the floor, baby and fuck me like your fantasy.'

Quickly he pulled out and got her on the floor, dimly wondering if he should lay down a blanket so she wouldn't get rug burn, but all rational thought went out the window when she crawled forward and began sucking his cock.

"Oh _fuck._" He scratched at her back as she worked on him, unable to stop his hips from thrusting forward when she curled her tongue against his length. "Fuck, Mary...damn that's good..."

After a few incredible moments of bliss, Jon realized if he didn't stop her, he wasn't going to be able to fuck her senseless on the floor. He pulled her hair back until she released him and smirked at her. "Good girl. Now lay down and open yourself up for me."

Mary released his cock with a pop and pouted at him, 'But, I was having so much fun.'

Jon shook his head and chuckled, but he sobered up and gulped as she got down on all fours for him and spread her legs, opening herself up to him as far as she could go. Mary looked at him over her shoulder and grinned as she wiggled her ass in the air, 'Come on, baby. Fuck me. Give it to your wife hard, baby.'

He grabbed her hips and leaned over her. "You're gonna get it now, baby." Jon shoved himself in her and pushed forward until his tip pressed against her cervix, his eyes rolling in pleasure at the sensation. "_Fuck_...love being in you. I fill you up so good. You get this cock for the rest of your life, baby girl." He pulled out and slammed back into her. "Like that, don't you? You fucking loved getting fucked by me."

Mary gyrated her hips, matching him thrust for thrust as he slammed into her. She braced her hands upon the floor as he pounded into her. Her knees burned from the rug, but she ignored the pain and solely focused upon the exquisite feeling of his cock inside her.

She gasped out, 'Fuck, baby. Feels so good. Love you so much. Ride me harder, baby. Harder.'

"My girl likes it rough." Jon chuckled and held onto her hips, thrusting harder and faster. "You love this, don't you. Tell me." He reached forward and pulled at her hair. "Tell me how much you love having my cock in you. Can't live without it, can ya?"

Mary shook her head and let out a growl when he pulled on her hair and slammed into her. She arched her back, grinding herself against him.

She shrieked aloud in pleasure, 'Fuck, baby. Love your fucking cock inside me. Gets me so wet. Shit, your cock fills me up, baby. Fuck my ass. Wanna feel you inside all of me.

"Fuck yes." Jon grabbed the lube from the nightstand and poured it over his hand. He quickly slicked himself up and pressed himself against her ass. "You ready for me, baby?"

Mary smirked and chuckled, 'Gotta admit, baby. I'm kinda insulted. Ya had to get lube to fuck me? What's the matter? Can't get your girl wet enough to slick you up?'

Jon reached down and pulled her hair again. "Thought you were gonna be a good girl. I got lube 'cause you're gonna need all the help you can get for the way I'm gonna fuck your ass. Now answer my question. You ready for my cock?"

Mary wiggled her ass against him and grinned, 'Come on, baby. Less talking. More doing. Want ya to fuck me so hard I feel you for days.'

"Oh, don't worry." Jon smirked and slid inside her, gasping at the feeling of being in her ass again. "You're gonna feel this for a long time, baby." He pushed himself as far as he could and grinned when she gasped and writhed against him. "Like that, don't you?"

Mary let out a guttural groan and nodded, 'Fuck yeah I do. Ya love this don't you, baby? Shit, I love no one else had you this way. ' She squeezed her ass cheeks on his cock, making him gasp aloud, 'Want you to fuck my pussy and ass, baby at the same time. Wanna feel that big beautiful cock of yours everywhere.'

Jon groaned and slipped out of her ass, then tilted her hips up and pushed himself back into her pussy. "Fuck, baby. You were right. Didn't need lube, got you all wet." He tightened his grip on her sides and began pounding furiously into her.

Mary pushed up into him, meeting him thrust for thrust as he fucked her. He alternated between her ass and pussy, making her feel delirious with pleasure. Her body was hunched over for it was unable to sustain his strength, but she had no intentions of stopping. She fucking loved every second of it.

Jon reached down and rubbed her clit, chuckling as she moaned and writhed against him. "That's it." He pulled out of her pussy and shoved himself in her ass. "I'm all inside you, baby. Let yourself feel it. Come for me."

Mary grinded herself against him and arched her back, bringing him deeper inside of her. She was swimming in sensations. He was everywhere, all at once. Her heart was racing at lightening speed and her body was flush with sweat. He held her hair as he rode her and whispered encouraging words to bring her to the edge, but she refused to go there. Not yet. She wanted him to beg for it.

She chuckled slightly, whispering, 'Come on baby, you can do better than that.'

Jon dragged his nails down her back and reached around, pinching her nipples. "C'mon...you're fucking close...I can tell, baby...I'm gonna make you come so hard." He pulled out of her pussy and sank himself into her ass. "Gonna make you lose your fucking mind."

His words spurred her on and she swirled her hips at a furious pace. He grasped her hips tightly, his nails digging into her skin. She could feel her juices spilling out of herself, running down her legs. Her entire body was soaked in sweat and Goosebumps fleshed out upon her skin. Her body felt as if molten lava was coursing through her veins. She could feel the fire in the pit of her belly, the tingling sensation started from her toes and ended at the base of her skull. She thrashed against him as she panted and whimpered. She 's never felt anything like this before.

Mary screamed and shrieked, yelling out, 'Fuck baby, I'm coming for you baby.' She clenched her legs, holding his cock in an ironhold grip, 'Don't stop fucking me. God, don't ever stop! Fuck me like you don't even know me. Talk to me, baby. I'm your fucking dirty girl.'

His grip on her tightened and he began pounding into her as hard and fast as he could, grunting and snarling. "You're all fucking mine. Your body was made for my cock. Never gonna stop fucking you, you're mine, you're _mine_, all fucking mine, so fucking tight and wet and perfect." Jon dragged his nails down her back. "Keep fucking coming. Want you to feel this so much you can't fucking take it."

Mary screamed his name as she convulsed convulsed against him. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps and she let out a choked sob as she came so hard she was pretty sure she was going blind. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she collapsed onto the floor, not strong enough to hold her own weight.

\

She dredged up all the strength she could in this moment and arched her back, pushing him off of her. She turned around and grabbed his hair, scratching her nails down his chest and making him hiss. She crawled on top of him and impaled herself on his cock, riding him in a furious pace as she grinded herself against him.

Mary scratched her nails down his chest hard enough to draw blood and smirked, 'Tables are turned now, aren't they, baby? ' She grabbed him by his hair and whispered in his ear, 'You fucking love my pussy, don't you? I'm the best fucking pussy you ever belong to me. No one else is going to ride this cock but me.'

Screaming in pain and pleasure, he reached up with shaking hands and held her hips, feeling helpless as she rode him. "Best...the best ever," Jon gasped. "Oh god, you're the best. Nothing's ever felt as good as you. Fuck, I'm yours." His head lolled on the floor as he moaned with each movement, losing himself in the feel of her.

Mary bucked her hips, riding him as hard as she could. Her knees burned from digging into the carpet, but she ignored the pain. She wanted him to lose all control and be so far gone he forgot his own name.

She leaned down and bit his neck as she pulled his hair as hard as she could and whispered in his ear, 'You don't come until I say, you hear me? This is my cock and I say when you're gonna come inside me. God your cock feels so good in my pussy. Come on, baby. Talk to me. I'll stop fucking you if ya stop. You don't want that do you?' His head thrashed from side to side and he was mumbling incoherently. She yanked his hair harder, eliciting a groan from him, 'I asked you a question.'

He ran a hand up her chest, his moans turning to whimpers. "Don't stop. Please. Please...please...need you...need to be in you, you're so fucking tight...I'll be good, just don't stop. Don't stop."

Mary smirked and nodded, 'Good boy. You're such a good boy aren't you?'

She braced her hands upon his chest and slowed down her movements, riding him in a gentle pace. She wanted him to feel everything. She slowly lifted herself up and came back down inch by inch making him hiss.

Mary leaned down and kept his grip upon his hair as she whispered, 'This is what you thought about didn't you? You dreamt about my pussy.' She chuckled, 'I got you off didn't I, baby?'

He nodded helplessly. Dimly he could remember their first night together, telling her he didn't beg, but he knew well before then that if there was ever a woman who could bring him to his knees, it was her. It was always her.

"You didn't answer my question," Mary hissed, and stopped her movements. "You don't want this pussy, do you?"

"I do, please." Jon lifted his hips and whined when she pulled away. "No...need you. Need this, need us. Please. I've wanted you for so long. I wanted you to be my wife. I've wanted you to ride me since we were kids. You feel even better than I'd imagined. Please, need to be in you."

Mary smirked and nodded, 'That's more like it, baby.' She laid her body over him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she grinded herself on him. Their hipbones were clashing and she hissed every single time they connected.

She sunk her teeth into his neck and licked the wound as she whispered in his ear, 'Go on, baby keep talking. I could do this all night. Keep talking or you're gonna be fucking your fist instead of my pussy.'

"Oh fuck." Jon grasped onto her as his body started to shake. "Baby girl, you feel better than anything. I'm so lost in you...you're so wet for me, so tight. I feel you all around me...oh _fuck_." He shuddered as she tightened around him. "So fucking tight around me, you're fucking perfect." He pushed up as she grinded harder, his cock jerking in response to the sensation. "Oh fuck, fuck, yeah. Goddamn. Feel how hard I am, baby? I get so hard when I'm with you. I get so big, you get every part of me. Never got as big with anyone else but you. You bring all of it out in me, you're perfect, the best, best pussy ever." Jon's head thudded on the floor as he felt her squeeze him again. "Please baby, you're the best I've ever felt, better than anything."

Mary grinned. She could not lie, she felt an immense satisfaction in knowing she could do this to him. The overwhelming feeling of belonging came upon her, bringing tears to her eyes. As she rode him furiously and stared down into his eyes she felt a love so piercing it made her feel as if she were suffocating.

She bit his ear and licked the side of his face, whispering, 'Used to dream about this, baby when I was a kid. Never thought ya would want me this way Never thought we'd have this. Never...' She shook her head, too emotional to continue.

"You have me," he whispered, and thrust up into her, making them both hiss. "We have each other." Jon sat up and pulled her close for a kiss, both of them moaning into each other's mouths. He sank his hand into her hair, stroking her scalp with his fingers.

After a moment he broke away and scraped his teeth against her neck. "You keep moving like that, you're gonna make me come." He stroked his thumb along her lower lip and grinned when she bit it. "Where do you want me to come? Wife's choice."

Mary licked and nipped at his lips as she grinded herself against him. His hair from his groin scratched at her abdomen, making her burn and tingle.

She tore her mouth away from his and bit his ear. She released the cartilage from her teeth, whispering raggedly, 'Come inside my pussy and eat it out of me. '

He growled in response and bit at her shoulder, licking a line up her neck and around her ear. "I drive you crazy, don't I, baby?" he purred, scratching at her lower back.

Mary nodded dumbly and whimpered, 'You know you fucking do. You always have. You're the only one I've ever wanted like this. You're my first and gonna be my only. Always thought ya saw me as a little girl.' She thrust forward, bringing him deeper inside of her and grinned when he moaned her name, 'Not a little girl now, am I?'

He chuckled and ran his hands over her breasts. "You were always my girl. Now you're my wife." Jon gazed at her in adoration and lust. No one else would ever get her this way. They'd never know this side of her. It was all for him. "You were meant to be mine, baby."

Mary licked the sweat off his chest and leaned down, biting his left nipple. His head fell back into the carpet and he hissed and moaned as she bit his nipples, swiping her tongue upon them to soothe the sting.

She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, 'And you're all mine. I always used to look at you when we were kids and wanted you to just take me and fuck me. God, why didn't you?'

"Thought you didn't want me like that," Jon gasped, pushing his hips up to get deeper inside her. "Thought you saw me as a friend...didn't think you wanted me like I wanted you."

Mary grinded herself against him and moaned as he held her hips and arched up into her.

She screamed aloud when his cock hit her cervix, 'Always wanted you like that. God, didn't you fucking see the way I was looking at you? I was practically fucking begging for it. Why the hell did ya think I always wore those skimpy pajamas all the goddamn time? Thought I was pretty obvious.'

"You have no idea," Jon gasped, "how you drove me crazy. Fuck, I used to jerk off all the time. Dreaming of this." He pushed himself up as hard as he could and grunted when he felt himself push against her. He was as far in as he could go, and the both of them moaned at the sensation. "Fuck yeah. Used to come thinking of this. Surprised you never caught me. I stared at you all the fucking time, baby. I was so scared to try anything. I didn't want you to reject me."

Mary shook her head and groaned, 'Would never reject you...ever. God, you used to get me so wet just by looking at me. Fuck, I used to fuck myself so many times in your bed. My pussy juice used to wet your sheets. I wanted for you to smell me, get off to me.'

"Thought I imagined that." Jon laughed slightly but then shivered when she clamped down around him. "Fuck...I used to get in bed and think of you and get so hard. I swore I could smell you. Thought it was just me being a horny bastard. If I had known I was really smelling you I would have sucked the taste out of my sheets."

Mary shook her head and laughed as she bucked herself against him, making them both groan aloud, 'You could have sucked on me instead. You could've had this pussy anytime. It was always yours, baby. Always. I would always rub against against you and touch you. Fuck, flirted with you so many times. Why the fuck do ya think I would put my feet in your lap when we watched tv?'

"Could ask you the same thing," Jon murmured, tugging on her hair. "You couldn't feel how hard I was, having part of you so close to my cock? You didn't see how I used to watch you? Never looked at a girl the way I looked at you. The way I still look at you." He sucked at the corner of her neck. "The way I'll always look at you."

Mary gasped and shuddered as he thrust deeper into her. She bit his neck and whispered, 'Always thought ya saw me as a little girl. Ya would always tell me to cover up and talked to me as a sister. I thought the way ya looked at me was in my mind. People at the gym always used to tell me that you used to tell them look out for me when you were away. Always felt like a burden. Never dreamed I would get you like this.' She laughed at the memory, 'I dyed my hair blonde at college cause I thought that's what you liked. Turned my hair green. I fucking locked myself in my room and cried like a bitch'

"Don't ever..." Jon dragged his nails down her back. "...ever change how you look just 'cause of something you think I want. All I want is you." He pulled her down hard and stared into her eyes as she gasped at feel of him pushing deep inside her. "Never wanted anyone else to have you. Used to be so fucking scared I'd come back from being on the road and you'd be with some piece of shit asshole." Jon leaned close and murmured in her ear. "I would've kicked his ass. Didn't want anyone touching you except me."

Mary let out a choked sob and swirled her hips as she grinded against him. Her movements were lazy and sensual. She wanted to make this last as long as she could. It felt like the first time every time.

Tears of joy fell from her eyes and she kissed his neck repeatedly, 'You always had me, always. Ya know when. I first came to your apartment when you were...using ya told me you loved me when you fell asleep? The next day you didn't even

remember. Broke my fucking heart, baby.'

Wrapping his arms around his wife, Jon picked her up and laid her on the floor, covering her with his body. He stroked her face as she embraced him, his forehead resting against her shoulder. His eyes welled with tears at her confession.

"I was sure I dreamt that." Jon shivered as Mary stroked his hair. "I didn't want you to see me like that. Never wanted you to see me the way you saw me today. I want you to think of me as..." His voice trailed off and he slowly began moving inside her. "I need you to see...to see me as..." He shook his head as his voice broke.

Tears fell from her eyes as tightly wrapped her arms and legs around him as he slowly moved in and out of her. She sobbed and moaned as she arched into him.

She stroked his back and kissed his forehead, 'Want do you need me to see you as, baby?'

Jon kissed her cheek and breathed into her neck. "I want you to see me as strong. I wanna provide for you. I wanna protect you. That can't happen if you think I'm a fucking pansy assed lunatic."

Mary sighed and shook her head, 'But, baby I do see you as strong. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't. You're the strongest person I ever met.' He kept shaking his head in disbelief and Mary grabbed his hands, kissing them, 'Ya know these are my favorite part of you? They saved my life. If you hadn't come into that house on the night of my prom I would be dead now. That was the first time anyone has done anything like that for me before or even cared to.' She smiled through her tears and ran her fingertips along the length of his arms, 'These are my second favorite. When they're wrapped around

me I feel safe, loved and cherished. I've never felt more safe than I do with you.'

He rested his arms on either side of her, cupping her face in his hands. "I'd die for you, you know that? You're my whole life, Mary." Jon kissed her and began moving faster inside her. "You're everything."

Mary arched her back, meeting him thrust for thrust as she clawed at his back. She had tears coming down her face and sobbed into his neck as he kissed her face.

She kissed his neck and whispered, 'Thank you for loving me. I never thought I'd have this. Everyone told me it was impossible, that I didn't deserve this kind of love.'

Jon shook his head as he rode her harder. "They told me the same thing. Never thought I'd have you forever, but I do. I have you and you have me. Forever, baby." He moaned as she squeezed around him. "God, you feel so good."

Mary groaned and grinded herself against him as she kissed and licked his neck. She dug the heels of her feet into his ass, wanting him even deeper inside of her.

She ran her hands through his sweat soaked hair, swiping it back. She smiled through her tears and stroked the sides of his face, 'God, you're beautiful. I can't believe I get to wake up to you for the rest of my life.'

Jon gave her a boyish grin and pushed harder into her. "You're the gorgeous one, baby. Anyone can see that."

Mary chuckled and kissed his face, 'While all the girls were looking at the pretty boys. I was looking at you. ' She smirked, 'I remember one time I tried to sit with you at lunch and you got up from the table and said...' She cleared her throat and did her best Jon imitation, 'It's all yours.'

"Know why I said that, baby?" Jon asked with a smile.

Mary shook her head, and gasped when he pushed inside her as deep as he could.

"You were wearing this top that had these little straps...it was like you were practically naked." He began grinding against her, never pulling out. "It was so tight. I could see your nipples, baby." Jon growled and bit at her shoulder. "You looked so fucking hot. I knew if I stuck around I'd end up staring at you and telling you how much I wanted to fuck you."

Mary gasped and as he held her hips and pushed into her as deep as he could go. He repeated it over and over again until she was delirious with pleasure. She ran her nails down his back and licked his ear, sucking the cartilage in between her teeth.

' Ya wanna know when I first noticed you? It was my second day of school and I had three textbooks in my hand. I wasn't watching where I was going and smacked right into ya.' She chuckled, 'I was so fucking scared. The look on your face. ' She arched her back and moaned, 'But you surprised me and picked them up for me and carried them to my locker. Ya didn't say a damn word to me.' She kissed his lips, 'I think I fell in love with you then and there.'

Jon moved faster, gazing down at her. "I remember that. I'd been watching you before then. Wanted to protect you from the first moment I saw you. You were walking out of class and you were pulling your hair up. Looked so beautiful, but I felt like a fucking pervert 'cause you were younger than me. But I could see the woman you'd become." He grinned and thrust against her hard enough to make her hips arch off the floor. "Just never thought you'd want me. But you do, don't you? You love me and you want me. You love this." He moaned and found a steady rhythm, fucking her hard.

Mary clenched her pussy around his cock, causing him to let out a guttural groan. She tightened her legs around his waist as he furiously pounded into her. She lifted herself off the floor and grinded herself against him. Her heart was pounding and her breath was coming out in ragged harsh gasps. It sounded as if she were suffocating.

She gave him open mouth kisses upon his neck and whispered, 'Always wanted you. Always needed this. Needed you. I needed to be yours. I love you so much. Fuck, I love you. You're the only one I ever wanted to give my body to. ' She pushed her legs together to squeeze her pussy around him even tighter, 'Feel that, baby? You're the only one who ever got me off. ' She chuckled, 'Remember when I got suspended for a week?' He nodded his head and chuckled. Mary grinned, 'I beat this Senior's ass for telling me she gave you head. It was right before class photos too.' She snickered and rolled her hips, making him hiss, 'Gave her a black eye for touching my man.'

He chuckled and fucked her harder. "All those girls, they didn't mean shit. No one's gotten me off like you, baby. Fuck, I come so hard with you. Feels like I'm fucking dying. You get me so hot." Jon shivered and panted into her ear. "I love you, baby. I've only ever wanted you because I love you so goddamn much."

Mary whimpered and thrashed her head from side to side. She could feel the telltale tingle creeping up her spine and the burning in the pit of her stomach. She panted in his ear as she felt her pussy fluttering, her wetness gushing out of her in spurts. Her juices spilled out onto his cock, running down her legs.

She reached in between her legs and swiped some of her wetness onto her fingers. She stuck the fingers in his mouth as she whispered, 'Taste what you do to me.' He sucked the wetness off her fingers greedily and she moaned at the sensation of his tongue upon her skin.

Mary arched her back and screamed out, 'Fuck, I'm coming. You feel that, baby? You feel what you do to me?' She tightly closed her eyes as tears slipped out. She shrieked and wailed and convulsed underneath him as she came harder than she ever has before.

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck as he continued fucking her, 'Holy fuck. Never came like this before. Like the first time every time, baby.'

"I love you," Jon gasped, feeling his own orgasm approaching. "God, I love you, I love you. I'm in love with you, Mary. So in love." He shuddered as he felt her come again, her nails dragging down his back. "Fuck yeah. Feel it, baby. You're gonna make me come. You're gonna get all my come in you. Gonna get all of me inside you. You're mine, mine, mine..." His chants subsided as his body began spasming. Jon screamed as he spurted deep inside her, crying out in utter pleasure with each spasm. He collapsed on top of her, shivering helplessly.

They laid there on the floor and held onto one another for dear life. Their breathing was coming out ragged gasps. Their hearts were pounding so loudly they could hear them beating rhythmically throughout the room. Their sweat slicked bodies were sticking together. Mary stroked his back as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

She brushed his wet hair away from his face and smiled softly, 'God, baby. We're so good together. We make such beautiful love. ' She kissed his forehead and looked up at him lovingly, 'I love you so much. You're everything to me and always will be.'

Jon smiled and kissed her, then sat up and gazed down at her. "I got an idea. Stay right there."

Mary laughed. "Where would I go? I can barely move, you fucked me so good."

Her words made him grin with pride as he walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet for the jacuzzi. Years ago he remembered joking about having one of those in their apartment. He was gonna get her a place that had one of these. She deserved to be doted on.

Once the water started filling in Jon went back to his wife and gently picked her up, laughing with her as she put her arms around his neck. He set her in the water and grabbed a washcloth. "Hope this is okay." Settling next to her, he gently began cleaning in between her legs. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Mary settled in between his legs and lolled her head back upon his shoulder as he cleaned her. She sighed in content and gripped his knees. She felt so peaceful and so safe in his arms. Never did she think she would have something this good, this pure.

She let out a shaky sigh as tears of happiness fell from her eyes, 'You make me so happy, Jonny. Ya know that?'

Jon kissed her forehead and put the washcloth aside. "You make me happy, baby. Happier than I ever thought I'd be." Gently he pulled away to pour some soap in the water and turned off the faucet since the water was now up to his chest. Jon sat back and gathered his wife in his arms. "I love you, Mary." A thought occurred to him and he smiled. "Have you thought of

baby names yet?"

Mary's widened and she blinked away tears from her eyes, 'You mean...ya really wanna do this? Have a baby with me?'

He laughed and pulled her close. "Of course. I'd love to have babies with you. Whether you give birth to 'em or if they're adopted. I used to think about raising kids with you. Always figured I'd fuck it up, but maybe I won't be so bad at it." Jon leaned forward and kissed her neck. "I gotta tell you I'm liking this husband thing. So being a dad is the next step. I wanna do that with you."

Mary was sobbing softly and she leaned further against him. She grabbed his hands and held them tightly. She was unable to fathom that this was her life. She felt an immense happiness unless she has ever felt before. For once in her life she felt normal, like a real woman.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled, 'I was thinking...for a girl, Lily...after my grandmother. For a boy, I wanna

give him your name. He deserves a strong name, just like his father.'

Jon snorted. "No way. Everyone will call him Junior or some goofy shit." He cleared his throat. "I was thinking maybe Cody for a boy. He's like my brother, and got me started, so..." He shrugged. "I don't really know. Oh hey! Maybe Roderick, after Piper? Or do you think that's dumb?"

Mary rolled her eyes and looked at him over her shoulder, snorting, 'Roderick? Really? You do realize that our child will have to go to school one day right?' She chuckled as a memory popped into her mind, 'Remember I'm the one who gave ya the last name Moxley.'

"Hey, both of those things are awesome. And there's no way our kids are gonna get their asses kicked at school, babe. Between your smart mouth and my ability to kick ass, they're gonna run those schools." Jon chuckled. "Okay, so we need to

get one of those books, I guess. No pussy ass names, though. Like Clementine or Zane or some shit."

'Oh my fucking God!' Mary collapsed into a fit of giggles. She hunched over, she was laughing so hard.

Jon shook his head, 'What? What did I say?'

Mary took a few deep breaths to gain her composure and said in between giggles, 'David's brother was named Zane and he was such a pussy! I remembered he didn't even know how to pump his own gas. I had to do it for him.'

"The fuck? Shit, I know guys who couldn't boil water without help and they still knew how to pump his own gas. Fucking Zane? Jesus. I'd never hear the end of it from the guys if I named my son that." Jon rubbed her arm. "Okay, no Zane. We'll have to make sure we don't get weird. I knew a guy who dated a girl named Sesame. How fucked up is that?"

'That wasn't her real name, right? Please tell me that was a stage name or something? Okay, names. How

about..Dean?' She covered her mouth to hide her giggles, 'Honey, I'm sorry but Dean Ambrose sounds like a male porn star.'

Jon poked her sides, making her laugh helplessly. "Well, fuck you! And it's your fucking last name, so whatever." He hugged her close and laughed. "I guess so. Could be worse. Holy shit, you should've seen the other names they had on that list. Like Lex Jones."

Mary laughed and shook her head, 'Ya gotta be kidding me?' She took his hands and held them close to her abdomen as she settled back against him, 'Everyone who knew about us were pretty shocked ya took my last name. I remember when I first

read that.' She sighed, 'You touched me, baby.'

Jon shrugged. "I figured it was the only way I'd be able to have a part of you. Thought I'd lost you forever at that point."

Mary smiled and turned around to kiss his cheek, 'You have me forever. Ya know whenever I would watch your Mox promos and matches I was so happy to see you still kept that necklace I gave you all those years ago.'

"Of course I kept it." Jon paused. "You think I'd get rid of that? Shit, I remember when you got it for me." He held her tighter. "I never got rid of anything that reminded me of you."

Mary chuckled softly, 'I still kept that silly keychain ya brought me back from Texas. I was so happy when you gave it to me. It's still on my keys to this day.'

"You're so damn sweet." He kissed her shoulder and began rubbing her lower stomach, letting his fingers travel down to her thighs. "What did I do to deserve a woman like you?"

Mary snickered, 'We deserve this.' She sighed, 'My fucking God. Can you believe after all this time we finally got our heads out of our asses and got married?'

"Thank fucking god." Jon traced one hand along her thigh and another over the swell of her left breast. "You feeling sore, baby?"

Mary wiggled her ass against his semihard cock and they both hissed at the sensation.

She smirked and whispered, ' do ya have in mind?'

He leaned over her and ran his hands down her body, gently rubbing against her entrance. "I wanna fuck my wife some more. That is, if she's up to it."

Mary's laugh turned into a moan when he started lightly teasing her entrance She leaned back into him and bit her lip.

She chuckled, 'If I didn't know any better I would say you just married me for my body.'

Jon paused his movements. "Wait, you're kidding, right?" He blinked down at her, feeling slightly chilled.

Mary turned, taking his face in her hands. "Jon. I was kidding. You know I love you."

He smiled and nodded. Goddamn paranoia always found a way to get a hold of him..."I love you," Jon whispered, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I love making you feel good."

Mary turned around to face him and crawled into his lap. She rested her legs upon both sides of him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She stared directly into his eyes and smiled, 'Baby, you make me feel good just by the way you look at me. When you look at me I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Sometimes I feel as if I can't hold all this love I have for you in my heart. When you look at me my heart races and my blood runs hot. I feel you right down to my toes.' She bowed her head and shrugged sheepishly, 'Sorry, I'm rambling. Now that we're married feel free to tell me to shut up at some point.'

He grinned and shook his head. "You're perfect, baby. You make me so happy." A soft chuckle escaped him. "Shit. If you told me when I was a kid that I'd get to marry you and spend my life with you, I wouldn't have believed it. This is what I've always wanted." Jon pulled her close for a kiss, moaning when his cock brushed up against her.

Mary rested her forehead upon his own and chuckled, 'I know what ya mean. I knew you were my soulmate as soon as I got into your car that night. Best decision I ever made in my life.' She smiled as tears filled her eyes, 'I've never been much of a religious person, but I know for certain there has to be something up there.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'Cause they gave me you.'

Jon pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, taking deep breaths so he wouldn't lose it completely in front of her for the millionth time that night. "You're my entire life, baby," he managed to get out. "My entire life. I'm gonna spend every day making sure you're happy. I swear it, Mary."

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears, 'I know that, baby. I don't doubt that for one minute. You always made me happy. Even when we were apart. Just seeing your face makes me happy.' She took his hands and lovingly kissed the scars upon his wrists, 'I'm going to take such good care of you. I'm gonna love you so good, I swear it.'

"You already do. You always have." Jon kissed her deeply and ran his hands down her back, smiling into her mouth when this made her shiver.

Mary rubbed her pussy against his cock and smirked when his hips bucked up and he whimpered.

She leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'How do ya want it, Jonny? I'll do whatever you want. I'm yours.'

Jon wrapped his arms around her and gave her a lazy grin. "Want you to ride me. I can't get enough of you, baby girl."

Mary grinned and nodded, 'You got it, baby.' She gently grasped his cock and positioned it at her entrance. She put him inside her and impaled herself slowly upon his cock, inch by inch.

They both groaned aloud when she was buried to the hilt. Her gaze never wavered from his eyes as she grinded upon his cock in a steadfast rhythm. The water and her own wetness intensified the feeling and she was sliding up and down with ease.

Mary arched her back to bring him deeper inside her and she moaned aloud, 'Fuck, you feel so good. Love the way my

pussy stretches for you. It knows only you belong there.'

Jon breathed deeply, pressing his hands against her lower back. "You're the only one I ever really wanted to feel." He gazed

up at her. "You're the only one I've ever felt like this. I was meant to be with you, baby."

Mary rested her forehead upon his and tightly wrapped her arms his neck as she rode him in a steadfast pace, 'You're everything to me. Everything. Didn't know love until you came along.'

"You're the only one I ever wanted to spend my life with," Jon whispered. "It's always been you, baby. Always." He drew in a sharp breath as she squeezed her body around him. "God. You were made for me, baby."

Mary grasped onto his shoulders and gently bounced up and down upon him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his spicy scent that was all his own. She moaned and whispered, 'How can this feel so fucking good every time? It gets better and better, baby.'

He held her tight, her movements slowly bringing him to oblivion. "You can feel how much I love you, can't you, baby girl?"

Jon murmured, and shivered despite the warmth around him. "So perfect..."

Mary nodded and grabbed his face to kiss him deeply. She tore her lips away from his as she held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his once again. The feel of him was something she'll never get used to. The way his arms wrapped around her makes her feel cherished and safe. Never did she think she would have something this beautiful, this real.

Tears fell from her eyes as she whispered, 'Thank you for loving me.' She grinded on him and moaned, 'God, thank you, baby.'

He let out a sound that was between a gasp and a laugh. "Thank you? For falling in love with the most amazing goddamn woman ever created. Yeah, that's not on me...It's all you, baby."

Mary chuckled slightly and shook her head, 'You give me too much credit, but when you say those things. I believe it. Just the thought of you sends shivers down my spine.' She dipped her hands in the soapy water and ran them down the length of his broad shoulders down his arms, 'So beautiful. So strong. Never seen anything like you, sweetheart. I doubt I ever will.' She put her hands in the water once again to lather them up and stroked the sides of his face, 'You have such a capacity to

love. I can't think of a time when I haven't loved you.'

"I've loved you forever," Jon murmured, and pulled her close for a hug.

Mary let out a shaky sigh and whispered, 'I wanna try to make a child with you, Jon. I wanna find a way. I don't care what it takes. I wanna look at our child and know it was made from our love.'

"We'll figure something out," Jon soothed. In the back of his mind he felt a tinge of worry. He didn't want her to start obsessing over this. "But for now, let me love you, baby." He moved in for a kiss and gently thrust up into her.

Mary held onto him as he thrust into her. She moved her body up and down to meet him every time he pushed into her. Their mouths fused together as they moved into each other slowly and languorously. They swallowed each others groans with every movement they made.

She moved her head away and rested it in the crook of his neck to gasp for air. She kissed his neck and whispered, 'So good, baby. You feel so good. Need you...want more.'

He gazed up at her with half-lidded eyes, dazed with adoration and lust. "What do you want, baby? I'll give ya anything."

Mary shook her head and sighed in frustration, 'I don't fucking know, baby. I want all of you at once. I can't get enough of you. I want you to devour me. You drive me crazy.'

"I know the feeling." He leered at her and ran his hands over her body. "You're fucking everywhere. I hate not being close to you. I hate not being in you. I feel like I _belong_ in you, like I'm not whole unless I'm inside you."

Mary's eyes rolled in pleasure and she wrapped her legs tightly around his body as she kissed him deeply. The love they made wasn't about the act itself. It was the spiritual and emotional connection they shared exemplified in the most carnal way possible.

She tore her mouth from his and traced a path up the length to his neck along his ear and whispered, 'We belong together in every way possible. You were always meant for me just as I was meant for you.'

Jon licked at her neck and leaned suck on her earlobe. "Would I sound like an egotistical bastard if I told you I always knew we'd end up together? After our first night together, when I finally got to be inside you, I knew. Nothing was gonna keep us apart. I knew when I saw you at your engagement party that we'd find a way. I was scared to admit it, but I knew. I fucking _knew_, Mary. No one else has close to what we have."

Mary shook her head and chuckled softly, 'No because I thought the same thing. Even when we made love for the first time I knew. That's why I chose you to be my first.' She scoffed, 'Well, the one who counted anyway. I never felt safer, more alive and more love with anyone else. I tried to get over you. I really fucking did, but when you came to my engagement party it was as if I was falling in love with you all over again. It's always been you and always will be.' She smiled and stroked the sides of his face, 'You and me...always.'

"Always." He grinned and slid a hand down the front of her body. "All mine, forever."

Mary kissed the wound upon the side of his face and smiled, 'Forever. I'll always be your girl. Just as you'll always be my man.'

Jon kissed her deeply and wrapped his arms tightly around her, reveling in the feeling of being with her finally. This is what they were meant for. Above everything else, love doesn't judge . It took a hell of a long time for them to realize that.


	27. Chapter 27

One year has passed since Jon and Mary were married. These past twelve months flew by without them even realizing it, as time often does. They have traveled the road together, just as they dreamed of doing when they were kids. They've had some lows as most married couples do, but it was the highs which make it all worth it. The true story is the realization that no time in your life is ever perfect, that even the best memories have cracks you may not see.

They have been in therapy since the beginning of their marriage. Since they were on the road a lot, they had a therapist they spoke to over the phone. The psychiatrist was very understanding and a very good listener. He didn't judge them for the things they said. He didn't make them feel shitty for their feelings or their past. He was someone whom had an unbiased opinion. He was on the outside looking in. He gave them some really useful advice. In all honesty, if it were not for this man they most likely would have been broken up a long time ago. They had volatile tempers and were quick to anger. They said hurtful and spiteful things just to deliberately hurt the other person, but now if they had a disagreement, they would calmly talk it over like reasonable and logical adults. It was needless to say they have come along way this past year. Not just mentally, but spiritually and emotionally as well.

Jon's career has taken off as well. Ever since The Shield won the tag team championship belts during Wrestlemania they solidified their status in the WWE brand. No more than six months later, The Shield disbanded and went their separate ways. Seth had gone on to be one of the top faces along with Roman and the two of them ironically formed a tag team together. Jon went the exact opposite route. He became one of the WWE's most hated heels. When he walked out he got so much heat it was difficult to hear his entrance music. The children feared him, but the adults loved him because he had the type of dark humor only people over eighteen years old could appreciate. He was revered and respected and demolished anyone who came in his path. He was feared due to his unhinged and unpredictable personality. He had a gritty street brawler style, which was very unique for the brand. It was this type of style that won him the Heavy Championship belt. He had won a Money in the Bank match and cashed it in during an episode of RAW. After that, it was hard to keep track of it all.

Everything was so chaotic and fast paced. They couldn't go anywhere without at least ten fans mobbing him wanting him to take photos with them. He was always gracious, but very uncomfortable. Even after all this time he was still not used to the attention or recognition. Even journalists wanted a piece of him. Shit, he couldn't even go to CVS without the paparazzi shoving a camera into his face. It was maddening the lengths people will go just to get a piece of somebody with status. They are like ravenous wolves, gnawing at your feet. They hardly ever had privacy and rarely went out. Usually they just stayed in the hotel to order room service and watch television. It was sad to say that their marriage has been somewhat suffering because of this.

He never even liked her to go anywhere by herself. She always had to be with him. He kept her locked inside of a hotel room day in and day out to the point where she felt as if she were going to lose her goddamn mind.

Mary knew it had to do with the fact that being in the spotlight made him feel uncomfortable. He was an introvert at heart and felt uneasy with people in his face all of the time. He didn't get into the business for the fame, money or status. He didn't choose wrestling. It chose him. It was the only talent he was blessed with and he was damn good at it. It was either wrestling or nothing.

She would like to tell you that they lived happily ever after and everything was perfect between them, but she would be lying to you. They were far from perfect people. Normality was not in the cards for them. They tried having a normal marriage, but it just ended up feeling forced and contrived. Ever since Jon became a superstar, their marriage has been somewhat strained. Even though she travels on the road with him, she barely sees him. He usually gets up at four in the morning to do press, whether it be radio or for a print magazine and even a televised interview depending upon where they are. On top of all that he still has tapings along with house shows. By the time he comes home all he wants to do is sleep. She misses their talks. They would lie in bed at night and spend almost the entire night talking about everything and nothing. Now she's lucky if he speaks two sentences to her. It's almost as if she doesn't exist.

Hell, he doesn't even touch her as much as he used to. There used to be so passion and fire between them. Mary can count the times on one hand they've made love in the past month. That's fucking sad considering there were days and nights where they couldn't get enough of each other. There used to be a time they couldn't go one day without sex. Not it's a week at a time. The passion was gone. It seemed forced and contrived, almost as if they were going through the motions. They looked as sex as being merely an obligation of a married couple. She wondered if he is getting it from someplace else, but she always berates herself for thinking this way. She could not let her insecurities muddle her thoughts. He was her husband and she needed to trust him, but he has given her enough reasons to doubt him. She just hoped her fears are unwarranted.

Not everything in their life was bad. They did in fact have some things in their lives which were positive. Over three months ago they begun the adoption process. After some long talks and deliberation they decided this was the best thing to do for them. It was not as if they would get a child right away. They are still in the preliminary stages and are awaiting pre approval before they even get the ball rolling.

Mary had even started to begin some treatments in which could reverse the damage done to her cervix. It was still in the beginning stages and she didn't want to get her hopes up. The last two treatments were a bust. This adoption was to be their last hope to have a child together.

Many people would say that they're doing this for selfish reasons. They think by adopting a child it would make all their problems disappear. Well, that's what their therapist said anyway. Maybe it was true. Through their desperation they were looking for anything to make their relationship survive. Sure, they loved one another. That will never change, but sometimes love is not enough. You can be so in love with somebody, but it doesn't sustain a happy marriage. They were damaged people with a lot of baggage. They always expected the worst therefore that's what they got. They were not used to happiness, peace and serenity. They thrived upon the chaos and anguish. It made them feel alive and gave them a sense of purpose. If they were one hundred percent happy in their lives they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Anything normal wouldn't be them.

It was midday afternoon and Mary was in a hotel room in Chicago. Jon was at the venue doing last minutes rehearsals for a RAW taping which was occurring later in the evening. She had just gotten back from having lunch with Randy Orton's wife. Ever since they met at last year's Hall of Fame ceremony they have become the best of friends. She befriended her and took Mary under her wing. She showed her the ropes so to speak (excuse the pun). Like her, she too had married into the business and gave her much needed advice or she listened whenever she needed to vent about something pertaining to the business, whether it be crazed fangirls or missing Jon when they could not be together. She honestly doesn't know what she would do without this woman. She probably would have given up a long time ago. She valued their friendship and was glad she had someone to lean upon.

Mary was just about to hop into the shower when she heard the distinct sound of her cellular phone ringing. She picked it up and narrowed her eyes. She didn't recognize the number. Fear crept in her heart as she wondered who could it be. Ever since Jon's fans found out they were married they started harassing her. She would get odd phone calls in the middle of the night. Sometimes they would say lewd things, but most of the time they laughed and hung up. Jon had wanted her to get a bodyguard because he feared for her safety, but she refused. She wasn't going to live her life in a bubble. She refused to let them see her falter. Besides, it's been over a year since they were married and she has yet to be harmed. She figured they would have done it by now. They were nothing more than disillusioned fangirls.

Against her better judgment, she answered the phone call, 'Hello?"

'Hello, Mrs. Good?"

Mary narrowed her eyes at the sound of a woman's voice on the other end. She asked suspiciously, 'Yes? Who's this?"

The woman sighed, 'I'm Janice Wilson. I'm one of the social workers for New York State Adoption Agency.'

Mary's eyes widened and she smiled, 'Oh, yes. Of course. I'm sorry. What can I do for you?"

Her heart started pounding in her chest and she was physically trembling. She sat down on the edge of the loveseat and tapped her foot impatiently. She hoped to God it was a good news. She was never a praying woman, but in this moment she prayed to whomever was up there that they could have a child. '

She heard Janice sigh deeply on the other end and she could tell by her silence that something was wrong. She was accustomed to these kind of silences. It spoke more than words ever could.

'I am calling to tell you that after some extensive research and deliberation we have come to a decision that you and your husband are not reliable enough to be considered for adoption. You were declined, Mrs. Good. I'm very sorry.'

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head in disbelief, 'But what about the recommendations we gave you?"

Janice sighed deeply, 'They had nothing praise for the two of you, but with your husbands schedule of always being on the road. We do not think it is a fit environment for a child.'

Mary shook her head and snorted in disgust, 'What's the matter? Our money not good enough for you? You think we're trash, don't you? It's because of our pasts isn't it?'

She hated to be so defensive, but shit she was angry and had every right to be. This woman, this stranger was dashing every hope she ever had since she was a child. It wasn't fair. So forgive her if she's a little bit upset.

'It's not the money, Mrs. Good. It's your reliability. Babies are a lot of work. They need constant care and attention and with your lifestyles we feel you both could not give the right amount of dedication and attention a child needs.'

Mary gritted her teeth to keep from sobbing into the phone, 'Why because our mothers screwed us up you think we're going to do the same? Ya never gave us a chance to try. All we wanted to do was try.'

Janice heaved a laborious sigh on the other end, 'I'm very sorry. We did all we could.'

Mary laughed humorlessly, 'Yeah, I bet you did. Thanks for nothing.' She closed her phone and threw it onto the couch. Their conversation was over with. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

As she sat there, she felt ad nauseum come upon her. For the past few weeks she has been feeling dizzy and nauseous. There are some days where she cannot eat anything because she is so queasy. She knew it was most likely from stress. Being on the road all of the time wrecked your immunity. She cannot remember a time when she had a full night's rest. She needed to get away from this or it was going to be the death of her.

When Jon walked into the door after RAW rehearsals, he frowned when he saw Mary sitting on the couch holding a pillow protectively against her chest. Her face was red and she has tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed softly.

He immediately ran over to his wife and sat down next to her and put his arm around her, bringing her close to his side, 'Baby, what's wrong?'

Mary shook her head, 'Talked to the woman at the adoption agency today.'

Jon's eyes widened, but he made sure to keep his face neutral. He wanted to make sure he braced himself for whatever happens. They were married and would handle this together; good or bad.

He kissed her forehead and ask in a soothing voice, 'What did she say?"

She eased out of his embrace and moved down to the end of the couch. He could not help but feel hurt. It seemed as if she has been distancing herself from him lately.

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled, 'We were declined. She said we weren't...reliable.'

"Not reliable?" Jon shook his head. "What the fuck..how are we not reliable?" He reached for her, but she sighed and looked away.

"It's your schedule, Jon." She sighed deeply and ran her hand through her hair. "You're always on the road and they think it's _inappropriate _to bring a child into an environment like ours."

A dark anger rose in him. "So it's _my _fault?"

Mary shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Yeah, Jon because the whole fucking world revolves around you.' She scoffed, 'Lets not forget if my body worked properly we wouldn't have to beg people for a fucking baby.'

He sunk back into the couch, rolling his eyes. "Don't fucking start that shit again. You don't need to act like you're a fucking martyr. What I meant was that they're blaming it on me. They probably think I'm some drug addicted lunatic."

Mary's eyes widened and she got up from the couch. She shook her head and let out an incredulous laugh. She could not believe he had said those words to her.

Mary pointed at him, 'See, this is my problem, Jon. You think about yourself instead of thinking about us. We're married. I travel on the road too.' She snorted and muttered under her breath, 'As if you fucking notice.'

He gave her an incredulous look. "What the fuck does that mean? Of course I notice. And how the fuck am I not thinking of us? Shit, if anyone's not thinking of us, it's _you_, Mary. All this baby shit has you fucking obsessed!"

Mary scoffed and rolled her eyes, 'Really, Jon? I clearly remember on our honeymoon you were asking me about baby names. And how the hell would you know I'm obsessed? The only time I ever see you anymore is when you come to bed, which is usually at sunrise. Shit, if you even come back at all.' She crossed her arms over her chest, 'You're a real piece of work.'

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jon shouted, getting up and walking over to her. "You're taking this shit out on me. I never said I didn't want kids, Mary, but you're obviously obsessed with it. Why can't you just be happy with us? Am I that terrible of a husband? And it sounds like you don't trust me. When I get home I'm fucking tired! What do you want from me?"

Mary ran her hands through her hair and sighed, 'I'm not saying I don't trust you, but I hardly see you anymore. You disappear and keep me locked up in hotel rooms. I have to fucking watch my husband on tv if I want to see him anymore. I can't even remember the last time you touched me.' She gave him an accusatory stare, 'I just wanna know what's going on. I'm so fucking tired of living like a prisoner.'

She was obviously heartbroken and pissed off. If he kept yelling things would only get worse. Jon took a deep breath and rubbed his face. "Mary, you know how fucking crazy things have been. I just want you to be safe. Shit, I get scared out there sometimes. I don't even wanna imagine what it would be like for you out there if someone recognized you. And as for not touching you, baby, I'm tired. Trust me, it's not like I don't miss being with you. You just gotta be patient."

Mary blinked away tears and bowed her head to stare down at the floor, 'I'm just tired of this, Jon. I miss having a life.'

He smiled sadly. "Me too, baby." Jon took another deep breath and tried to take her in his arms, but she pulled away, making his anger resurface. "The fuck, Mary? You just said you missed me touching you, and I try to touch you and you act like I have the fucking plague!"

Mary took a few steps back from him and shook her head sadly, 'I don't wanna do this anymore, Jon.' She took a deep breath and let out a shaky sigh, 'Maybe us being declined for a baby was a...sign.'

Jon clenched his jaw. He was getting really fucking tired of her endless drama. "Look, we'll talk about this shit later, okay? I'm tired as shit, I'm getting some sleep." Without waiting for her reply, he turned and went into the bedroom, throwing his clothes into a pile on the floor and crawling into bed.

Mary shook her head and muttered a curse word under her breath. She was so sick and tired of him avoiding their problems. He would much rather act like nothing is wrong then face the problem head on.

She walked into the bedroom and looked over at him lying in the bed. She smiled bitterly. There was a time when they would both crawl into bed together. Some days they would spend all day in bed together making love, sleeping, talking or just lying in each other's arms without even saying a word. They would revel in the comfort and solace of just being in one another's presence. Now they could not even be in a room five minutes together without fighting.

Mary sat down on the bed next to him and sighed, 'What's happening to us, Jon?'

Jon glanced up at her wearily. "Baby, we're both stressed. It's been a fucking shitstorm." He pulled back the sheets with a sigh. "Why don't you come in?" He patted the bed and attempted a smile. "C'mon. You'll feel better once you get some rest. We'll petition for a reconsideration or we'll find another agency." Jon tried to stifle a yawn. "I'll ask some of the guys what they think. Okay? It'll be fine, baby." Keeping his eyes open was almost impossible now that he was finally in bed. "It's gonna be fine," Jon mumbled, and succumbed to a long overdue sleep.

She looked down at him and smiled sadly. She pulled the covers high above his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. She leaned down and gave him a feather light kiss upon his forehead and exited the room.

Mary didn't know what possessed her to call him. She had always thought of him to be her last resort. She was desperate and needed help from someone who would understand. She was at the end of her rope. If he couldn't help them then no one could.

She dialed his number and paced back and forth nervously as she waited for him to pick up. She looked wearily at the closed bedroom door where Jon slept a few feet away. She hated betraying him like this, but she had good intentions. At least she hoped so anyway. The last thing she needed was for this to blow up in her face, If this did not work out they would not survive this.

Mary sighed in relief when she heard the phone click on the other end. A warm and gentle male voice answered, 'Dr, Brockner speaking.'

She took a deep breath and let it out, 'David? It's me, Mary.'

There was an eerie silence on the other end. She could practically hear the wheels spinning in motion inside of his head. He was most likely wondering why his ex-fiance was calling him after leaving him a week before their wedding for another man.

She heard him sighing deeply on the other end, 'Hi, Mary. Uh...' He chuckled nervously, 'Forgive me, but I wasn't expecting to hear from you considering...' He didn't finish his sentence. There really wasn't any need to. They have said enough.

Mary nodded and sighed, 'Yeah, I know. Look, I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but you're honestly my last resort. I didn't know who else to turn to.'

David let out a small chuckle, 'Well, I know you and if anything you're prideful.' He sighed, taking a moment of deliberation before speaking, 'So, what can I do for you?"

Jon opened his eyes and groggily looked at the clock. He sighed and plopped his head back down onto the pillow. He had two hours to be at the venue for tonight's taping of RAW. Exhaustion seeped into his bones. He could sleep another forty eight hours. It seems as if he doesn't have time for anything anymore. He belongs to everyone else but himself.

He looked over at the empty place beside him and shook his head sadly. It looked as if his wife didn't come to bed with him after all. He didn't blame her considering the way he has been neglecting her lately. He groaned and rolled out of bed, stretching his taunt and aching muscles. He was only twenty-eight years old, but felt like eighty at most times. Blame that on wrestling and sleep deprivation.

Jon slowly walked out of the bedroom to find Mary. He needed to apologize for his behavior earlier. He was insensitive and a complete asshole to her. She didn't deserve that. She has done nothing but be there for him this past year. She was his rock, his touchstone and sanity. Amidst the chaos she was truly the only person he could rely on.

When he opened the door he could see her on her phone talking to someone. He smiled softly. It was most likely Kasey or Cody. She doesn't let a day go by without talking to them. He felt guilt rise up within him. That was another thing he felt shitty about. He couldn't remember the last time he picked up the phone and talked to them. He just has been so busy lately he hardly has time for himself let alone anyone else.

He stood there and let her finish her conversation. She was thanking whomever it was for helping her and listening to her problems. Sadness gripped him as he listened to her speak. There was a time when she could go to him for her problems. There used to be a time they could talk about anything.

They don't talk much anymore.

Jon's eyes widened when he heard her say, 'Thanks, David. I really appreciate this. I truly do. You're wonderful.'

He took a few steps back as tears filled his eyes and he gasped aloud in shock. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to fathom was he just heard. He had to still be asleep and this was some cruel fucking nightmare. This could not be happening. Not now. Not after all they have been through.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. Sleep still muddled his brain. He could have misheard her, or it was another David. That must be it, because there was no way Mary would be talking like that to the David from her past. She wouldn't do that to Jon. She loved him.

Jon walked back into the bedroom and sat back down on the bed. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts. He had to collect himself so he wouldn't flip out and say something in the heat of the moment.

Mary stepped into the room, looking surprised and a little guilty. "You're up."

"Yeah." Jon cleared his throat. "I'm, um, gonna get ready." He glanced at her. "What are you gonna do?"

Mary rocked back and forth nervously upon her heels and sighed, 'I was thinking that I go...away for a couple weeks to New York. Kat has been dying to see me.'

She hated lying to him, but she knew the truth would not go over well. He would act irrationally and think the worst. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. She had done enough of that in the past. Besides, she was doing this for them both. He may not understand now, but he would thank her in the long run. At least she hoped so anyway.

He nodded, staring at the floor. "That might work out." Jon had probably listened in on her talking to Kat and his sleep-deprived brain had heard "David" instead of "Kat". That must have been it. "Might do you good to get away from this." _Or from me, _he silently added.

Mary forced a smile and swallowed the large lump in her throat. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage for what she was about to say, 'I also spoke with our...therapist. He thinks it would be beneficial if we gave each other...space for a while. I...agree.'

She cringed inwardly at the way her voice sounded. It sounded so weak and small, like a child. She had to be mature about this. This is what they needed, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Okay." Jon nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. "That might work out for the best." He made a show of looking at the clock. "I'm gonna get ready." With that he turned around and began methodically packing his bag. He needed to concentrate on work. Work would get him through this. It always did.

Mary leaned against the archway of the door and watched him as he got ready. She shook her head and smiled sadly. He was doing it again, acting like nothing was even wrong. He always was good at lying to himself, but she refused to let him live in denial. She had to make him see what has been going on right in front of his eyes.

She took a deep breath and let it out, 'Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Jon?'

Jon pretended as if he didn't hear her. He just continued to pack his bag with his head bowed, refusing to look at her. Once again he was shutting down on her and cutting her off. She wished she could be like him. He had this internal switch where he could just stop feeling. She had always envied that in him.

Mary sighed deeply, 'Are you just going to ignore everything I just said? I'm...leaving, Jon.'

"I heard you," he replied with gritted teeth. God, always with the fucking drama. What did she want, did she want him to fall to pieces? Have another panic attack? He was fucking scheduled to perform soon. He couldn't do this now. "Let's talk tomorrow, okay? Give me a call when you get to Kat's so I know you're okay." Jon picked up his bags and walked past her to the living room. "I'm not ignoring this, Mary, I'm just...busy and tired and we really don't have time to go over all this shit now. And yeah, maybe you staying with Kat for a while will be good for both of us."

Mary followed him into the living room and watched with tears in her eyes as he got on his coat. She could not believe he was just blowing this off. He was acting almost as if he didn't care. Maybe calling David had been a bad idea. Maybe she was right in her assumptions that being declined for a baby was a sign. If he can just walk away without so much as giving her a hug or a kiss goodbye, then he may not really care at all. Maybe her leaving was for the best. She should just go to Kat's and not even meet with David. It obviously wasn't worth it to him.

Just as he was about to walk out the door, Mary shouted out, 'I'm leaving, Jon and I might not come back.'

Suddenly it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. He spun around to look at her with a stunned expression on his face. The way he was looking at her made her feel so small and insignificant. Those feelings were nothing new to her. It's the only thing he's been making her feel as of late.

Jon wiped his mouth and set his bags down. "You really wanna do this now?"

Mary's hands balled into tight fists at her sides and she had a look of resolve upon her face. She nodded, 'Yes, I do. We can't keep ignoring this anymore, Jon. I checked flights. The next one to New York is leaving in four hours. I won't be here when you get back. This is our only...chance.'

Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "So since we can't have kids, you want out. Is that what I'm hearing?"

She shook her head, 'No. That was just the final straw, Jon.' She snorted, 'Who the fuck are we kidding to think we could raise a child together? Parents are supposed to be a team. The only time we spend time together is if you can fit it in busy schedule. We're always on the road, in a new city every goddamn week. A child needs, structure, stability and...attention. The adoption agency was right. We're not reliable.' She waved her hand in the air between them, 'This...us...isn't working out like we thought it would. You can't tell me you don't see that.'

"Fine, fine," Jon muttered, and grabbed his bags. "I'm done talking about this shit. You're obviously hellbent on getting a kid, never mind our shit, right? I'm fucking done. I've got enough going on without having to come home to you pissed off all the time." He paused, wanting to say more but was unsure if he wanted to apologize and beg her to stay or to turn around and leave, knowing it might be the last time he saw Mary as his wife. "Call me later," he mumbled, and walked away.

Mary stood there stunned and speechless as he walked out of the door and out of her life. She blinked away tears and took a few deep breaths. She could feel the dizziness and nausea overwhelming her and she stumbled to sit down on the couch. Tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks, but she didn't even notice them. She was numb to all feeling. She could not believe he just walked out like that without even talking to her. In a way it seemed as if he was relieved to get rid of her. Maybe now that he was famous and rich he didn't need her anymore. Good ol' reliable Mary. She was always his fallback girl. Why would he need some little leech when he could get anything and anyone he wanted? She had served her purpose for the time being and now she was being discarded like yesterday's trash.

She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and wiped the tears from her eyes. She could do this. She could be strong. For so long she has been everyone's girl. It was time for her to be her own. She got up from the couch and went into the bedroom to pack her belongings.

Mary had a flight to catch.

It was a relief to escape.

The crowd, the matches, the promos, the character of Dean Ambrose was something Jon could get lost in. For a few hours nothing else existed, or mattered. He just needed to do what he always did, and he got praise, he got love, he got hate.

He got to escape.

When they were all packing up though, the numbness set in. A few guys asked if he was okay, a few of them giving him lingering stares of doubt and concern, but he waved them off. Tired, he was just tired. Understandable. He walked past the flashing lights and the screams and got back to the hotel.

Mary was gone, along with her things.

Nothing surprising there. Hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted to come back to her tonight. Things had gotten so tense with them that she was no longer a refuge. It was like trading in one stress for another; the deafening shouts of the crowd or the suffocating silence of his wife.

He used to reach for her, knowing that she'd hold him and give him comfort, or that his touch would comfort her. He used to lose himself inside her, aching for more even if they were as joined as two people could be.

Now...

Jon spotted her ring on the table. She'd left it out for him to find. His wife was never subtle. She'd also left the map she'd gotten them after they were first married, highlighting all the places they'd been together. They'd always wanted to travel together. There were so many times he was taking them to school when he wanted to swerve the car around and drive somewhere, anywhere, it didn't matter if they were together.

But the thought of her staying in school stopped him. She needed stability. He needed to move around. He was restless as fuck and that would never change.

No wonder it didn't work. Fuck, he should be happy it lasted as long as it did.

Okay, then. He could do this. He'd been through enough to know he could handle anything. This time he wouldn't fall apart.

Jon pulled a beer out of the fridge and downed it quickly, staring at the things she left behind. He drank another, then fished out his phone. A couple of the guys went through this. Maybe they'd know of a good lawyer.

Did Mary already have a lawyer?

After a while he lost track of how many beers he drank but he kept staring at his phone. He didn't want to talk to anybody. It didn't matter if anyone else went through this, _he _was going through this, and he'd fucking handle it.

He'd handle it now.

The phone rang a couple of times before she picked up. "Hello, Jon."

Jon snorted. She sounded so fucking resigned. "Hello. Looks like you left."

"I said I was."

"Yes, you did. So I gotta ask you, Mary. You gotta lawyer yet? I don't have one, but I'll get one. I won't keep you waiting."

A shaky sigh came out on her end. "Jon..."

"No, no. Don't start with that. To be honest, I'm fucking relieved, Mary. Like you said, this isn't working out." Jon shook his head, making his way to the bedroom. "I'm not gonna be shitty and say I don't...that I don't still...it doesn't matter. It doesn't. We're...I, I'm going to fucking make sure this happens. Don't worry, I won't fight you for shit. You'll live a good life." He grunted and took another sip of beer. "I promised you that a long time ago, and I'm a man of my word, so there you go."

Mary closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. She should be happy he was taking this so well. This is what she wanted right? She should be relieved she was free to do what she wanted. Then why the hell did she feel so lousy? This was the love of her life. Her soulmate and she was throwing it all away due to her selfishness and insecurities.

She took a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control and said softly, 'I just wanna let you know. I don't want your...money. I can take care of myself.'

She had to let him know that. She had to be strong. She didn't want to let him know this was killing her. He is all she has ever wanted. He used to love her so much. Now he acted as if she was nothing more than a stranger. Maybe in a lot of ways she was.

Jon snorted. "I know _that_,Mary. You were never after money. You wanted something else, didn't you?" He took a sip of beer and exhaled, settling on the couch. "You wanted a family. You wanted stability. I couldn't give you that, so fuck it, right? Whatever. Can't say I blame you there." He sat forward and looked at the map. "I guess I should apologize, but to be honest I've got nothing to be sorry for. The only thing I'd change is to maybe get you a house. A small one, you know? Could've gotten someone to watch, make sure you were safe. You could've put down roots and shit like that." He finished his beer and set it on the table in front of him. "Whatever. Doesn't matter now. Look, this'll be quick, okay? We don't need to drag it out. Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to ya."

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and covered her mouth to stifle her choked sobs. She could not believe he was behaving this way. He was being so cold.

She took a deep breath and released it into the phone, 'All I wanted was you, Jon. That's all I ever wanted.' Mary regretted her words as soon as she said them, but she couldn't help herself. He was breaking her heart and he didn't even care. He didn't even fucking care.

"Mary, that's not true. If it was true..." Jon clenched his jaw, but made himself continue. "...If it was true, you wouldn't want to end all this because we can't have kids. I'd be enough for you." He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. "I know things are crazy now, and I'm sorry, I know it's not easy for you. I'll make it up..."

No. He had to stop thinking like that. It was over. It was fine. It would be fine. "It doesn't matter, Mary. I just want you to know it'll be quick. Painless, even." He had to laugh at that. "Shit. Never thought..."

She sniffed. "Never thought what, Jon?"

"Nothing," he whispered. "Just...do you need me to get you a lawyer?"

Mary rested her back against the wall. She was having another one of her dizzy spells, which have been happening alot lately. Her stomach was in knots and she felt as if she had to vomit. This was even worse then the first time they broke up. Maybe it is because she expected things to be different. She expected forever.

She sighed into the phone, 'I can get...one. I can handle things myself, ya know.' She let out a bitter laugh, 'It's that easy for you, huh?'

He let out a humorless laugh. "What, so you think having money and fame makes life easy for me? Oh sure, it's great. I'm tired all the time, I can't pump gas without someone taking a picture of me or saying something shitty, and my marriage is over. Life's fucking great, Mary. Shit."

Mary rested the phone against her forehead and took a few moments of deliberation to gather her thoughts. She didn't know what to say. This man was the love of her life. She had given up everything for him and now she had nothing. She was all alone. Maybe she deserved it for all he hurt she had caused him in the past. He was giving her a taste of her own medicine and it was hard to swallow.

'I never thought it was easy for you, but it wasn't easy for me either, Jon. All I wanted was to take care of you. To love you, but you shut me out.'

"So it's my fault." Jon glared at her ring. "Funny how that always seems to be the case. What did it, Mary? Was it me getting more screen time? More interviews? Didn't like seeing me overworked? Fuck, Mary, I didn't ask for all the shit that came with this, but you and I both knew it was part of this life. I tried to keep you safe. That doesn't count for shit, does it? Jesus, have you heard some of the things they were saying they were gonna do to you? Someone fucking sent me a site detailing how all these bitches wanted to smash your face in. Shit, and you wonder why I didn't want you going out without a bodyguard? It's my fucking fault? _I shut you out?"_

Mary scoffed into the phone, 'You and I both know I don't read what any of those fucking assholes online say. I learned that lesson on our honeymoon..remember? You never talk to me anymore. You even stopped talking to our therapist and don't try to make up some bullshit excuse about not having any time. It's one goddamn phone call twice a week. Shit, you open up more to journalists than ya do your own wife.'

"What the fuck have I said to journalists that meant shit? We talk about the shows, the shit that happens on the road. What do you want me to say, Mary? That you don't seem to give a shit about me, you care more about getting knocked up? Christ." Jon sighed and settled back on the couch, closing his eyes. "I don't wanna do this anymore. It's done. Do you want me to get a lawyer for you or not? You want me to send you my ring, since you made sure to leave me yours? What do you want from me?"

Mary shook her head and let out a shaky sigh, 'That ring is yours, Jon. I got that for you. I want you to have it. I can get a...lawyer. I don't want anything from you...not anymore.'

This was killing her. She had everything she ever wanted and she ruined it. She ruined everything. The funny part about it is she had no one else to blame but herself. He had given her everything and it wasn't enough. She was never she did deserve to be alone for the rest of her life considering all she has done. He deserved someone who could love him the way he deserved. There was once a time she thought she was that person, but she was very wrong. How could she love someone if she did not even love herself?

Jon sneered at the wall. "Yeah, you've made that clear, sweetheart. Real fucking clear. Gotta ask, though, 'cause I guess I'm a bit of a masochist, but what did it for you? The fact that I couldn't get you a baby, whether it came from us or someone else? That I didn't get you a house? That I'm doing what I always wanted to do, but it takes up most of my time and my energy? Tell me, Mary, 'cause I wanna know. Tell me EXACTLY what it was. Give me that answer."

Mary didn't have the strength to stand any longer and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing. There was once a time when his voice soothed her. It lulled and calmed her to a sense of solace she has never known before. Now it broke her heart for she knew that she would never hear this voice again without there being bitterness and resentment behind it.

'I just wanna let you know that I was always so proud of you...always. You deserve everything that was given to you. I just wanted to be apart of that and I never was. Not really. Ya never liked me at shows. At events I would have to sneak in the back like some dirty little secret. I was your wife for fuck's sake. You were ashamed of me. Don't pretend like you weren't. At least give me that much. I need a life of my own. I wanna go back to work and start living again.'

"You..." The room started swaying. "You wanted...to be a part of that. A part of what, Mary? Part of this life, or a part of me? Did you want me to bring you front and center, give you some press?"

The lights suddenly seemed brighter, and Jon leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose. No, he wasn't gonna lose it again. He hadn't had a panic attack since their honeymoon, and he wasn't going to start now. No way. "I'm hanging up now. We'll discuss details later. I'll get a lawyer and you get yours, we'll get this fucking show on the road." Jon hung up and flung his phone aside, taking deep breaths until he managed to calm down.

He'd handle this. He could handle this. He could handle anything.

As soon he hung up the phone, Mary broke into gut wrenching sobs. She got up off the floor and ran into the bathroom. She ran into the first stall, not even caring if it was clean or not and fell down upon her knees in front of the toilet. She vomited into the toilet the little food she ate that day and rested her head against the wall. It was all over. There was no more Jon and Mary, it was just herself. What the hell was she going to do now? She was now all alone.

Alone...the epitome of her existence.

The next three months have been a blur for Mary. Ever since she left him that night in Chicago she has not seen or heard from Jon. It was not as if she expected to considering she was the one who left him.

When she got to New York she moved into Kat's apartment in Manhattan. She had an extra bedroom and was more than happy to let Mary stay there until she got on her feet. Besides, Kat was always busy at work and was hardly ever at home. She recently made partner at her law firm, which took up most of her time.

Mary took this time to find a new job, which wasn't as difficult as she thought it was going to be. Thankfully, the adoption agency she worked at prior to reuniting with Jon had an open position. They held her in high regards and welcomed her back with open arms and she had her old job back within a week.

It was a difficult transition to being a road wife of a professional wrestler back to her monotonous and mundane life as a social worker, but she adapted well. She had no other choice in the matter. She had chosen this life and had to live with the consequences.

During the day when she was at work it was easy for to forget about him. Being a social worker was a fast paced job which required much needed focus and determination and she delved right into it. But when the chaos ceased and she was lying in bed alone in the dark with her thoughts, Jon was all she thought about. She spent most of her nights looking at the picture of the two of them together as she cried herself to sleep.

Mary still wears her wedding ring. She just cannot take it off. It is the only thing she has left of him and the love they shared. It is a tangible hope that she clings to amidst the chaos and destruction she has caused.

She still watches him on RAW and Smackdown. Maybe she is a glutton for punishment, but she cannot completely eradicate him from her life. He is still her husband. Regardless of the fact they are separated or not she still loves him and is so damn proud of him.

After cooking dinner and getting a shower every Monday and Friday nights she lies in her bed and watches him. Tears fill her eyes whenever he shows up on screen. Her heart leaps in her chest whenever she hears his entrance music. Her eyes are glued to the screen as he walks down the ramp. He is so magnetic and charismatic. People are so naturally drawn to his enigmatic persona. She herself is not immune. She always knew what an amazing and talented person he was. It just took everyone else a very long time to realize it. In some ways she wished they hadn't. Maybe then they would still be together.

Even though he may be trying his damnedest to act like everything is fine. She knows better. She sees the pain clearly written in his eyes. The hollow emptiness he tries to mask over. Whenever he cuts a promo and stares directly into the camera, tears fill her eyes and a chill runs down her spine. She can hear the heartbreak, pain and anguish in his voice. It is almost as if he is speaking to her in a way. She was always a wishful thinker.

Mary also could not help but notice he stopped wearing his wedding ring. He usually wore a simple gold band whenever he competed. He had told her he wanted to wear one to always be reminded of their love. He had purchased a separate band to wear to the ring for he didn't want to tarnish the one she gave him. Now he wears nothing, like what they had didn't even exist.

For a long time she had thought he had forgotten about her. So you can understand her shock when she saw him walking out into the ring wearing the necklace she had given him when she left him for Boston all those years ago. She cried the entire episode after seeing that. It made her want to call him and plead and beg for him to take her back. By wearing that necklace it was if he was telling her in his own way that he still loved her and still thought of her. That small action alone gave her more hope than words ever could.

Mary had to cling to hope. It was the only thing she had left. During times of sadness and anguish hope is the only thing that helps us keep on. It helps us survive. That is what she's doing. She's surviving. He taught her that. Her love for him is the only thing she was ever sure of. She just wished she had enough sense not to throw it all away.

There have been so many times where she wanted to call him, but she digressed. What could she say anyway? Sorry I left you because we couldn't have a child? She thought he deserved someone better. Someone whole and not damaged who could give him all the things she couldn't, like a family. If she was a normal woman they wouldn't have to go through approval processes and mounds of paperwork just to have a baby. He may not understand the reasoning behind her actions, but he will...one day. She just hoped he would one day forgive her.

Mary had always hated when she heard women say they could not live without the men they loved, but now she understood. She was not whole without him. She was not living. She was merely existing. She will be okay one day. She knows she will.

Easier said then done, right?

It was a Sunday morning and Mary had a day off, which was rare for her. She usually works seven days a week. It's not as if she has to. She chooses to work long hours. It keeps her busy and she doesn't have to focus on missing him and thinking about him. Her boss had practically forced her to take a day off. She has been feeling sick lately. There have been times she spends a half hour in the bathroom puking. She finds herself getting dizzy at the most inopportune times and needs to sit down and let it pass. She has even fainted one day at work. She has also lost a significant amount of weight. Every single time she tries to eat she throws it up or she doesn't have an appetite at all. She hasn't been getting much sleep either. She could chalk it up to stress, but she knows it's so much more than that.

It's heartbreak...

Mary was sitting on the balcony of her apartment reading the morning paper and drinking tea when Kat walked in the door. She narrowed her eyes curiously when she saw that she had a brown paper bag with her.

Kat walked out onto the balcony and placed the bag on the table.

Mary looked at it curiously and shook her head in bafflement, 'What the hell is this?'

Kat nodded to the bag, 'It's pregnancy tests.'

Mary's eyes widened and she laughed incredulously, 'Are you fucking kidding me with this?' She pointed to her belly, 'My oven is broken remember?'

Kat waved her hand dismissively in the air, 'Yeah and miracles happen all the time. I've seen so many reality shows where women think they can't get pregnant and wind up popping out kids on the toilet.'

Mary rolled her eyes and chuckled, 'Ya gotta stop watching those shows. They're fucking warping your mind.'

Kat laughed shrugged her shoulders, 'Just do it...for me.' She walked over and placed her hands upon her shoulders, 'Look, you've been exhibiting the signs and if you are pregnant you need to know. Not just for you, but for Jon as well. If you are pregnant maybe this will bring you two back together.'

Mary snorted, 'You're still a hopeless romantic after all these years.'

Kat shrugged, 'Eh, somebody's gotta be. I just think that you and Jon are meant for each other. Sure, you both are going through a rough patch now, but if there's two people in this world that are meant to be together it's the two of you.' She gently shook her, 'Now come and pee on some sticks.'

Mary nodded and got up from the chair to reluctantly follow her into the bathroom.

Kat had bought four boxes of pregnancy tests. She also made sure they were all different brands so they could be sure. Kat once had a pregnancy scare when they were in college together and for a week she walked around thinking she was pregnant because she peed on a stick and it came back positive. It was only until she went to the doctor did she discover that the kits she used were expired, which gave her a false positive. It was through that experience that Mary never believed in home pregnancy tests. It was not as if she would ever have to worry about it, but she humored her. The things we do for our friends.

Mary and Kat were sitting in the living room with all four sticks lined up on the kitchen table upon paper towels. They both looked at the clock, silently ticking down the minutes to check them. The room was eerily silent. Neither said a thing for they did not want to break the fragile silence that existed between them.

Mary let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, 'This is so fucking stupid. We know what they're going to say. I cannot get pregnant. It's impossible. I've talked to over ten doctors, Kat. I've had every test done known to man. It's medically impossible.'

Kat sighed, 'What the hell do they know? They're humans just like the rest of us.' Her eyes widened when she looked at the clock, 'It's time.'

Mary leaned back in the kitchen chair and crossed her arms over her chest as Kat turned each stick over. They both looked at each stick and read the back of the box. Their eyes widened and they gasped aloud in shock when they read each stick and the pamphlets that came with them.

Mary shook her head in disbelief when each one read positive, 'Ya gotta be fucking kidding me.'

Kat had a beaming smile on her face and shook her head, 'The directions don't lie. They're all positive. You're pregnant, Mary.' She got up out of her chair and walked over to Mary throwing her arms around her, 'You're pregnant! Jon is going to be so excited.'

Mary sat there stunned and rendered speechless looking like a deer in headlights. She wished she could share her best friend's enthusiasm. She could not fathom this was happening. She could not be pregnant. All those doctors said it could not happen, but the test results do not lie. They said she was pregnant. She was pregnant and separated from her husband.

What the hell was she going to do now?

Jon was a pathetic asshole who lost the love of his life.

Dean was a guy who didn't need anybody. He was like Mox, only more focused.

As Dean, Jon could push back all the pain. He could almost forget that he was going to go back to an empty hotel room - probably for the rest of his life.

But Dean didn't give a shit. He had business to take care of, which he did every time he got in the ring. People loved to hate him, and he loved feeding off their hate. It carried him through the day.

At night, though, Dean faded. Everything faded. Jon still reached for Mary, aching for her presence, but she was gone. He couldn't even pretend to be next to her anymore. One night he'd even taken some pillows and bunched them together, covering them with a blanket. In the dark he tried to pretend the shape was his wife laying on her side, lost in a peaceful sleep. He'd put his arm around the pillows but instead of her soft skin, he felt the cold starchiness of hotel sheets.

The illusion didn't work. Mary was gone.

Jon stopped wearing his ring. He kept it with hers and their map, locked up at Cody's house.

"This is temporary," Cody had insisted when Jon dropped off the map and the rings. "You and Mary were meant for each other, man. You know that."

Jon could only shake his head.

He could feel her, though; she was watching him. Jon knew Mary better than anyone. Even if she didn't want to play house anymore, she was always going to watch him. So he tried to talk to her, in his own pathetic way. He kept the necklace she gave him all those years ago, and one night he wore it on camera. Maybe she'd see it and change her mind, or at least call him.

That night Jon lay in bed with his phone in his hand, waiting for her call, which never came. A few times he almost called himself, but he knew she would just hang up on him.

It was the story of his life. Always wanting what he couldn't have, and when he got it, he fucked it up.

Thankfully that hasn't happened with his career - not yet anyway. Word got out about his marriage. The dirtsheets had a field day, speculating about cheating and drugs. That he could ignore, but the sympathetic stares and random pats on the back he got backstage were wearing him down. One night he got pretty loaded and ranted to Seth about it; after that, people kept a respectful distance. Seth must've said something to them.

Unfortunately, this didn't apply to the public. Strangers gave him knowing stares, girls giggled and taunted him, journalists (if anyone could call them that with a straight face) barraged him with questions. Was he filing for divorce? Was she getting most of his money? Did he cheat on his wife?

Somehow he managed to get past them without throwing a punch. He usually ignored them, pulling his hoodie over his face, but a couple times Jon travelled with Punk and got to watch his friend verbally assault these assholes. It was usually the only time he got to smile lately.

After a while Jon had enough of feeling like he was living with a ghost of himself. He was tired of losing himself in Dean as he did in Mox. He was tired of waking up on a pillow soaked in tears.

They couldn't have children, but Jon didn't care. He wanted Mary. And if he couldn't have her back, he at least wanted to talk to her and let her know that he'd always loved her. That he was sorry for pushing her away.

That he was lost.

Kasey had kept in touch with Mary, so Jon knew she'd gotten her old job back. He'd twinged his arm in a house show and since Summerslam was coming up, they made it look like he was attacked backstage so he could rest up and heal. This gave him a week off, and Jon booked a flight to New York as fast as he could.

He'd had the foresight to book a red eye flight, so the only people in the airport were weary businessmen who didn't give him a second glance. Jon was so fucking nervous that he couldn't sit still while waiting to board. He got up and paced, bouncing around on his heels, chuckling under his breath as a few suits gave him an uneasy stare. Once he was on the plane he kept tapping his fingers on his knees, staring out the window.

Maybe she'd be grateful to see him, and would want to discuss how they could separate with as little pain as possible. She'd give him a little smile to let him know she was okay, and it would break his heart, but he'd be grateful, and he'd leave her alone. Forever.

Or maybe she'd want him back. She'd see him and run up to him, wrapping herself around him. He'd smell her soft scent of strawberries and vanilla, and she'd whisper how much she loved him. They'd find a hotel and go at it all day, all night, until they collapsed in each other's arms.

Jon checked in a hotel and quickly made his way to her work. This was the right thing to do. Shit, it was long past due. They needed to talk, regardless of what would happen.

No one seemed to recognize him at her work, which was a relief. He grabbed one of the hotel keys and held it tightly in his fist. If she couldn't talk now, he'd give her the key and they could talk later. They had about a week. That was plenty of time. Plenty of time.

Jon came up to her office and took a deep breath. He could hear Mary's voice, soft and pleasant. She sounded...happy. And nervous? Almost nervous. Was she talking about him?

He turned the corner, his heart pounding, and then froze.

Mary, his wife, the love of his life, was embracing another man, and smiling. Not just smiling...glowing.

And that man...Jon recognized him. He'd recognize him anywhere.

It was the man who almost married her, who almost took her away from Jon forever.

David.

She doesn't know why she called David. Maybe it was because he was the only one she knew would help her with her situation. He was a fertility doctor and has dealt with many women facing the same condition as she. You would think it would be weird considering their circumstances, but surprisingly things were okay between them. David was engaged to a fellow doctor and was happy with his life. He found the love of his life. He had actually thanked her for leaving him or he would have never met his fiance. She was grateful that in spite of everything they could let bygones be bygones and still be friends.

Mary was embracing David and gave him a kiss goodbye on the cheek to thank him for all of his help when her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock. She blinked her eyes a few times, wondering if she was seeing things. It wouldn't be the first time she had thought she seen Jon. In fact, it's becoming pretty much the norm as of late.

They made eye contact and she braced herself as she saw him making his way over to them. He had a stoic look upon his face, but his eyes spoke volumes. He was fucking furious.

How the hell was she going to explain herself out of this one?

Jon's eyes darted from Mary to David. They both looked guilty as fuck. The hotel key he'd brought to give to Mary dropped to the floor.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "How long?" Jon managed to ask, his voice grating. "How long have you two been...?"

Mary quickly studied him for a moment. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot, indicating that he hadn't slept. He was wearing a baseball cap that hung low over his eyes and he looked as if he hasn't shaved in a few days. His gray tee shirt and jeans looked a little worse for wear. He looked exactly as she felt.

She took a step forward and reached out to him, 'Jon, it's not what it looks like.'

Jon felt a slow grin spread on his face and he backed away, holding his hands up. "No, no. You don't touch me." His grin faded. "Not again. Not ever."

Mary's eyes filled with tears. "Jon..."

"No. No excuses. I want to know. How long have you two been screwing behind my back?" Jon kept his voice to a low growl. He wasn't going to cause a scene, but he would be damned before he left without any answers.

David cleared his throat. "Jon, I'm not with Mary. I'm engaged to another woman. Mary came to see me for a...personal reason."

Jon snorted. "I'll bet."

David glanced at Mary, who looked panicked. "Mary has something she needs to tell you, Jon."

"Oh, she's already told me, _David_. She told me a long time ago. Our marriage is over, but you knew that, didn't you? I'll bet you laughed your fucking head off when you heard. So you were right. Happy? I'll bet you're fucking ecstatic." Jon glared at him. "You're lucky I got a lot to lose, pal, or I'd fucking bust your face in right now. Got it? Keep your fucking mouth shut." Jon turned to Mary, who was watching him with tears running down her face. "What's wrong, sweetheart? You got what you wanted. Shit, you really had me going too. Thought you loved me. You're a hell of an actress, you know that? Bravo. So were you fucking him this whole time, or just when I was earning a living for us and our family? Oh wait, I couldn't give you a family. Is that why you're with him? He can get you all that good shit you can't get from me?"

Mary had tears falling from her eyes as she looked at him. She shook her head sadly and let out a shaky sigh.

'Jon...please.' She took a few steps closer to him once again and extended her arms outward to him, 'Please, Jon. Lets just go and talk somewhere. Just you and me.'

"Talk." Jon almost laughed. "Funny. That's why I'm here. Got a week off, and the first thing I did was buy a ticket here. To see you. To _talk._" Jon sneered at her. "Would you have told me, Mary? Would you have admitted that you were seeing your ex-fucking-_fiance_? I doubt that."

Mary took another step forward. "Jon..."

Jon shook his head. "No. We're done. No talking. It's over. You want to contact me, you do it through my lawyer." He stared at her, letting her see the rage and hurt in his eyes. "You're a fucking heartless bitch, you know that?"

Mary shook her head and whimpered softly. Tears were falling down her face, wetting her cheeks. She reached out for him desperately. Not even caring if she was making a fool of herself.

'Jon..please don't do this. Please, listen to me. Please.'

Jon stepped back, shaking his head. "We're done, Mary. It's over." He nodded at David. "She's all yours, asshole. Might want to get checked, though. I never used anything with her - we were trying to have a family, as I'm sure you know - but who knows who else she's been fucking?" He gave Mary one last cold stare and turned to leave.

Mary was sobbing as she watched Jon walk away from her for what might be the last time. She kept her eyes upon him, wanting so much to desperately run after him, but she knew he wouldn't listen. Once he convinced his mind of something it was hard to talk him out of it.

David looked over at her and shook his head sadly. He too had tears in his own eyes after what he had witnessed. She didn't deserve this cruelty from the man she loved. She wasn't doing this for herself. She was doing it for them.

Mary sat down at her desk and put her head in her hands as she sobbed could not believe he had come and seen her after all this time. He picked a hell of a time to show up. She wanted to explain everything, but didn't know how to make things right. She has caused so much irreparable damage. She doesn't know if it's even fixable.

She missed him more than words could say. There were nights where all she did was look at the photo of them and cry. She would cry herself to sleep and clutch the photo in her hand. The medicine only made things worse. The hormones made her emotions go haywire. The loneliness and sadness didn't help matters either.

Mary clutched the hotel key in her hand and stared at it. She had found it lying on the floor when he left. She knew this was meant for her...or them. At least she hoped it was anyway. She could not bear the thought of her husband being so close to her yet so far away. She had to make things right between them. She had to make him see. She had to make him understand that she was doing this for them and their happiness. She could not waste anymore time. They had done enough of that in the past. She had promised him forever and that is exactly what she's going to do.

With her mind made up she took an early lunch and headed out of her office to see him. She just hoped he wanted to see her. She wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing she ruined the best thing that ever happened to her.

Jon somehow made it back to his hotel room. He could hardly see or hear anything. It hurt to breathe. He had to use both hands to get into the room, his hands were shaking so badly.

That night when she was on the phone. She'd been talking to David, not Kat. Jon had convinced himself he was just hearing things when he heard her say David's name, but now...

He threw his jacket on the couch and kicked off his shoes, crawling into bed and grabbing a pillow so he could bury his face in it and screamed. His screams turned to cries of anguish, then sobs. He cried for what felt like hours.

Exhaustion settled in, but he couldn't sleep. He had to move. He had to find a way to keep going.

Slowly he made his way to his computer and looked up divorce papers. Tears ran down his face as he printed out a couple of forms that he was going to need. He stared down at them and sobbed, feeling utterly broken.

Was it stupid for him to think that she loved him? Christ, she'd tried to talk her way out of the marriage the very next day. Mary said they'd rushed into things. She tried to give him the ring back. Then he had his panic attack, and that's probably why she stayed. She felt guilty for hurting an old friend.

No wonder she wanted kids. They would have distracted her from knowing she married a guy she loved as a kid, but who she didn't love anymore. Not as an adult. God, she must see him as such a pathetic piece of shit.

Jon threw the papers onto the desk and stomped over to the fridge. Okay, so he was gonna have a drink. He'd fucking earned it.

He threw the jacket aside and settled on the couch, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Fuck, he was stupid enough to think that he and Mary could get back together, or at the very least be civil. But then he had to walk in on her and David...

SummerSlam was coming up. He needed to focus on that. Seth was psyched about their match, and so was Jon. It was just like old times. Seth was great as a face, even though he kept saying he missed being a heel. They kept getting new ideas for their match, and the suits loved their ideas. Things were going well.

Things were going to be just fine.

The knob on his door turned, and Jon frowned. He knew he put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign. Quickly he placed his drink on the counter and got up, ready to tell the maid not to bother him right now.

But then the door opened and he saw his wife standing there, her face set in determination.

Mary took a cab to the Marriott in downtown Manhattan. Fear and doubt crept in her heart as she made her way through the hotel lobby and into the elevator.

Mary got onto the second floor where his room was located and stood in front of it. She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves and swiped the hotel key through the door. The curtains were drawn obscuring the room in darkness and the stale smell of liquor and sweat lingered heavily in the air.

She walked further in the room and her eyes widened and she gasped aloud when she saw him sitting in a chair holding a beer bottle.

Mary took a deep breath and whispered, 'Jon?'

He said not a word to her. He kept silent as he started mindlessly at the wall in front of him. She could hardly make him out from where she was standing.

Mary walked around the chair and stood in front of him. She could see the tears falling from his eyes and the tear tracks down his face. He looked to be in so much pain and anguish that she wanted to sit on his lap and wrap her arms around him and never let go. But that's not what he needed right now. At least not from her anyway.

She put her hands upon her hips and sighed, 'Now that you had a couple drinks in you are ya gonna sit there and listen to what I have to say before you start jumping to conclusions and calling your wife a whore?'

Jon chuckled darkly. "You're a real fucking piece of work, you know that? How the fuck did you get in here?"

Mary lifted her hand up holding the hotel key and smirked, 'You dropped this.' She sighed and stared directly into his eyes, 'You're wrong, ya know? You're so absolutely fucking far from the truth it's almost comical.'

He snorted. "Enlighten me. What, you weren't fucking David all this time? You two looked pretty fucking close back there."

Mary shook her head, 'No, I haven't been fucking David, Jon. Believe it or not the only person I've ever fucked is you.' She scoffed, 'You can have me fucking tested. I'm...clean. That's the first time I've seen him since I broke off the engagement. I was thanking him.'

"_Thanking_ him, huh? Real cute." Jon walked over to the desk, grabbing the divorce forms. "See these, sweetheart? I gotta fill these out and send them to my lawyer. It's gonna take a lot of time, but it'll be worth it. Know why? 'Cause I won't have to listen to anymore of your BULLSHIT!" Jon tossed the papers in Mary's direction, watching them fall around her.'

Mary's eyes widened and her face crumpled as she burst into tears. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, 'You...you...have no idea...' She gritted her teeth and threw the paper in his face, 'I have something for you to read too, asshole. You gave me your papers now read mine.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'FUCKING read it!'

Jon took her papers and glared at her. Fine. He'd read her bullshit, why fucking not?

After a moment he looked up at her, stunned. "This...this says that you..."

Mary nodded and laughed humorlessly, 'Yeah, thought I was pregnant. Don't worry though, honey. It was a false alarm. My tickers permanently broken. You're off the hook.' She sneered in disgust, 'Do you have any clue what type of doctor David is?'

Jon shook his head and snorted, 'Like I give a fuck.'

She balled her hands into fists at her sides, 'He's a fertility doctor, Jon. He's one of the best on the West Coast. I called him to help us and he agreed. Him and his...fiance. I was thanking him for us. But you don't care about that, do you? No matter what happens you never fucking take my side. Whore just like her mama was, right?' She bent down and picked up the divorce papers as tears fell from her eyes, 'You want... you...' She sighed in frustration at her stuttering. She was twenty five years old. She wasn't a damn child. She would and could get through this with dignity, 'I'll give them to Kasey and you never have to see me again.' She shook her head sadly, 'Guess I'll tell David to forget about it. It's not worth the trouble.'

Mary gave one last look at him and scoffed, 'You want me out of your life so bad? I'm gone. Have a nice life, Jon.'

With that being said she walked out of the hotel room. As soon as she turned the corridor she fell down upon her knees and clutched her stomach as she sobbed.

Jon stood in shock for a moment, then nausea overwhelmed him and he ran to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. After he got sick, he managed not to start crying again, but held his head under the faucet for what felt like forever. Numbly he used mouthwash, letting the alcohol burn his tongue. He stared at himself in the mirror, disgusted.

Mary...she'd thought she was pregnant. With his baby.

She wanted his baby so badly she was willing to swallow her pride and go to her ex-fiance for help.

After everything fell apart, she was classy enough to thank David for his help.

And what did Jon do? He saw them and assumed the worst. Because his fucking pride was hurt. Because _he_ was hurt.

He threw divorce papers at her.

He told his wife it was over.

And she...she said...

"Mary," Jon whispered, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut. "Oh god...Mary!" He turned and ran out of the hotel room, but she wasn't in the hallway. "Mary!" The hotel had ten floors; there was no way he could go through all them and find her. Plus she might be gone by now.

He ran back into the hotel room and stared at the parking lot. Her car wasn't there, but that didn't mean anything. She might be parked on the other side of the hotel. Quickly he grabbed his phone and called her, his heart pounding as the phone rang. "Pick up, please fucking pick up..."

Mary was sitting in her car parked in an abandoned parking lot. She only made it one block before had to stop and pull over. She was crying so badly it made it difficult for her to see the road in front of her. She rested her head on the steering wheel and let herself cry. She cried for herself, for Jon and the future they could have had. Maybe if she was upfront and honest with him from the get go they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. Her mother was right. She always did have a knack for fucking things up.

She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket and took it out. Taking a deep breath she looked down at the number. Her eyes widened when she saw Jon was calling her.

Mary took a few moments of deliberation, thinking if she should answer the phone.

Against her better judgment she pushed the answer button, saying softly, 'Yes?'

She made sure to keep her tone of voice neutral. She didn't want him to know she was sobbing no more than a minute ago. She refused to make him feel sorry for her. Those days of pity were long gone. She was an adult and can take care of herself.

"Mary?" Jon clenched his jaw. He was shaking so badly his teeth were chattering. "Mary, come back. We need to talk. Please."

She sighed. "Jon, it's..."

"No! Wait! Look, just...just come back to the hotel, okay? Or I'll meet you somewhere. Please. I didn't know..."

Mary scoffed, 'Of course you didn't know. But you expect the worst every time. The things you said to me, Jon. I can't do that anymore. I can't have you saying whatever the hell ya want to me when things don't go your way.'

She knew she was being stubborn and hurtful, but she could care less at this point. She was so sick and tired of his temper tantrums. He was twenty-eight going on eight.

Fury rose up in him. "Oh, so I'm the only one who says horrible shit when I'm pissed? I seem to remember once having a long fucking match and I came home to hear you tell me that I was a pathetic excuse for a wrestler and was an even shittier husband. And why was that, sweetheart? Oh, right, because you got your fucking period that day. I didn't knock you up, so you decided to treat me like shit. You fucking always found a way to hurt me, Mary!"

Mary laughed incredulously, 'I never said that. There you go, always twisting my words around. How about the time you took me to one of your events and didn't even introduce me to anyone? You made me sit in a corner for hours until I fucking had to take a cab back to the hotel. You treated me as if I didn't exist. You think you're too good for me now.'

"That is such bullshit," Jon spat. "And you did say that shit, sweetheart, I fucking remember it. But what you're talking about, that shit is ridiculous. You were always bitching about not wanting to interfere in shit, getting you to meet people was like pulling teeth. Fuck, how long did I have to wait to introduce you to Seth? Fucking months? How fucking sad is that? You made it real fucking obvious that you didn't give a shit about my friends. We're not good enough for you, are we? You'd rather be with a bunch of stuck up assholes."

Mary scoffed, 'Are you fucking kidding me? Wrestling is just apart of my life as it yours. I grew up around it. I fucking worked at a wrestling school for fuck's sakes.' She shook her head and let out a shaky sigh, 'Why are we doing this? Going back and forth trying to hate one another? This isn't working out for either of us. You think one thing and I think another. There is no common ground for us.' She wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered, 'We tried and failed. Us. You and me...isn't working. We tried twice. That's enough. I don't fucking think I could handle us failing the third time around, Jon.'

"This is such bullshit. You've always wanted to quit on us, Mary. Always. It was you who pulled away every fucking time! And now you're leaving me because I can't get you a baby. That's the only reason why you married me, isn't it? Tell me the fucking truth!"

Mary bowed head and cringed as she heard him yell at her over the phone. She dredged up all the strength that could for what she was about to say, 'If you think this was all about a baby then we have more problems than I thought, Jon.' She took a deep breath and let it out, 'I married you because I...love you and always will. I'll have Kasey give you the divorce papers. I'll give you what you want.'

She ended the call on the phone before he even had a chance to speak. She threw her phone onto the passenger side of the car and yelled out, 'Fuck.'

Mary hit the steering wheel in frustration and rested her head upon it once again. She released the tears she had been holding in when he called , it's official. She had finally done it again. She had chased him away. But this time it was for good.


	28. Chapter 28

The next nine months had to be the worst of Mary's life. She went through the weeks living like a zombie. She wasn't living. Not really anyway. She was merely existing. The only thing that gave her solace and comfort was her work. When she was with the children and taking care of them, nothing else mattered. They made her appreciate the things she had in her life, however meager they were. The children made everything else seem so insignificant. Her work was the only thing she had in her life that she loved and truly cared about and lived for. It was the only thing that got her out of bed in the mornings.

Not a day goes by where she does not miss him. She still clutches her pillow at night and cries, wishing and hoping he was beside her. She almost feels as if she is living a lie in a sense. It's not easy living a lie, pretending everything is perfect when it's not. She has learned that lesson a long time ago. She feels sad because she realized that once people are broken in certain ways, they can't ever be fixed, and this is something nobody ever tells you when you are young. It never fails to surprise you as you grow older and you see the people in your life break one by one. You wonder when your turn is going to be, but it has already happened to her. In more ways than one. She has tried to forget, but it doesn't make it all better. It just makes her hurt again when she remembers.

Mary is stuck and there is all this pressure because everyone's hovering around waiting for her to do something or say something or flip out or yell or cry some more. And she's happy to play her part. She's happy to say the lines and do whatever it is she is supposed to be doing if it would make everyone feel more comfortable. But she doesn't know how to do this. She doesn't know how to be this person. She doesn't even know who this person is. She tries to act like she doesn't care, but it's just a cover up because she cares far too much to tell anyone. She is all alone in this.

Alone...the story of her life.

Mary has kept tabs upon Jon throughout the months. She tried not to look on the internet about him, but it was a desperate need that had to be satiated. She still watched RAW and Smackdown every night it came on. She had to see him. It was absolutely detrimental to her survival at this point. He seemed to be doing well. Whenever she saw fan photos of him on the internet he looked calm and relaxed. His skin had a healthy glow and his eyes were bright and clear. He looked well rested and...happy. He was happy without her. She wished she could say the same for herself. He didn't need her anymore, not like she needed him.

She also read some interesting reports about him dating Divas and consorting with rats at parties and clubs. Tears ran down her face as she looked through numerous photos of him partying it up and having a good ol' time with girls all around him, while she was alone in her apartment stewing away over him. It angered her that he could move on so easily. Sure, they have been separated for almost a year, but it didn't lessen the pain. In fact, it made it worse. He had forgotten all about her. They weren't even divorced yet and he was already enjoying the single life.

Mary had tried to sign the papers, but every time she tried to she stopped herself. By signing those papers it would be the final nail in the coffin. She still foolishly clung to the hope that they would one day reunite and love each other...forever. It may be a silly and idyllic notion, but isn't all love a little whimsical? We always have this fantasy in our minds of the perfect person for us. It's only until we grow and are harshly faced with the realization that love isn't perfect. It hurts and it's messy and it sucks our souls dry, but we keep wanting and yearning for it because we need it to survive.

She knew she had to get over him. He had certainly gotten over her. She had the divorce papers for a while now. She needed to sign them and get it over with as quickly as possible. It was the only way she could truly move on with her life.

It's the reason why Mary is standing outside of his dressing room door with the signed divorce papers clutched in her hand. He was performing at a house show at Barclay's Center, only a few blocks down from her apartment. She decided to walk and clear her head. She wanted to delay the inevitable as long as had decided to sign them no more than two days ago. She has been putting it off for awhile now. The final clincher was when she read a report of him supposedly dating the sister of another wrestler. Apparently they have been dating for over four months now and were shacking up together in Miami, Florida.

At first, she didn't want to believe it, but she had read the reports and seen the photos. They seemed to be pretty serious. She was tall with long legs up to her neck, blue eyed and gorgeous. She was some kind of swimsuit model. In other words, she was everything she wasn't. She was also very young at only twenty years old. He always liked the younger women. She had sobbed in front of her computer as she looked through the photos of them at the beach kissing and hugging. There were even some of them at parties. He had his arm around her in some photos while she was sitting in his lap in others. They looked happy and in love. The way he looked at her was undeniable. There was once a time when he used to look at her that way. She almost died when she had read some rumors on the internet that he was thinking about proposing to her. When she read that she thought she was going to die. She took a sick day at work and spent the whole day in her bed sobbing while she looked through their wedding photos. This was it, the moment she has been dreading since she decided to end it. He had found someone else to love, to take care of. She was probably healthy and unbroken. She could give him all of the things she couldn't, like a family. He deserved that. It is what he always wanted. She was heartbroken, but she would let him go. She had to. She loved him enough to want him to be happy. She was through being selfish.

Mary took a few deep breaths to gather her courage and gently knocked upon the door. The show was still going on and she didn't know if he was in there or not. She turned the doorknob and sighed in relief when it was unlocked.

When she walked through the door, she found it to be empty. He must still be out there competing. She looked around the room, surveying her surroundings. Clothes were strewn on the floor along with empty beer bottles and ring gear. She chuckled to herself. He was still the same messy guy she knew and loved. Some things never change. She found this comforting in a sense. In let her know that no matter how famous or how much money he had, he was still the same Jon she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Mary took a seat in one of the chairs and nervously awaited for him to come in. She was thankful one of the Divas recognized her when she was trying to get backstage. The security guard had given her a hard time, thinking she was just some crazy fan girl, but when she saw Kaitlyn walking by, she called out to her explaining her situation. She was really cool about it and told the security guard to let her in. She was a hopeless romantic and thought it was sweet she was here to surprise him. Little did she know the surprise she had for him was less than pleasant.

She was sitting there waiting for him to come in. She was tapping her hands on her legs and fidgeting back and forth. She has never been more nervous in her entire life. This was it. This was actually happening. She was finally letting Jon go once and for all.

Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock when she heard the doorknob turning. Here it was, the moment of truth.

Mary stood up out of the chair and stood next to him. She watched the door open as he walked through it.

When he saw her, he took a few steps back and his eyes widened.

She gave him a small smile and whispered, 'Hi, Jon.'

Denial was a funny thing. It worked, most of the time. Jon was used to playing pretend. He did it his whole life. As a child he'd crawl into bed and imagine he was on a train, heading to another life. He'd pretend his mom wasn't really his mom, but a witch who kidnapped him, and that his real family was going to rescue him.

As a teenager, Jon lost himself in a fantasy world. Instead of getting harassed by bullies at school or tormented by Slim, he was backstage with Ric Flair. Instead of running from a cop who gave him a shifty stare as Jon tried to sell Slim's product, he was running to the ring. The crowd screamed his name.

Even as an adult, Jon's imagination saved him. He could play a character who didn't feel his pain. Mox got off on pain. Dean ignored it. Only Jon felt it, when he would grit his teeth as the medical staff would check up on him after a particularly brutal match. The physical pain faded, but then the ache set in.

The one he loved and cherished more than anything was gone forever.

Mary hadn't sent the divorce papers yet. Jon assumed she was talking with a lawyer, making sure she got her fair end of the bargain. Even after everything, Jon didn't want to deny her a thing. He would give her his money. He'd give her anything.

Everyone knew. It was depressing. The brass now would contact the radio stations and magazines, telling them that any questions about Jon's marriage were off-limits. The locker room was respectively quiet. Punk, Seth, Roman, and a couple of other guys would hang out with him, not broaching the subject but listening if he needed to vent, which was rare. Jon hated even thinking about how things fell apart.

After a few months, a new guy started making the rounds. He was a grappler, like Jon, but had a charisma that rivalled Jericho's. His name was Ryan Stevens, but to the fans, he was known as Max Renner, a guy who loved to flirt with the divas and beat the hell out of the guys.

Ryan was, in fact, a funny guy, and quickly made friends backstage. He formed a tag team with Seth, and they sometimes travelled together, so Jon got to know him pretty well. Their backgrounds were fairly similar; Ryan grew up in the projects and was raised by his brother, who supported him and their little sister by selling weed and pimping out a couple of girls in the neighborhood. Ryan used humor to avoid getting picked on, but once he saw his brother get nearly beaten to death one night, he decided to take kickboxing classes for defense. His kicks were fucking brutal, but the crowd loved it.

After a match in which Ryan and Seth teamed against Jon and Wade Barrett, Ryan planted his boot right in the middle of Jon's forehead, which led to Jon needing small stitches. Ryan insisted in buying him a drink later, and ended up introducing Jon to his sister Clara.

Clara was beautiful. Any idiot could see that. Tall, blonde, funny, and clever. She grinned at Jon, seeming interested, but Jon kept his distance. Meeting new people was always awkward, and he wasn't keen on messing up any locker room camaraderie by going after someone's sister. Besides, he only messed around with rats now. They didn't give a shit, and nothing got complicated.

And it wasn't like anyone could measure up to Mary anyway.

They became friends, though. She and Ryan were close, and usually met up in cities to catch up. Jon felt comfortable with her, and even was able to give her quick hugs every so often. Clara was big on hugs, which usually left the guys blushing like kids.

She had her sights on Jon, though. One night she got in his lap and whispered that she'd always liked him, and Jon looked away and said he just wanted to be friends. Clara smiled and shrugged, taking it like a champ. Of course someone got a few pics of them and assumed they were an item. The dirtsheets even said they were living together and Jon was going to marry her. He had to laugh at that one.

He was still a married man. Technically.

A couple of the guys would ask him if he and Mary were going to try to patch things up, or if he was going to think about being with Clara. Either option seemed ridiculous. Clara was like a sister to him by now, and Mary...Mary didn't want him. So what did it matter?

As always, denial worked. He didn't need anybody, nothing mattered. He was fine. He was loved, hated, feared, adored. The crowd screamed his name.

It was working well, this denial thing, until he went backstage and saw his wife, standing in front of him, as real as his own blood.

His Mary. His love.

She said his name and his carefully built world of illusion fell to pieces.

"Jon," she said, and he stared at her in shock.

She held papers in her hand, and he knew. This was it. After all those months, she decided to sign them. To leave him for good.

"You're..." Jon shook his head and stepped forward. "Why...why now?"

Mary stood there, carefully looking him over. He was wearing a plain white tee shirt and black gym shorts, but he still had his black wrestling boots on. His hair was drenched with sweat and it looked as if he had been continually running his hands through it. Stubble covered his jaw, indicating to her he hasn't shaved in a couple days. He looked so handsome he took her breath away. He was the only person who could blow her away without even really trying. He most likely had just come from being onstage.

She looked at him, not knowing what to say. It felt so good to see him in the flesh after all this time instead of on television. She kept her head held high, not wanting him to see her falter. She wanted to make this as quick and painless as possible. When all the while she was dying inside.

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I figured...I...it's been a long time.' She cringed inwardly at her stammering. She was behaving like a fucking child.

Jon looked down at the floor and nodded. "I guess so."

It was like a hurricane let loose inside him. He wanted to scream, laugh, cry, gather her in his arms and beg forgiveness. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't NOT look at her. She was so beautiful...

"You came here, though," Jon murmured, mentally cringing at his words. Fuck, he was awkward. "I mean, um. You're here. Why are you...I mean, not that it's not..." He sighed, frustrated. "Why are you here?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders as she rock back and forth nervously upon her heels, 'I came here to...give-.' She shook her head, stopping herself. No, she couldn't just hand him divorce papers and walk away. Not after everything they have been through. It was a cruel and unusual type of torture that she had to be apart of, 'You look...great, Jon. Congratulations on winning the title belt at SummerSlam. You looked incredible.'

She regretted her words as soon as she said them. Could she sound anymore pathetic? The last thing she wanted was for him to think she is some stalker fangirl. He was happy and in love. In love with someone that wasn't her. She refused to hold him emotionally hostage. She was setting him free to love whomever he chose. She would accept the reality. She had no other choice.

He couldn't stop a grin from spreading on his face. "You...you still watch me?" Hope uncurled in him, making his skin flush

red.

Mary felt self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. She could feel his intense stare boring a hole into her. She looked away, feeling embarrassed and foolish at her confession.

She nodded, 'Well...yeah...I...' She sighed. Could she ever stop fucking acting like a stuttering idiot around him. He always made her feel as if she were fourteen years old again, 'I do. I still care about you, Jon.'

Mary couldn't lie about that. She did care, far more than she should. But she was still so desperately in love with him. The fool in her that let him go is still the fool who would take him back in a heartbeat.

'You do?" Jon held his arms and looked around the room. "Are you here to..." His voice trailed off when he glanced at the papers in her hand. "Oh. Right. You're um, here for that."

Mary nodded. "I figured it was time."

"Right." A lump formed in his throat and he coughed. "Okay."

She took a deep breath. "Jon. I need to know. Are you...happy?"

"Happy?" He blinked at her.

She cleared her throat. "Does...does she make you happy, Jon?"

His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Mary bowed her head and blinked away tears. She took a few deep breaths to gain her composure and get her emotions in check. She refused to break down and cry in front of him.

She released a shaky sigh, 'Your...fiance. Does she make you...happy?" She shook her head and laughed bitterly, 'Never mind, Jon. That's not any of my business. We're...done. You moved on and so should I.' With shaking hands, she handed him the papers, 'Here, I signed them. You can be...happy now.'

"Wait a minute." Jon spoke slowly, feeling as though he was in a dream. "Mary, I'm not following you here. I'm not engaged." He stared at her, something like panic rising up in him. "You think I'm engaged?"

Mary shook her head in confusion. She took a few steps back as she stared at him in bafflement, 'Aren't you? I read it...online.' She cringed, thinking how horrible that sounded. Shit, he would probably be getting a restraining order on her

after this.

Jon squinted at her. "Do you mean Clara?" A realization was dawning in him, something terrifying and wonderful. He pushed it away. Mary didn't want him, she was just being polite. But she thought...Jon almost laughed. "You're...you're talking about Clara, aren't you?"

Mary bowed her head and cringed outwardly when she heard her name. It was beautiful name, just like her. She heard the humor in his tone and saw the look in his eyes. He pitied her. He and his new fiance probably laughed at her. That's all it ever was, pity. It was misplaced love. He felt an obligation to her. He wanted to live up to his promise he made to her when they were kids.

She swallowed the large lump in her throat and once again tried handing him the divorce papers, 'Here, Jon. Take them...please.' She hated how small her voice sounded and how much her hands were shaking.

"Wait a minute." Jon took a step forward, relief overwhelming him when she didn't step back. "Mary...are you talking about Clara? You think Clara and I...?" He couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You saw our pictures, didn't you? Jesus. You think we're dating? That I'm gonna marry her? That I _love_ her?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'I didn't wanna see them. I was just...' She snorted. Who in the hell was she kidding? She couldn't lie to him. She never could. He always saw right through her. He knew her better than anybody.

She felt something like desperation overwhelm her. She could not lose him. Not again. She would not be able to survive it. This was her last chance to tell him how she really felt or he would be lost to her forever.

Mary lifted up her head to stare directly into his eyes. She was crying as she spoke to him pleadingly, 'Please don't marry her, Jon. Please. I love you so much. So much. I'm so fucking sorry if I pressured you into having a child. We can get a fucking dog and love it for all I care. I just want you. I always wanted you. This past year has been hell without you. I can't eat. I can't sleep. Everywhere I go reminds me of you. I miss you. I love you and I want you.'

Jon stood there staring at her. His expression was unreadable. He was still as a statue. He was most likely feeling sorry for her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Regardless of their past they were still best friends whom have known one another for almost twelve years.

Suddenly realization dawned upon her that this was almost the same conversation she and Jon had in the garden during her engagement party. Except he had been saying those words. Oh how the tables have turned.

Mary shook her head sadly, 'I'll go. I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't mean to...'She smiled through her tears, 'Good luck and...congratulations. Bye, Jon.'

She was making her way out the door when he gently grabbed her by the arm, halting her movements.

"Mary." Jon gently pulled her back to him. He put his hands on her shoulders and gazed at her, seeing how hurt and scared she was. Tears were running down his face and he was laughing and crying at the same time. His entire body was shaking. "Mary, oh god, I'm not with Clara. I never was. She's a friend, Mary, I never wanted her, never wanted anyone, just want you and oh god, you still love me? Please, I can't live without you, you're everything, I'm still so in love with you, Mary, please, do you really love me?"

Mary nodded her head and smiled through her tears. She was sobbing and so overcome with emotion she could barely speak. For the past year this is everything she's ever wanted. He is all she ever needed. It's always been him. Only him.

Jon reached down and tentatively cupped her face. "You love me? You want to be with me? You still want to be my wife?" He sobbed and ran his fingers through her hair. "Please, please, Mary, I have to hear you say it. _Please_."

Mary nodded and held his face in her hands and leaned up on her tiptoes to rest her forehead upon his own, 'I love you, Jon. So much. I want to be with you forever. I want to be your wife.'

Jon broke down in sobs and held her close, burying his face in her neck. He couldn't stop shaking, or laughing, or crying.

It was real. It was all real.

"Thank you," he managed to gasp. "Thank you, thank you. Oh god, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have left you alone all those times, I shouldn't have assumed...I'm a fucking bastard, I don't deserve you, Mary. I love you so much it kills me."

Mary wrapped her arms around his midsection and rested her head upon his chest. She was sobbing as she clutched onto his tee shirt. Her tears were wetting his shirt, but he didn't seem to mind. This was actually happening. They were together again. This time for keeps. She would be damned if she let him go for anything or anyone. Not even herself.

She gazed up at him, whispering, 'It's my fault too. I shouldn't have pressured you for a child. It was selfish of me. You're all I ever wanted. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about David. I just wanted to be good enough for you. I love you so much. I can't be without you anymore. I can't lose you again. I can't...; She couldn't speak any longer for she was too overwhelmed with the feeling of finally being in his arms again.

Jon gently took the papers from her hand and tore them up, throwing the pieces in the air and laughing like a child. It was over. His nightmare of living without the woman he loved was over. Forever.

Mary laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was still crying, but these were not tears of sadness. Not anymore.

They were tears of pure and unabashed joy. She finally had the man of her dreams for however long time would allow them. They never had to be without one another ever again.

She bowed her head and stared directly down onto the floor. She was swaying back and forth nervously. She took a deep breath and released it, whispering to him, 'Can you...kiss me? Please.'

He laughed, remembering their first kiss. The way she asked him then, so nervous. Not knowing how much he ached for her. "Wanna run that by me again?" Jon asked softly, recalling how he asked her that same question all those years ago.

Mary laughed. She suddenly started to remember the first time they kissed. She was so scared to ask him. She thought he would reject her. It took a lot of courage for her to ask him that. He had asked her that same question all those years ago.

God, how the fucking times have changed. It seemed like only yesterday they were young snot nosed kids with big dreams and small hopes. Now they were husband and wife, just as it should be.

She smirked, 'I asked if ya could kiss me?' These were the same words she uttered to him after his question. She remembered every single detail of that day vividly as if it happened yesterday. A girl never forgets her first kiss, especially when it's with her soulmate.

He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks and gazed at her in awe. She was so beautiful, and it wasn't just her looks. It was her strength. Her ability to love. Her intelligence. Her heart.

"Yes," Jon whispered, and leaned close, nearly whimpering when his lips touched hers.

Mary groaned aloud as soon as his lips touched hers. She held his face in her hands and kissed him softly. She placed her hands upon his hips and bunched his shirt in her hands as she leaned in closer, bringing her body flush against his own. He kissed her chastely and tentatively almost as if he didn't want to scare her away.

She whimpered, silently begging him for more, but he would not budge. He was treating her as if she were made of glass. She needed more. She craved it. This is all she has been thinking about for the past year.

Mary reluctantly tore her mouth away from his and stroked the sides of her husband's handsome face and whispered, 'This is all your wife gets after a whole year of being without you?' She leaned up to whisper in his ear, 'Come on, Jonny. You can do better than that.'

He grinned and pulled her close, kissing her without abandon. Jon moaned at her taste, that familiar combination of sweet and spice. Their tongues dueled and Mary moaned into his mouth, fueling his desire. His hands travelled from her face down her sides, caressing her back.

She pulled away and stared at him, her eyes dark with lust. He laughed in surprise when she jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him, but she took his mouth in a kiss that made him forget everything.

"I love you," Jon gasped into her neck, groaning helplessly as she sucked on his earlobe. "Oh god, Mary..."

Mary couldn't get enough of him. It has been so long since she has been with him like this, been with anyone. She was getting sick and tired of her own hand. She pushed him down onto the chair and crawled into his lap. She put her legs upon both sides of him, trapping him in. She wasn't going to let him get away from her. Not anymore. She kissed every part of him she could reach. His face, his neck, the part of his chest that was exposed under his tee shirt. He kept his arms wrapped around her as he stroked and caressed her back. He groaned and leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of having her touch him after all this time.

She lifted up his tee shirt and ran her hands down his abdomen, tracing the length of his muscles with her fingernails. It was a feather light touch, but enough to make him hiss.

Mary gently grasped his hair and pulled his face to hers to kiss him deeply. She reluctantly tore her mouth away from his and began kissing his neck. She was squirming in his lap. She needed to soothe the aching throbbing between her legs.

She licked and kissed his neck, gasping out, 'I need you, Jon.' She groaned as he meshed his fingers in her hair in his fist and began kissing her neck as well. He traced the length of her v-neck shirt with his tongue and moaned aloud at the taste of her skin. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she whispered raggedly, 'God, I need you so much.'

"Need to...have to..." Jon reached down with shaking hands for her belt, quickly undoing it. She pulled her shirt off and moaned as he slid his hands under her bra, practically ripping it off.

"Door's locked," he managed to get out, pulling his own shirt off and tossing it aside. "Need to feel you."

They needed to make love, to take their time, but they could do that later. Right now he had to feel her. He had to. He'd gone without her long enough. His body was demanding it.

Mary moaned as he began suckling her breasts. She cupped the back of his head, threading her fingers through his hair as he alternated between each one. She leaned down and kissed and gently bit at his neck as she ran her hands down his chest. She licked and bit at his skin, moaning at the taste of him.

She licked his neck and sighed, 'My God, you taste so good. It's been so long, Jon. So long.' She squirmed in his lap, needing the friction to soothe the burning need between her legs, 'You're still the only one. No one else has ever had me.'

Jon cringed and rested his forehead on her chest. "Mary. I've been...there were other girls, but I never stopped wanting you. I thought you didn't want me anymore. I was safe, but if you...if you don't wanna be with me now, or..." He held her close, afraid of her answer.

Another time and place Mary would have been angry at the thought of him being with other women, but she wasn't going to let it get to her. Not anymore. Besides, they had been separated for over a year. She did not expect a man like Jon to be celibate. He had thought they were over. She couldn't blame him.

She held his face in her hands and lifted his head up to stare directly into his eyes. She shook her head, 'I don't care about that. It's all in the past. I have you now and that's all the matters. I have you forever.'

"You do." He grinned up at her, utterly relieved that she didn't reject him. "I'm so in love with you, baby. Never wanted anyone like I've always wanted you."

Mary grabbed his hands and placed them upon her chest, 'I love you so much. Touch me, please. I need your hands on me, baby. It's been so long.'

Jon groaned and ran his hands over her, shivering as she moaned. He didn't take his time to enjoy himself with anyone else, but with Mary he wanted to touch and taste every bit of her.

"Need more," he growled, and slipped his hand down the front of her pants.

Mary bit her lip to stifle her groan and rested her forehead upon his. She slowly gyrated her hips, riding his two fingers that were deeply inside of her. She kissed him, gasping into his mouth, 'Make me come. I haven't come in so long. Please...Please.'

She whimpered into his mouth, not even caring if she was sounding needy or begging. She was through with hiding from him. She wanted to let him know how much she needed him. How much she loved and craved him. Only him.

"More," Jon groaned, and pushed her off his lap. He got on his knees and pulled her pants down, then lifted one of her legs onto his back and put his mouth over entrance. His tongue explored her, and he moaned into her wetness at her taste, an exquisite combination of sweet and tanginess he never thought he'd experience again. Mary was making the most incredible noises as he worked on her, his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady.

Mary cupped the back of his head and gently gripped his hair, holding him in place. She was gripping the chair with her other hand as his tongue explored her. He lapped at her clit, flicking it with his tongue and she bit into the plush cushion of the chair to muffle her groans of pleasure. She never thought she would have him like this again. She thought this kind of pleasure and devotion would only exist in her dreams.

The sensations were too much. They were overwhelming her. She felt her orgasm creeping upon her with every swipe of his tongue. He embedded his tongue deeply inside of her as far as it could go. She tightly closed her eyes as tears slipped out of them. There was a fire in the pit of her belly that made her feel as if she was going to burst into flames. She began convulsing on the couch. He pulled her closer to his mouth and swirled his tongue rapidly inside her, wanting her to lose control.

She gazed down at him and groaned aloud at the sight of him. His eyes were closed and he had a content look upon his face as he gently lapped at her. He moaned into her, causing a reverberation throughout her entire body, which only intensified the sensations she was feeling in this moment.

Mary thrashed her head from side to side and mumbled incoherently. She managed to get some wits about her to whisper raggedly, 'Stop, I'm gonna scream. Stop. Oh God, stop.'

Jon managed to pull away and crawled on top of her. "Need to make you come now," he gasped, and pulled her on top of him, pushing at her hips until she faced his stomach. "Need to," he mumbled, and set his mouth back on her, licking and sucking at her with abandon.

"Oh fuck..." Mary dug her nails into his hips and then lowered her mouth onto his cock, moaning around him and making him shiver.

Mary devoured him. She relaxed her jaw and took him in as far as he could go. She found herself shaking and her movements were weakened with every swipe of his tongue upon her. She could feel her orgasm coming upon her in full force. She grasped his cock and stroked him. Her saliva made him slick and wet in her hands and her movements were smooth and fluid. She moaned around him, causing him to let out a growl. She heard him whispering her name under his breath. He was chanting her name as if it were a mantra.

She could feel herself coming and she knew by the amount of precum leaking out of him, he was close as well. She bobbed her head faster and swirled her tongue around the tip as she cupped his balls, which were firm and heavy in her hand.

Mary was just about to come when they heard a loud knocking upon the door, startling them. They both stopped dead in their tracks and looked at one another in wide eyed shock. Her heart was pounding as she gasped in horror. Maybe someone had heard them. It was not as if they were being discreet.

Jon shook his head, muttering, 'Son of a bitch.'

She quickly crawled off of him and stared down at herself, feeling exposed. Reality set in and she put her head in her hands as she ran shaky hands through her hair. She found her tee shirt on the floor and quickly covered herself up. She couldn't even look at him. She felt so embarrassed. Sure, she was his wife, but they haven't seen one another in over a year and she was acting like a fucking rat. She shouldn't have just thrown herself at him like that, but she couldn't control herself. She had missed feeling him, being with him and loving him.

Jon noticed her pulling away and gathered her in his arms. "Hey, hey. It's okay. We're not doing anything wrong. Look at me, baby."

Mary raised her eyes and sighed. "I just..."

He kissed her and smiled. "It'll be fine, baby. You and me, okay? Nothing wrong."

"Hey, Jon? You decent?"

Mary frowned. "Is that...?"

Jon nodded, suppressing a grin. If she knew his voice, that meant she'd been watching for a while. Jon cleared his throat. "Hey, Ryan, not a good time, man. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Whatever works. Me and Seth are heading to some bar here, I don't know the fucking name but get this; Jericho's gonna fucking challenge Punk to karaoke. They've been talking shit on Twitter for like an hour now. How goddamn crazy is that shit? You sure you don't wanna tag along?"

Jon pulled Mary close and smiled at her, his heart skipping a beat when she returned his smile. "I'm sure. I got plans."

"Next time, buddy!" Ryan paused. "Uh...you alone in there, dude? Shit, wait. I don't wanna know. Or do I?"

"Yeah, I've got company." Jon stroked Mary's face and grinned. "The most beautiful girl in the world."

Ryan's laughter filled the room. "Oh, so you drew a pair of lips on your right hand? Really classy, Jon."

Mary hugged her husband and laughed. "It's his wife!" she yelled.

They could hear Ryan snickering and he chuckled aloud, 'Sorry, dude. My bad. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have fun you two. Nice to finally meet you, Mary. Jon's told me a lot about ya. Hope to actually meet ya without a door between us. Catch ya later!'

They heard the sounds of his footsteps retreating away.

Mary covered her face in her hands to hide her blush, 'My god.' She shook her head and chuckled and stared at him,

grinning, 'So, ya told him about me, huh?'

Jon looked down, trying to hide a grin. "Yeah...um, he asked what was up after I uh, turned his sister down. He said that never happened before. So I told him I was already in love with the perfect woman." Jon glanced up at her, giving her a shy smile.

Mary's eyes widened in realization, 'Could that be Clara by any chance?'

Jon nodded. "Yeah. She uh, asked me out. I told her I wasn't interested." He scratched at his forehead, feeling awkward. "It was just, you know. She wasn't you." He laughed. "Not even close."

Mary stroked the sides of his face and said, 'Baby, it's okay. I don't care about what you've done in the past. We're together and it's all that matters.' She chuckled nervously, 'I gotta be honest. I did try to go on one date.' She bowed her head, bracing herself for his reaction.

Jon bit back a smile. "Tried, huh? Didn't work?"

Mary rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Yeah. He was a lawyer friend of Kat's, which should have set off alarms. Anyway, we were at dinner and all he did was talk about himself. It was as if he was trying to sell himself to me, ya know? Never once did he ask about me. ' She grinned sheepishly, 'I told him I wasn't feeling well and he asked to take me home. I told him I would much rather take a cab. I ended up going back to my apartment and drinking red wine while watching you on Smackdown.' She sighed, 'Wow, that sounds really pathetic now that I think about it.'

Jon giggled and stroked her hair. "Actually, it sounds like you had more fun at your place than out with him." He took a deep breath. "As long as we're being honest, you probably saw all that shit online about me and Clara. I swear I never wanted her, baby. She was kinda...forward." He chuckled and rested his head on Mary's shoulder. "In a lot of ways she reminded me of Kat. Always laughing, talking, hugging people, talking, smiling...did I mention talking?"

Mary cracked up and rolled her eyes, 'Do you realize we wasted another year without each other?'

"Felt like a lifetime," Jon muttered. "Baby, we're gonna need more therapy. Something. I can't lose you again."

Mary nodded, 'Definitely. I very much agree.' She cupped his cheek and sighed, 'Baby, I have to be honest. I have an apartment here. I was just recently promoted to Director of Operations at my agency. I have friends here. I have a...life here.'

Jon smiled and stroked her cheek. "Then this will be our home. I want you to have a home, Mary."

Mary sighed, 'But you're work, Jon. You're always on the road. ' She smiled, 'In no way am I trying to start a fight. I'm being honest. How will that work? My job requires me to be here at all times.'

He sighed. "I don't think you being on the road all the time was helping things. It's my fault, I was selfish. I didn't want to see that it wasn't working for you. You need a home. And I need someplace to come home to after I'm done working." Jon smiled and stroked her hair. "It might as well be here."

Mary smiled through her tears,"Really? Ya mean this right?'

"Of course. You can't stay cooped up in a hotel room all day. It's not fair to you." Jon sighed. "Should've realized that sooner." His throat tightened and he cleared his throat. "We, uh, should probably get dressed. I don't think this is a good place to, uh, you know." He bit back a smile and looked down, feeling giddy and shy.

Mary nodded, chuckling nervously, 'Yeah, that seems best.' She bowed her head shyly, 'My apartment is two blocks from here. I walked. Do you want to see my...apartment?"

"I'd love to." Jon could feel his heart pounding like a jackhammer. "If, you know, that's okay. I mean, it's your place. I don't wanna impose."

Mary shook her head and smiled softly, cupping his cheek, 'You're not imposing, Jon. You're my husband.' She ducked her head shyly, 'I can maybe make dinner if you're hungry.'

He chuckled and pulled her close. "Baby, you don't have to do that. I just wanna be with you. And we don't have to do anything, you know. If you'd rather take it slow that's okay."

Mary rested her forehead against his and smiled softly,'That sounds like a plan. But to be honest, I am kinda hungry.' She smiled sheepishly, 'I was too nervous to eat today. I can make dinner. I know how hungry you are after matches.'

"Let's pick something up. I don't want you to have to go through the trouble of cooking." Jon paused. "There's still food in the lunch area, but we can skip that if you want. Some of the guys will be there, maybe some of the girls too. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Okay...yeah.' She shook her head, 'I'm not going to feel uncomfortable. Not anymore.' She held his face in her hands, 'I'm proud to be your wife.'

"Okay." Jon gave her a quick kiss and started gathering her clothes, handing them to her. "Sorry about Ryan. He's a cool guy." Jon laughed. "He's gonna be giving me shit about this for a while though. Maybe next time I'll put a sock on the door handle or something."

Mary began getting dressed and laughed, 'That's fine. I'm glad it was him and not some groupie.' She winked, letting him know she was only trying to break his balls.

He snickered and began gathering his own clothes. "Just be glad it wasn't Cody. Rumor has it that Heath Slater was with some chick and Cody kept knocking on the door asking him if he needed the ointment for the lice in his pubic hair."

Mary laughed aloud and bowed her head, 'Is...uh...Punk around?" She hoped he didn't see the crimson blush that spread upon her cheeks

Jon finished getting dressed and grinned. "Should be, yeah." He leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. "Does someone have a crush?" he teased.

Mary shook her head and stammered out, 'No...not really. I just appreciate his in ring ability and mic skills.'

"Uh huh." He winked and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "He's actually been on my ass for a while now. He wants to meet you."

Mary's eyes widened in horror, 'Oh, Jon. My hair's a mess and I'm wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Can I run home really quick

to change?" She began pulling at her clothes and fidgeting nervously.

Jon laughed and stroked her hair. "We could meet him another time. Besides, apparently he's gearing up to own Chris at karaoke. His mind won't be focused enough to handle you."

Mary walked over to him and placed her hands upon his hips to stare at him. She smirked, 'Handle me, huh?" Her voice was low and gravelly, making him shiver.

"Well." Jon stared her up and down, remembering the taste and feel of her from just a few moments ago. "He's gonna be jealous as fuck, I know that." He smirked. "They'll have to learn to live with it."

Mary bowed her head shyly, 'You give me far too much credit, buddy.'

He narrowed his eyes. "Hey now. That's my gorgeous wife you're talking about." Jon lifted her chin up and gave her a kiss. "You ready, baby?"

Mary smiled up at him. "I'm ready."

Jon held out his hand and nearly giggled with pure joy when she took it. "Let's go, baby."

They made their way to the lunch area, passing mostly workers who gave them disinterested glances. A few times they'd pass a wrestler or diva, who'd nod at Jon, and he'd squeeze Mary's hand and give her a quick glance to remind her that she didn't need to feel nervous.

Mary drew in a sharp breath and Jon frowned, then looked up and suppressed a laugh. "Oh, look who it is."

Mary froze and her jaw dropped when she saw none other than CM Punk standing near the buffet table talking to another wrestler. She looked like a deer in headlights as she stood there staring at him like a complete idiot.

She heard Jon trying to stifle his laughter and she discreetly and gently elbowed him in the stomach, 'Shut or so help me God I will chokeslam you.'

Jon snickered, unable to help himself. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna embarrass you. C'mon, maybe he won't see you." Jon had to cover his mouth to suppress his laughter when she tried to hide behind him. "Holy shit, this is hilarious."

"No it's not!" Mary hissed.

"...anyway, that movie looks like a total piece of shit. Why would I wanna play a fucking robot detective? Christ. I thought Vince was kidding. Unfucking real, man." Punk rolled his eyes and turned, spotting Jon. "Hey."

He narrowed his eyes. "What are you laughing at? Did you do something fucked up to the food?"

Jon shook his head and grinned, 'Not this time. I actually have someone I'd like ya to meet.'

Mary took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves and walked out from behind Jon. She stood there, feeling nervous and out of place and maybe even a little embarrassed. She could not believe this was happening. Shit, if the girls in work knew about this they would never let her live it down. Not that she would tell them, of course. She wasn't with Jon for his status or recognition. She was with him because she loved him.

Jon grabbed Mary's hand and squeezed it comfortingly, letting her know there was nothing to worry about. She gave him an appreciative smile.

Punk crossed his arms over his chest and shared a knowing look with Jon. He smirked and turned to Mary, 'So, you must be Jon's wife?' He scoffed, 'To be quite fucking honest I thought he was making you up.'

A small smile formed upon her face and she shook her head, 'No, I'm...real.' She cringed inwardly.

Can she not sound like a fucking awkward asshole for once in her life?

"Good." Punk gave Jon a small smile. "You guys heading out of here?"

Jon nodded. "Good luck taking on Chris."

Punk snorted. "That fucker. Did you fucking see him? He's wearing a fucking scarf. A goddamn scarf. Thinks he's Johnny fucking Depp. It's pathetic."

Jon snickered. "Five bucks says he throws his scarf at you while he's singing."

"Fuck you! If that happens I'm wiping my ass with it." Punk gave Mary one of his hellish grins. "You're not gonna make your husband start dressing like he's in a fucking GQ ad, are ya? I'd puke my fucking guts out if I ever saw this guy wearing bracelets and a fucking fedora."

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'No way. Those GQ guys are all pussies.' She looked over at Jon and smiled, 'I like him just the way he is.'

Punk grinned. "Awesome." He raised an eyebrow at Jon. "You're right, she's cool."

"Told you." Jon pulled Mary close and kissed the top of her head. "We're gonna grab some food and then we're heading out."

"Have fun." Punk's eyes shone for a moment, obviously wanting to say something perverted, but then he shook his head. "Later. Take care, Mary." He gave her a grin and then left.

Mary exhaled and clutched at Jon. "God, I probably sounded like an idiot."

"You did not," Jon retorted, and squeezed her hand. Jake LaVere, the guy Punk had been talking to, was taking his plate away and gave them a quick wave before leaving. "That's Jake. He's new, just got called up from FCW. He's a cool guy. Does a lot of high-flyer stuff. He's dating some tattoo artist. She sounds cool. Apparently she already knows Lita, er, Amy, and that's

how Jake knows Punk." Jon sighed. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Mary chuckled and shook her head, 'No, you're not. This is actually the first time since you've been signed that I've actually been backstage after a show.' She squeezed his hand and looked up at him, smiling softly, 'I wanna share this with you, Jon. This is your world as much as it is mine.' She snickered and grinned, 'Besides, you're gonna come to the office tomorrow where I work. All the girls thought I was lying about knowing you let alone being married to you. Kinda wanna give them a big 'fuck you', ya know?"

Jon burst out laughing. "Holy shit. Are you serious? So I'm gonna get to see what it's like to be Punk when you're around?" He gently tickled her side to let her know he was kidding.

Mary slapped his shoulder playfully and rolled her eyes, 'You're still a dumbass. Nice to see money and fame hasn't changed you after all these years.' She sighed, 'Now, are you going to feed me or what? The faster we eat...' She grinned and without even looking at him said nonchalantly, 'The faster we can go back to my place for dessert.'

Jon's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah. Let's eat."

They grabbed some food and found a table in the corner, talking and laughing quietly. A few other wrestlers came in and said hello, but most of Jon's friends had already left and were texting him about the karaoke showdown along with congratulations on reuniting with his wife. Jon showed Mary the texts, which made her blush.

Kaitlyn wandered by and when she saw Mary with Jon, she raised a victory fist in the air and winked at them, then left without saying a word.

Jon chuckled. "What was that about?"

Mary cringed and laughed nervously, 'Oh God, you're probably gonna think this is so weird, but we're here now. Mine as well tell ya. Whatever, right?' She sighed, 'Anyway, I was arguing with a security guard to get backstage to see you.' She bowed her head in embarrassment, 'He thought I was a groupie and just wanted to meet you. I told him I was your...wife. He laughed saying that wasn't the first time he's heard that.' She rolled her eyes, 'So, anyway Kaitlyn must have recognized me because she told the security guard to let me backstage to see you. She thought it was romantic I guess? ' She slowly lifted her head to look at him, 'Probably should have just called first, right?'

Jon reached over and took her hand. "It's not crazy, baby. Jesus, I never thought..." He took a deep breath. "You know, when I saw you with the papers...for a second I thought you were gonna tell me you found someone else and you wanted to end things." Jon cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be..." He sighed. "I owe Kaitlyn big time. She saved my life, making sure you got here."

Mary lifted his hand up to her lips and kissed it, 'I owe her big time too. This is where I want to be. Here with you.' He smiled at that, which she returned in kind. She sighed, 'So, ready to see my apartment?'

Jon smiled and curtly nodded, 'Yeah...sure.'

She got up from the table and extended her hand out toward him, 'Come on, lets go.'

He took her hand and let her take the lead. He could still not wrap his psyche around the fact that she is in his life again. One thing's for certain though; he would make sure that's exactly where she stayed for the rest of their lives.

As the made their way out of the venue, thankfully, it was late and most of the fans and wrestlers were gone. They eased out of the back exit effortlessly. It was a warm Summer night, which made the walk back to her apartment comfortable.

They walked hand in hand. They spent of the time talking about what they have been up to the past year, but mostly they were quiet. What was great about their relationship is that they didn't need to fill the silence with empty words. They were content and comfortable enough to enjoy the silence and revel in one another's presence.

Mary's apartment was located in the neighborhood of the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn. It was a nice enough neighborhood for it's location, but he still did not feel comfortable with Mary living here. Sure, she could handle her own and has lived in worse, but she deserved better than this. She deserved to live in a huge home of grandeur with a big backyard, a large pool, white picket fences, the whole nine yards. He vowed to himself he would get her a house like that one day. One they would be able to share and love each other in for the rest of their lives.

Jon followed her up three flights of stairs and down a long corridor. She stopped in front of what he assumed to be her apartment. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a shy smile, which he readily returned.

Mary opened the door wide enough for him to enter, 'Well, this is it. '

He curtly nodded, a small smile forming upon his face. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears. His palms were sweaty and he was shaking slightly. The last time he was this nervous was on their Wedding Day. Maybe it was because this was a new beginning for them. A clean slate and a chance to start over. He could not fuck this up, not again. He had to make this right between them. He could not lose her again. He doesn't think he would survive it the third time around.

Mary closed the door and locked it. She leaned against the door and frowned when she saw the look upon his face as he carefully studied her surroundings.

She cringed, 'I know it's not much, but it's all I could afford with my salary, especially in New York.'

Mary was suddenly starting to feel self-conscious. She wanted him to see that she was doing well for herself and that she was doing fine without him. She didn't want him to see that she was living in some rundown apartment building in a rough part of Brooklyn.

"It's you." Jon smiled and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I like it. I just wanna get you a house someday." He cleared his throat. "If that's all right."

His heart was pounding like crazy. The last time he was this nervous was before winning the belt at SummerSlam. Jon had hoped like hell Mary was watching, and that night held his phone to his chest, praying that she'd call. He wanted to call her, but he was so afraid.

Not anymore. They were in love, and they were going to stay together. No matter what.

"Maybe we should sit down," he suggested, his palms feeling sweaty.

Mary nodded and they both took a seat on her couch. She tapped her hands nervously upon her legs. She wearily looked over at him, he was grasping his knees as his eyes darted back and forth. He looked to be as nervous as she was. There was an awkward cloud of silence that hung heavily in the room. It was funny. A married couple who have been separated for over a year and they had absolutely nothing to say.

She shook her head, sighing. Obviously someone was going to have to start talking at some point. There were a lot of things that needed to be said between them before they moved forward.

Mary took a deep breath and released it. Deciding to just bite the bullet, she said, 'I want to apologize for not telling you about...David. I should have discussed that with you before going behind your back. That was shitty of me. I'm sorry, Jon.'

Jon nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. "I know I didn't make things easy for you. That's probably why you weren't able to talk to me about it." He cringed. "I said some horrible things to the two of you. God, I'm surprised David doesn't have a restraining order against me." Jon turned to Mary and looked in her eyes. "You didn't deserve that, Mary. I'm sorry. I was so out of line." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I should have called before just showing up like that. Fuck, that was stupid."

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded her head, 'I understand, honey. You were upset and didn't know what was going on. I completely understand.' She sighed, 'Yeah, I won't lie. It really hurt for you to say those things, but I know you didn't mean them. I know that.' She took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, 'I'm so sorry I didn't call you when I thought I was...pregnant. I should have come to you about that. Regardless of the fact if we were speaking or not, you're my husband.'

Jon nodded, his throat clenching. "I'm..." His voice broke and he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry you weren't..." He bit his lower lip and shook his head. After seeing how stressed Mary was about having a baby, he didn't have the heart to tell her that he wanted so badly to give her a family. He'd suffered from the loss too. "I'm sorry," Jon whispered, and put his arm around her.

Mary tightly wrapped her arms around him and held his head to her chest to stroke his hair soothingly. She kissed the top of his head and whispered, 'It's okay. It's not your fault. It's not mine either. What was done to me wasn't my fault. It wasn't. It took me losing you to realize that.' She held his face in her hands and lifted his head up to stare into his eyes. She smiled through her tears, 'We'll get a dog or something. They're less needy and very low maintenance.'

He nodded and put his hand on her stomach. "As long as I have you, I'm happy." Jon kissed her and nuzzled her neck. "I've missed you so much, Mary. I can't sleep without you. I'd reach for you but you weren't there. It was like hell."

Mary chuckled slightly, 'I know the feeling. Cody gave me old tapes of you wrestling back in HWA. I would fall asleep watching them. It made me feel close you. When I was unpacking boxes I found a few of your shirts that still smelled like you and would wear them to bed. I would close my eyes and pretend you were there...holding me.'

Jon drew in a breath. "Mary...can I hold you now? Please?"

Mary nodded as tears fell from her eyes, 'Baby, you never have to ask me that.'

He grinned in relief and pulled her into his lap, closing his eyes at the feel of her in his arms. He'd dreamt of this for months. "I love you so much," Jon whispered, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "I love you, Mary. I've always loved you and I always will."

Mary kissed the top of his head and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her chin upon his head and whispered, 'And I love you. So much. I never stopped loving you. Never will. God, I missed you so fucking much.'

Jon pulled her in for a kiss, humming as she ran her fingers through his hair. She squirmed in his lap, making him moan. His heart was pounding so fast he was sure she could hear it.

Mary groaned aloud when she felt his lips upon hers. Their tongues tangled together as they bit, sucked and drank from each other. She grasped the front of his tee shirt, wanting him even closer to her. She yearned and longed for him. For months it's all she ever thought about. She needed him like the air she breathed.

She tore her mouth from his and whispered raggedly in his ear, 'Take me to bed, Jon.'

Jon ran his hand down her neck, resting it over her heart. "Are you sure?" he whispered. He was desperate to taste her again, to make her come, to be inside her, but he didn't want her to feel rushed. If he ruined this he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

She nodded her head and smiled, 'Yes, I'm sure. I need you, Jon. I miss having you inside me.' She began squirming on his lap once again, causing him to let out guttural groan, 'It's been so long. So long. I don't wanna wait anymore. Please, take me to bed. ' She ran her hands down his neck and placed them on his chest, 'Wanna feel my husband inside me again.'

He nodded and put his arms around her, keeping her wrapped around him while he carried her to the bedroom. Jon couldn't help but look into it once they'd entered her apartment, hoping for this to happen.

And now it was happening. It was all real.

Jon lay her on the bed and crawled over her, taking her face in his hands. "I'm gonna make you feel so good, baby," he whispered, remembering the words he said to her right before they made love for the first time.

Mary's eyes filled with tears as she remembered those were the words he had uttered to her the first time they were together. She was so young, so afraid, but she knew she loved him and he would make her feel safe. She always knew that. She still could not fathom this was actually going to happen. She truly had thought he was lost to her forever, but she had been very wrong. He belonged to her, just as she belonged to him. They were meant to be together. No matter how many times they separated, all roads led back to them and the love they shared.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and held his face in her hands, smiling through her tears, 'I know ya will. You always do.' She chuckled nervously, 'Might be a little rusty. It's been...a while.'

He smiled and stroked her hair. "It's us, Mary. It's always us. You and me. Jon and Mary forever."

Mary nodded and laughed as she stroked his face, 'Always.'

She gently pushed him off of her to lie flat on his back. She crawled on top of him and put her hands under his shirt to run her fingers down the length of his chest. He groaned and shivered when she reached his lower abdomen. His response and smoldering look in his eyes made her feel bolder and more confident.

Smirking, she lifted up her shirt and took it off, never once breaking contact from him. She bit her lip and ducked her head shyly as she took off her bra, throwing it off to the side of her bed.

Jon let out a shaking breath and ran his hands up her front, cupping her breasts and running his thumbs over her nipples.

"Mary..." he groaned, and thrust his hips up, unable to help himself.

Mary eyes rolled in pleasure when she felt his large hands caress her breasts. She bent down to lift up his tee shirt. She bit and licked at his chest as she held his tee shirt in her hands. He tasted so good. She wanted to devour every single inch of him.

She rubbed her cheek against his abdomen and felt his muscles clench under her ministrations. She groaned in frustration and gave him open mouth kisses upon his chest, flicking her tongue out to taste his skin, 'God, I need you, Jon. I need you so bad. I ache for you.'

His entire body was shivering. She was the only one who could make him feel this excited.

Mary kissed down his stomach and began unbuttoning his pants. Jon gripped the sheets as she pulled down his zipper and tugged his pants down. God, she made him feel like a nervous kid again.

Mary wasted no time in getting him out of his pants. Her hands were shaking as she pulled them down, partly due to nervousness and excitement. It has been a long time since she has pleasured him like this and she wanted to please him. She wanted him to make him feel as good as she felt. She took him out of his pants and gently stroked him. He was hard as a rock and she hardly even touched him. She looked up to gage his reaction. His eyes were closed and he was tightly gripping the sheets.

She let out a shaky sigh and tentatively put her mouth upon him. She eased him inside of her mouth, taking him in as far as he could go.

Mary released him from her mouth and continued to stroke him as she whispered in a small voice, 'Am I doing alright?'

"God yes." Jon threw an arm over his eyes and shivered. "Just...I don't want to...I want to make love to you." He exhaled shakily. "Please."

Mary crawled up his body and laid on his body. She held his face and kissed him deeply, moaning into his mouth at his taste.

She kissed his neck, his chest and touched every part of his skin she could reach, 'God, you feel so good. Taste so good. Touch me. I need your hands on me. ' She licked his neck, making him moan, 'It's been so long. I'm burning for you.'

Jon held her tight, then flipped her over so she was laying on her back. He kissed her deeply, then nuzzled into her neck, breathing against her ear.

"Do you know how long I've wanted this?" he whispered, moving his hands down her sides. "How long I've needed to feel you again..." Jon slid his hands down her chest, quickly unbuttoning and pulling down her pants. "I've been dying for this. I've been dying without you." Once he got her pants off he threw them aside, then hooked his fingers in the sides of her panties and pulled them down. "You're my entire life. You always have been." Jon kissed her again and moved down, kissing her chin, her neck, her breasts. "So perfect..." His kisses trailed down her body until he was nuzzling against her thighs, pulling her legs up so she could wrap her legs around his neck. Time to finish what he started earlier. He kissed her entrance and began lapping at her gently, groaning in pleasure at her taste.

Mary put her hands in his hair, gently tugging at the strands. She closed her eyes and let out a long groan that sounded suspiciously like his name. She arched her back, whimpering as she felt his tongue deeply inside of her. His teeth gently nipped at her clit as he inserted two fingers inside of her to match the movements of his tongue. She felt as if were dying as he touched her. It has been so long since he has touched her like this. Since anyone has touched her like this. She was overwhelmed with sensations. She found herself heaving for breath. Her heart was pounding and it felt as if molten lava was coursing through her veins.

She gasped aloud and whispered raggedly, 'Feels so good. God, you feel so good. Get inside me, Jonny. Wanna come when you're inside me. Want you to feel me coming for you.'

Jon gently sucked at her clit and then kissed up her stomach, pausing to suckle at her breasts. He moved up and kissed her neck, then settled on top of her and looked her in the eyes. "Mary...I was safe when I...but if you want, we can use a condom." He smiled and stroked her face. "I won't mind. Just as long as I get to be inside you."

Mary held his face in her hands and shook her head, smiling, 'No, I want to feel you. All of you.' She arched into him and whimpered, kissing his neck, 'Just get inside me...please. Need you so bad...so bad.'

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Need it too, baby."

Mary wrapped her legs around him and he gasped when he felt himself brush against her entrance. This was it. They were going to take another step together, just as they had the first time they made love and when they got married. This was another form of commitment. It was their way of pledging that they would stay together as man and wife no matter what happened to them.

"Jon." Mary stared up at him with so much love and desire that he shivered. "Jon, please."

Jon nodded and gently pushed himself inside her, both of them gasping at the sensation. He buried his face in her neck and breathed her in as he slid in as far as he could go. "Oh god...Mary..."

Mary gasped aloud as he slid inside her. He was buried inside of her to the hilt. He laid there not even moving. They laid there, just enjoying the feeling of being connected again for the first time in over a year. Tears filled her eyes and fell down her felt so good. He felt as if he belonged there. She stroked his back and rested her forehead against his, reveling in the exquisite feeling of having the man she loved more than life itself making her his once again. For good this time.

She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and stroked his back. She arched against him, whimpering, 'Please, baby. You feel so good. Make me come. Haven't come in so long...please.'

He was on fire.

Every part of him burned and ached. His mind couldn't concentrate on anything except the feel of her around him. He'd never get used to it. Every time he got to be inside her it was like drowning all over again. Drowning in fire, in lava.

Sweet suffocation.

Slowly Jon pulled out and pushed back in, moaning helplessly. Mary arched up, wanting more. God, he wanted more. He pulled out further this time, nearly leaving her completely, then thrust himself back in. Both of them moaned as he kept this up, creating a steady rhythm. It was almost like they were racing themselves, desperate to make up for all the lost time between them.

Mary arched up, meeting him thrust for thrust. She clawed her nails down his back and moaned, whimpered and pleaded for him to go faster. Her body demanded more of him. He felt unlike anything she has ever experienced before. Every time he pushed inside of her she felt as if he were tearing her apart. She could feel him right down to her very soul.

She pushed her hands against his chest, gently pushing him off of her. She quickly crawled on top of him while still keeping him connected inside of her. She braced her hands against his chest and arched her back as she rode him in a furious pace.

Mary leaned down and held his face in her hands and rested her forehead against his to whisper, 'You feel so good inside me. Always missed this. Missed you.' She grinded herself against him and moaned, 'God, You were meant for me. I love you so much.'

Jon was lost. The feel of her around him was like dying and being reborn. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down harder while thrusting up into her, her tight warmth making him mumble incoherently.

Mary placed her hands upon his chest and bounced up and down on top of him. She raised all the way until only the tip of him was inside of her of her before she slid all the way back down, making them both groan each other's name. She laid down upon him, covering him like a blanket as she grinded herself against him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She sucked his tongue into her mouth, savoring his taste. She couldn't get enough of him and this feeling. She probably never would. He was the only man she was meant to be with like this.

Jon rose up, taking Mary with him and, keeping them connected, placed his wife on her back again. He drove into her desperately, making her hips bounce up with every thrust. He was frantic, almost hysterical with the need to have her feel everything he felt. Every ache, every demand from his body. From the sounds she was making, Mary felt the same thing.

"Love you...missed you...need this..." Jon moaned in her ear as she clawed at him and cried out in pleasure. "Mary, Mary, oh god..."

Mary ran her nails down his back as she arched into him as he drove into her over and over again. Their movements were frantic and unorganized. The bed creaked loudly with their movements and the headboard sharply cracked against the wall. Their whimpers, moans and groans bounced loudly off the walls. They were desperate and hungry for each other. They missed feeling each other this way. No matter what they did they couldn't get enough. They needed more. Their bodies demanded it.

She clenched herself around him as she felt her orgasm hitting straight through her like a bullet. It pierced inside of her, igniting her nerve endings and making her feel as if she were on fire. She grasped his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his own as she let out a choked sob and gasped aloud. She was coming so hard she felt as if she were being burned alive.

Mary kissed him deeply and gasped against his lips, 'I'm coming. Oh God, Jon. I'm coming for you so hard. Oh, I love you so much.'

Jon let out a cry as she shuddered and tightened around him. He could feel his own climax building and he nearly sobbed from the anticipation of it.

"Come for me," he gasped. "Come again for me. Have to feel it. Want to feel it with you." Jon drove into her mercilessly, his body demanding release.

Mary wrapped her arms around her neck and tightened her legs around his waist. She arched herself into him, bringing him deeper inside of her every time he thrust into her. His thrusts were so powerful she arched off the bed. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she screamed out his name over and over again.

She clamped around him in an ironhold grip as she felt another shockwave rushing through her body. She was so wet she could feel her juices gushing out of herself and dripping down the insides of her thighs.

Mary shrieked and clawed her nails down her back as she felt another orgasm hit her even more powerful than the first. She was trembling so violently her teeth were chattering. Her heart was pounding so fast she was sure she was going to die.

Mary screamed and rested her forehead upon his own as she gasped out, 'God, I'm coming. I'm coming so hard for you. Love you so much. Do you feel how wet...I am for you, baby?'

Jon tried to answer her, but the fire that had been building inside of him since she kissed him earlier that day began coursing through him. All his pent up angst and desire seized him, and he began shuddering helplessly.

"Ah, god...Mary!" Jon screamed as he released inside her, his body nearly convulsing. He sobbed as he poured himself into her, whimpering as she stroked his hair and held him. After giving her everything, Jon collapsed on her, still shivering violently.

Mary held him as he shivered against her. Their sweat slicked bodies were stuck together and her sheets were soiled from their bodily fluids, but neither of them seemed to care. He stayed inside of her, wanting to keep this carnal connection with her as long as he could. She stroked his back and hair soothingly as they both let out ragged breaths as they both came down from the most intense orgasms they ever had.

Mary sighed in content and giggled into his neck, 'I really really missed you.' She laughed again, sounding giddy and drunk with lust and love.

"Mmm, me too also," Jon slurred, sighing as he finally was able to stop shivering. "Love you, you know."

Mary kissed his neck and whispered, 'Love you too. So much. Let's never separate again, okay?'

"Never," Jon agreed, and lifted his head to grin lazily at her. "You and me, baby girl. Forever. I mean it."

Tears fell from her eyes and she smiled, nodding, 'Forever. Never wanna leave you again. I was so lonely here without you.'

He stroked her face and returned her smile. "I was lost without you, baby. But we're together now. We're gonna stay together, you got that? It's you and me." His smile faded. "I just wish I had our rings."

Mary smirked and said, 'Funny you mention that.'

She rolled off of him and they sighed at the disconnection. She kissed his cheek and winked as she crawled off the bed. He rested his hands behind his head and smiled as he watched his wife walk over to her dresser. He watched her in awe, mesmerized by her beauty. No matter how long they have been together or what has transpired between them, he will never get over the fact that this incredible woman was his wife. He felt honored that she had chosen him. He vowed right then and there he will spend the rest of his life trying to be the man she deserved.

Her knees were slightly wobbly, making it difficult for her to walk. She was thankful her dresser was only a few feet away.

Mary dug into her jewelry box and got out the two rings. She hopped back on the bed and extended out her hand to him with both of their rings lying in it.

She smiled softly as tears filled her eyes, 'Ya don't have to wish, sweetheart.'

Jon laughed with pure joy and placed his hand over hers, his eyes welling with tears when he felt the cool metal of their wedding rings in their hands. "When did you...how did you know?"

Mary shrugged and bowed her head, all of the sudden feeling shy, 'I was at Cody and Kasey's house for Christmas and he gave me these. He said that I should have them because he knew we were going to work things out. He said that we belong together.'

"We do." Jon took his ring and quickly put it on, relief flooding through him like a wave. Mary went to put hers on, but Jon stopped her. "Wait. I wanna do this right." He took her left hand and held it to his chest over his heart, Holding her ring in his right hand. "Mary...I know we need to work on things. I know some things need to change. But won't ever change is how much I love you. You're my everything, Mary, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me." He poised the ring over her finger and smiled through his tears. "Will you marry me again?"

Mary had tears falling from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away as she nodded her head, 'Yes, of course. I love you so much, Jon. You're my world. A millions times yes!' She fidgeted in the bed, wanting the ring back on her finger so badly. She felt so naked without it these past months.

He giggled at her anxiousness and slipped the ring on her finger. "There. Much better." Jon kissed her hand and then pulled her close, kissing her face as she giggled and squirmed.

Mary wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed his cheek. Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud, 'Holy shit. How could I forget!' She eased out of his embrace and jumped off the bed.

Jon shook his head and laughed as he watched her go, 'Baby girl. What are ya up to?'

She gave him a mischievous grin over her shoulder and opened her closet door. She shuffled things around and clapped excitedly when she found what she was looking for. She brought out the surprise and walked it over the bed, lying it upon it.

Jon was rendered speechless when he looked down at her surprise. He shook his head in disbelief as tears fell from his eyes. He was so overcome with emotion he could barely speak. It was the newlywed map she have given to him on their honeymoon. His eyes widened as he looked upon it. There seemed to be more dots on there then they were before if his memory served him correctly.

Mary grazed her fingertips upon the map and smiled through her tears, 'Cody gave me this too. He said it was mine to have. I filled in each place that you traveled to for the entire year we were apart. It made me feel close to you in a way.' She shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, 'This made me feel like I was always with you in a sense. In your heart. I had it above my bed for the whole year, but took it down when I thought...' She sighed, 'Anyway, I think it belongs back on my wall.'

Jon pulled her into his lap, kissing her neck. His tears fell into her hair and he sighed as she held him close. "God, I love you. You're so perfect, baby. How did you think I could ever love or want anyone else?" Jon laughed and rubbed her back. "That's crazy. You're the only person I've ever wanted, Mary."

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She shook her head, 'I'm sorry. I was such a jackass. I just saw that shit on the internet.' She sighed deeply, 'Then I actually had two journalists come into my office pretending to be parents wanting to adopt a child. They seemed shady because they kept looking around my office and trying to ask me questions about myself. One of them said they even recognized me because of you.' She snickered,'Once I figured it out. I...uh...threw a stapler at the guy's head and threatened to call the cops if they didn't leave.'

"Jesus." Jon tightened his grip on her and narrowed his eyes. "Fucking assholes. Mary...you sure you don't want a bodyguard? I know you've talked with some of the other wives, and some of them have people looking after them when the guys are on the road...I just can't handle the idea of you not being safe. And there are assholes everywhere. God, those fucks are lucky I wasn't around for that. I would've destroyed them."

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'No, it's fine. I don't need anyone. Besides, that was the first and last time that's ever happened. Ya know I'm not one looking for attention. I just want to live a simple and quiet life.' She folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs nervously, 'I always wanted to live out in the country. Like with big acres of land, mountains and trees for miles.' She smiled, thinking about a special memory she held dear to her heart, 'I used to go horseback riding with my grandpa when I was little. Everyday before he got sick he would take me every weekend to this horse farm where I could ride.' She smiled through her tears, 'It was amazing. I felt so free, like nothing or anyone could touch me.' She bowed her head shyly, 'I still go riding on Sundays at this horse farm in upstate New York. It's absolutely gorgeous up there and so peaceful. The grass is so green and untouched and the sky's so blue it hurts your eyes.' She laughed nervously, 'Sorry, I'm rambling about nonsense.'

"That sounds awesome, baby." Jon smiled and stroked her hair. "Although, uh, if you wanna live on an actual farm, I don't know about that. I mean, if that's what you want that's cool, but I don't wanna like have to raise chickens and goats and shit like that." He blinked. "We could hire somebody, I guess..."

Mary's eyes widened in horror and she shook her head laughing, 'You thought I meant actual farming?' She covered her mouth to suppress her giggles, 'Hell no. Could you imagine us raising chicken and goats?' She started cracking up at the imagery, 'I meant a home in the country, like acres of our own land. Where we could have peace and quiet. I've lived in cities my whole life and apartment buildings. I want a home where if I wanted to walk around naked outside my house no one would know.'

"That sounds perfect. Especially the part about you walking around naked." Jon ran his hands over his wife's body and

grinned.

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, playfully slapping him on the chest, 'Horny bastard.'

Jon gave her one of his trademark grins and grasped her hips, 'Only with you, baby girl.'

She laughed and ducked her head to hide her blush. No matter how long they've known one another and what they have done together, he still had the ability to make her bashful and feel like she was fourteen years old again. She sobered up and sighed deeply, lifting her head to look into his eyes, 'Can I ask you a question, Jon?'

He nodded, 'Of course, anything. Ya know that.'

Mary smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath and released it, 'What made you chase after me in the rain all those years ago? You said you had been watching me for a while, but why then? Why at that moment? Is it because you saw me with...him?'

This is the question that has been plaguing her mind ever since their friendship transpired. She never had the courage to ask before, not even when they first became lovers. Shit, not even when they first got married. She was just always afraid of his answer. She hated to think the only reason why they began was because of pity. She was always so afraid he had misplaced love for her, like he saw he still thought of her as the little girl he needed to protect, keep safe and take care of. She knew that was far from the case now, but she still could not help but have that little nagging doubt in her mind. Fuck, she really was an insecure little girl inside.

"Honestly?" Jon took a deep breath, feeling nervous. "I never thought I could talk to you at school. You made me nervous. Plus I got the impression you didn't like me very much, so..." He shrugged. "I kinda panicked. I thought it was the only chance I'd get to talk to you, or you'd avoid me forever and I'd always wonder what I could've done to get you to notice me." Jon took her hands in his, feeling shy. "I figured you thought I was trash, so I saw you look at me and run away and I thought, 'If I don't talk to her now, I never will' so I just went for it."

Mary let out a small laugh, 'It's funny you say that because you made me nervous too. You never looked at me either and when ya did you just glared at me. I told you I tried to sit with you at lunch.' She chuckled nervously, 'Ya know how that turned out. I just figured ya thought I was a little girl. You were three years older than me. When I saw you that night in his house I was so embarrassed. That's why I ran away. I didn't want you to see me like that and think _I _was trash. As for you thinking I didn't like you. That's so far from the truth it's not even funny.' She held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his, 'Baby, I never thought you were trash. I figured you were just like me, someone who could understand what I was going through because of our similar circumstances. I realized over time that you were meant to see me that night.' She chuckled slightly and to lighten the mood, asked him, 'So, I made you nervous, huh?"

"You still do," Jon admitted. "You probably always will. You know you're the only girl who makes me nervous? Most of them just make me feel uncomfortable. Like Clara." He smirked. "She was really forward, I mean she just sat down in my lap like it was no big deal. It was...weird. I'm just glad she didn't get upset when I told her I just wanted to be friends." Jon rolled his eyes. "And those fucking dirtsheets thought we were engaged. Ridiculous." He frowned and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry that upset you, baby."

Mary smiled and stroked the side of his face, 'It's alright, baby. I'm sick of dwelling in the past. What happened, happened. There's nothing that can be done about that. All that matters is we're together here, right now. Jon and Mary. Just as it should be.' She smirked and ran her hands down the side of his face and trailed them down his neck to rest against his chest, 'Ya wanna know when I first realized I was attracted to you?'

Jon curtly nodded his head, urging her with his eyes to continue, 'It was in the Summer one day. You were picking me up at the corner of my house, just as you always did.' She smiled at the memory, 'Your hair was all wild' She ran her fingers through it and chuckled, 'Just as it always is, but you were wearing this plain white tee shirt. You were sweating and it was clinging to your body. You looked so hot, so handsome that I felt...something I haven't felt before...physically. I knew what it meant, but I never felt anything remotely like that with anyone and still haven't. You're the only one who could ignite that kind of reaction in me. ' She chuckled nervously, 'After that I couldn't fucking look at you without blushing. Felt like such a spaz. I was thinking to myself, 'God now he probably thinks some little girl with a crush on him following him around like a puppy dog.'

"Mary..." Jon sighed. "You gotta stop thinking that. You were never this pathetic sad girl following me around. Never. I never saw you that way, so you shouldn't see yourself that way. Even when we were kids I always thought of us as a team. You're in no way inferior to me, Mary. In no way. Got that?" He stroked her face and stared into her eyes, wanting her to see how serious he was.

Mary blinked the tears away from her eyes and nodded, smiling, 'I do.'

When he spoke to her, she believed his words. He was the only person in this world she ever really trusted. She didn't even trust Cody, Kasey, or Kat the way she trusted him. She trusted him with her mind, body and soul. No matter how many miles or oceans that were separated between them, he was always the one she thought about whenever she saw something new. He was the always the first person she wanted to call when something happened to her, good or bad. He was her best friend and always would be. Time nor distance would never change that.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, wrapping herself around him and kissed his lips, 'So, I hear you have a taping coming up in Philly on Monday.'

Jon grinned, loving the fact that she followed his career even though they were separated. He nodded, 'I do. Why ya asking, thinking of coming?'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'All depends. Can I bring a date?'

He raised an eyebrow at her. "A date? I'm guessing it's not Kat, or David." He snickered. "Although that would be kinda funny."

Mary rolled her eyes and muttered, 'Dumbass. No, he's actually really cute. Kinda younger than me...eleven years younger to be exact.' She smirked, 'His name's Kyle. He's that little boy who I told you about. The one who drew that picture of you I gave to ya on our honeymoon. I'm his mentor while he's in foster care, considering I've been through a lot of the same shit he has been.' She shrugged, 'I figured I could ya know, give him some hope that it can be better even if you think it won't.' She sighed, 'Anyway, every Monday night and Friday nights when I can we watch RAW and Smackdown together.' She cupped his cheek, smiling proudly, 'He loves ya, baby. When you come on the screen his eyes get so big and he sits as still as a statue.' She chuckled, 'I even bought him one of your tee shirts and helped him make a cardboard replica of your title belt. I think bringing him will make him really happy. It will give him faith in knowing that people like us, we can turn out great and we can find love. That no matter what anyone says we are worthy of love and can do whatever we set our minds to. That dreams just don't have to be dreams. We can make them possible. You're the prime example of that.' She bowed her head shyly and chuckled nervously, 'There I go babbling again.'

Jon shook his head. "You're incredible, baby." He squeezed her hands and grinned, not bothering to wipe away his tears. "You know I've been such a mess without you? I never fucking smiled or laughed. Everybody was either afraid of me or in my face. Shit, the only times I got to laugh was when Punk told a few people off." Jon chuckled. "One jackass asked me how it felt to know my wife was leaving me, and Punk asked him how it felt to know that he was a piece of shit who was about five seconds away from heading into intensive care. That was kinda awesome."

Mary frowned and let out a shaky sigh, 'I'm sorry for you having to go through that. I really am. I was a mess too. The only thing that kept me sane was my work. I remember one of the girls in my work found some dirtsheet article saying our marriage fell apart because of you cheating on me or some shit. She kinda had a grudge against me because she wanted my promotion. She circulated the email around to the girls in the office.' She scoffed, 'Most of them pitied me while everyone else goaded about it. If I didn't love my job so much I would have fucking beat her face in.'

"What a bitch." Jon narrowed his eyes. "Am I gonna run into her when we go to your office? You'll have to point her out to me."

Mary shook her head and grinned, 'Don't worry about it. I uh...put a laxative in her coffee before she had a really important meeting with our boss. She kept having to run to the bathroom every five minutes. She was transferred to an agency somewhere in Queens.' She smirked, 'Last I heard she quit because she couldn't handle the kids.' She rolled her eyes, 'What a pussy.'

Jon chuckled. "Good thing. There's no way I would've been able to stop myself from telling her off." He traced a finger

along her arm. "You sure you wanna bring me into your work? I don't wanna impose on you, baby."

Mary stroked the sides of his face and nodded, 'Of course I do. You're my husband. You're not imposing. I want you to see what I do for a living. You were always so supportive of my dreams when I was younger and as my husband I want you to be apart of that. I want you to see my life's work.' She shrugged, once again feeling self-conscious, 'That's if, ya know you don't want to. I don't want ya think I'm bringing you there to shove it into people's face. I'm just proud of what I do, ya know?'

"I'd love to see what you do." He grinned at her. "You're a fucking hero, baby."

Mary shook her head, chuckling, 'No, I'm not. I just see myself in every single one of those kids, ya know? I feel like this is my calling. What I was put on this Earth to do. I wanna be that person to those children that I wanted. Someone to save me.' She cupped his face in her hands and smiled softly, 'Just like you were for me.'

Jon stroked her hair. "And you for me." He cleared his throat. "Is it okay if I stay here tonight? If you don't want that I can go to the hotel...I just miss sleeping next to you."

Mary laughed and shook her head, 'Are you fucking kidding me? I haven't seen you in over a year.' She kissed his neck and whispered, 'You're not going anywhere. I miss it too.' She smirked, 'Besides, we gotta a lot of catching up to do, don't ya think?'

"Definitely." He ran a hand down her body. "My beautiful wife...I love you so goddamned much. I've been thinking about this for months. Was so afraid to call you...I thought you hated me."

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'Could never hate you...never. Love you too much. I did call you from my work and when you answered I got scared and hung up. Thought maybe you moved on already, ya know?'

Jon snorted. "Never. You got me, baby." He kissed her and moved closer, resting his head on her chest. "You're the love of my life." He chuckled and rubbed her stomach. "Cody and Kasey will be relieved. I've been bugging them by asking about you alot. I wanted to know if you were happy."

Mary ran her hands through his hair and chuckled, 'Me too. I think they're were getting sick and tired of me asking. When I was there for Christmas Cody...uh...gave me a few home videos of us that Kasey took. They were mostly at the gym and a few barbeques they had during the Summer. It's when we were kids...before we got...together.' She gazed down at him and smiled shyly, 'Wanna watch one?"

"Shit yeah!" Jon sat up and stared at her, his eyes wide. "Holy shit, are you serious? I wanna see!"

Mary giggled and nodded, 'Okay. Just give me one sec.' She kissed the top of his head and got off the bed to walk in front of her television. She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled shyly, 'There's already one in the VCR. I was watching one the other day.'

She grabbed the remote and walked over to the bed to crawl back in it next to him. She leaned against his chest while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer next to him.

Mary turned on the television and geared up the video. She sighed and chuckled nervously, 'We were really young in this one. I was around sixteen. You were like nineteen.'

She pushed play on the television and a video popped up onto the screen. Kasey must have been taking the video because you could hear her talking behind the camera as she panned into everybody. The video took place in the Summer during one of their barbeques.

Mary' eyes widened and she laughed aloud when her and Jon appeared on the screen. She pointed to the screen, cracking up, 'Holy shit! Look how long your hair was.' He seemed to be annoyed he was being filmed and stuck his middle finger up, pushing the camera out of his face, which made Kasey crack up and call him a 'little shit'.

The camera then panned over to Mary.

She covered her face in embarrassment and chuckled nervously, 'Holy fuck. I was such fucking awkward dork.'

"You were beautiful," Jon whispered, and hugged her close. "Still are, baby."

The camera swung back to Jon, who was staring at Mary with a shy smile, but then he noticed the camera and glared before stomping off.

"See? I was crazy about you." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulder. "Still shocked as hell that you didn't notice."

Mary settled in closer to him and they laughed at the shenanigans of the drunken should be against the law to let wrestlers have alcohol and all be together in one place.

She gasped aloud when she saw Kasey filming what appeared to be an intimate moment between them. They were sitting at one of the picnic tables and their heads were huddled close together. They had serious looks upon their faces and were staring intensely at one another. She sat up in the bed, trying to listen to closely to what they were talking about.

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head, 'Shit, we were in love even then. How the hell did we keep it from each other for so long? I always wondered what we were talking about here. Do you remember by any chance?'

"I do," Jon caressed his wife's back in a silent plea for her to hold him again. "You were telling me about this guy at school. Dennis."

"Dennis?" Mary settled back on Jon's chest and frowned. "I don't think I remember him."

Kasey set the camera down, and they could hear her muttering to herself as Cody yelled for her to bring out more beer. The camera still had Jon and Mary in frame, and the audio picked up. Mary took in a sharp breath as they could hear their younger selves talking.

_On the camera, Jon fidgeted and scowled at the ground. "So I saw you with that guy..._"

_Mary glanced at him, looking confused. "You mean Dennis?"_

_Jon shrugged. "Don't know his name, but he wears glasses and sweaters in the fucking summer and, you know..." He kicked at the ground. _

_Mary smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's Dennis."_

_Jon kept his gaze on the ground, shoving his shoes into the dirt. "So how do you know him?"_

_"He's in one of my classes," Mary replied with a slight shrug._

_Jon looked as if he was biting back a sneer. "Smart guy, huh?"_

_"I guess. He's cool." Mary looked up at the sky and smiled, clearly enjoying the sun. Neither of them noticed the camera pointed at them._

_Jon grunted and sat back, looking away._

_Mary noticed this and scooted closer to him. "Why? What's wrong?"_

_He shrugged and looked down at the ground again, avoiding her gaze. "You two seemed awful chummy, that's all. Just wanna make sure he's not bothering ya."_

_"Nah, he's harmless." Mary grinned and looked down, seeming shy. "I think I'm the only one who knows about him."_

_Jon blinked at her. "Knows about him?"_

_She nodded. "He's gay. He's afraid to tell anyone, 'cause, you know..." She gestured and sighed. "People are stupid, you know? But he's a cool guy. You'd probably like him. He's really funny."_

_Jon nodded. "Oh yeah, yeah. Totally. Sure. Of course." He glanced at her and smiled shyly._

_Kasey picked up the camera and pointed it at them, chuckling when they gave her a startled look. "You kids having fun?"_

_"Stop taping me!" Mary implored, hiding her face. "I look like a dork."_

_"You do not," Jon snorted. He elbowed Mary and then gave Kasey a serious gaze. "Why do you need to tape us? We're just sitting here. They're the ones doing shit." He pointed to the group of guys horsing around off camera. "Go bother them instead of us."_

_"Touchy, touchy," Kasey muttered, and turned the camera away._

Mary had tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arm tightly wrapped around his midsection and she squeezed it comfortingly.

She kissed his chest and whispered, 'Baby. He really was just a friend.' She chuckled, 'He actually had a huge crush on you.'

She gazed up at him, 'That really bothered you didn't it?'

Jon gave her an incredulous look. "Why would that bother me? So a gay guy likes me, big deal. It's happened a couple of times, babe."

Mary rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Smartass. Ya know what I bothered you that I was friends with him, didn't it?'

Jon shook his head. "No, I just...you know. Didn't know if you were more than friends." He shrugged and picked at the bedsheet.

Mary leaned up and held his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes, 'Baby, when I was young I only wanted you. I loved you then even if I didn't know it. I always wanted you.' She pointed to the television screen, 'You couldn't see how I looked at you?' She grabbed the remote and rewinded the tape, pausing it at the part of the video where they were talking,

'Look at how I looked at you...look.'

Jon looked down and smiled. "I just thought, you know, you worried about me. As a friend."

Mary shook her head and played the video again. "How could you not see that I was crazy about you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, pointing at the camera. Their teenage selves were sitting on the bench and Mary pulled dandelion dust out of Jon's hair, turning to flick it away. The younger Jon took a deep breath and ran his fingers through Mary's hair, jumping when she turned and asked if she had weeds in her hair too, and he just nodded dumbly and looked away. "Fuck. I was so pathetic around you, baby."

Mary lightly chuckled and shook her head, 'What about me? I was so skittish around you. I thought for sure it was pretty obvious I had a crush on you.' She looked closely at the video of them on the bench and gasped as tears fell from her eyes. The way he was looking at her. God, how could she be so fucking blind.?'

She shook her head and smiled through her tears, 'Baby, did you wanna kiss me here?'

"I always wanted to kiss you," Jon admitted. "But right there, I was dying to. I couldn't help touching your hair, and the way you were sitting close to me...it drove me crazy, Mary." He shivered, remembering how anxious he'd been, then crestfallen when he didn't get to kiss her that day, only to go home and jerk off to the memory of her fingers in his hair.

Mary smiled shyly and looked at the two of them on the screen. She smiled softly, 'I wanted you to kiss me there too...so bad. I...almost did, but then you pulled away from me.'

Mary must have pushed play by accident because the video time lapsed to later on that day. It was of Jon and Mary playing around in Cody and Kasey's pool. Mary was standing outside of the pool wearing a hot pink and orange bikini. Her long hair was curly from being wet and her skin was bronzed from the sun. Jon was lounging over the pool and playfully grabbing her foot, trying to get her into the pool. His hair was down to his shoulders and it was wet. He was wearing a pair of black swim trunks and his skin was flush from the sun. She was taking a few steps back and laughing as he got out of the pool and grasped his arms around his waist, throwing her into the pool with him.

Mary hid her face in the crook of his neck and groaned, 'My god. That fucking bikini. Kasey made me wear that.'

Jon drew in a sharp breath. "I remember that. It drove me fucking crazy." He'd often fantasized about her in that bikini. He felt like scum afterwards, but the orgasms he had were so intense he'd have to scream into a pillow. His body would convulse afterward and his heart felt like it was gonna explode. Shit, actual sex with other girls wasn't as good as when he came thinking of Mary.

Mary sighed and threw her leg over his body and nuzzled into his neck. She thought about that day and how he felt against her body. She couldn't take her eyes off of him in those swim trunks. She frowned when she thought about that day. She remembered later on in the evening after everyone went home, Mary was helping Kasey clean up. She had seen Jon talking to some female wrestler in training. She remembered crying herself to sleep that night. She shook her head. No, she was not going to think about that. It was almost thirteen years ago. It was in the past and would remain as such. They were together now and it's all that mattered

All of the sudden she had an idea. She grinned as she sat up and stared down at him. He was intently watching the screen in front of him with an intense look in his eyes.

She kissed his cheek and whispered, 'I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom.'

He nodded, not even paying attention to her. He was too engrossed on the screen in front of him. Mary smiled and hopped

off the bed, heading towards the bathroom.

Jon was lying there in bed intently watching the video when he heard her whisper in a small voice, 'Hi.'

His head snapped up and his eyes widened as he gasped aloud in shock. He was rendered speechless as he looked at her in awe standing at the foot of the bed. This had to be some kind of dream. There was no way in hell this was happening.

Mary was wearing one of the bikinis she wore in her Facebook photos, but she was giving him the same shy smile she used to give him as a kid. His mouth suddenly went dry.

"Wow," Jon managed to get out.

Mary giggled and nodded at the bed. "Can I hang out with you? I don't wanna go home yet." She lowered her head and blushed. "I had fun today."

Suddenly he realized what she was doing. She was giving them a chance to live out their fantasy of that day. Both of them had been crazy for each other and nearly acted on it, but fear and self-doubt held them back. But now...

Jon grinned. He'd never role-played before, but this could be a hell of a lot of fun. "Sure, why not?" He scooted over and patted the bed.

Mary giggled and climbed in next to him, and he felt his heart start pounding, just as it did that day when she got close to him. It was funny; they were husband and wife, and had certainly enjoyed each other sexually, but in that moment it really felt like they were lovesick teenagers again.

Jon took a deep breath. Shit, he was actually nervous. "I was just, uh, watching us. I had fun today too." He ducked his head and smiled. "Glad you had fun. Was worried you'd be bored or something."

Mary tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and blushed. Her heart was pounding and she felt herself slightly shivering. Suddenly being in this moment she felt as if she were sixteen years old again. She felt so shy, awkward and unsure of herself.

She shrugged her shoulders and giggled nervously, 'No, I had a great time. She ducked her head shyly, 'I was with...you.'

Jon looked down and nodded. Christ, he was nervous.

"So I'm glad you told me about Dennis," he mumbled. "I'm glad he's not bothering you or anything. For a while I thought..." He picked at the bedsheet and coughed. "You know."

Mary placed her hand upon his shoulder. She was shaking and her heart was racing. She truly felt as if she were that shy awkward teenager again who has never even kissed a boy.

She smiled shyly, 'You thought...what, Jon?' She cringed inwardly. Her voice was so small, almost like a child's.

Jon felt his skin tingle where she touched him. "I thought maybe he was like your boyfriend or something." He exhaled shakily. "Seemed like the type you'll end up with, you know? Smart guy, nice clothes. Real fuckin' egghead. Not gutter trash, you know?" Jon smirked, but then scowled, keeping his eyes on the sheets. "Anyway. That's what I figured."

Mary rubbed his shoulder soothingly and leaned in her head closer to look into his eyes. She let out a shaky smile, giving him a warm smile.

She shook her head, 'Jon, you're not gutter trash.' She chuckled softly, 'I don't like those guys anyway. Too boring.' She bowed her head and whispered, 'I...like you.'

Jon sighed. "I know. I'm your...friend." He scowled and looked away. That word used to burn him up. He spent so much of his life thinking that he'd never be anything more to her than her friend.

Mary frowned. She hated that word coming out of his mouth. Mainly because that is what she thought they would always be, but they were more than that. They were more than she thought they would ever be. They were husband and wife. They were finally together forever.

Wanting to keep the fantasy going she pouted, 'Jon, you're not just my friend...you're...' She giggled nervously and looked away. She didn't continue. She wanted to torture him a little bit more. This was so much fun.

Jon sneaked a glance at her. "You makin' fun of me?" he teased, and tickled her sides. "You should know better, ya smartass."

Mary giggled and playfully slapped him away, but he kept tickling her sides until she was out of breath. He was half on top of her when he realized their position. His face sobered up and he stared down at her intensely.

She averted her eyes downward and whispered, 'Kasey bought me this bikini. Does it look okay?' She laughed nervously, 'I think I look like a dork.'

"You look amazing," he muttered, then froze in shock. He was hard as a rock, and if she moved she would feel it. Then she'd reject him and tell him she only saw him as a friend, and might even laugh at him...

Jon went to roll off of her but she grabbed his arm, stopping him.

Mary slowly raised her eyes to look up at him. She could feel his hardness poking in her thigh. She gasped aloud and her eyes widened at the feel of him. She could not fathom that anyone would want her like that or look at her the way he is now. For the first time in her life she felt beautiful, wanted and desired. Like a real woman.

Tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at him in astonishment, 'You...want..me, Jon?'

Jon looked away and nodded. How could he lie? The proof was right fucking there.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "You just look so fucking beautiful..." He cringed. He sounded like a fucking idiot. "I'll, uh, let you get some rest," he stammered, and lifted himself up to move away before he could do or say anything else to ruin the night.

Mary held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She smiled softly as she looked up at him. His eyes were so wide and unsure. Looking into his eyes at that moment she really felt as if they were kids again. So in love yet so afraid of one another to act on their feelings. Well, she wasn't going to be that little scared girl she once was all those years ago.

She smiles through her tears and whispered, 'I...want...you too.'

He froze. There was no way she was serious. Was she just trying to let him down easy?

Jon shook his head. "You can't mean that, Mary."

Mary nodded her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'I do mean it, Jon. I...want...you. Need you.' She made sure to keep her voice leveled, wanting to let him know she wasn't afraid. She stared directly into his eyes, her gaze never wavering.

His breath caught in his throat. Her confession made him feel slightly dizzy. Before he could realize what he was doing, he reached down and stroked her hair, just as he had in the video, just as he did all those years ago.

He'd wanted to kiss her then. Jon didn't care who was watching, even if it meant sharing an important moment with her with a few other people who would probably tease them about it.

This was so much better. They were all alone.

"Mary," he whispered, and lowered his head so that their faces were only inches apart. His lips brushed against hers and he shivered. Jon moved forward and gave her the kiss he'd wanted to give her that day, keeping it slow and sweet. He didn't want to kiss her like he kissed anyone else. This was his dream girl. She deserved to be cherished.

Mary held his face in her hands and whimpered as he kissed her. He kissed her so gently it made her shiver. He kept his kiss chaste and cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. His tongue slowly swiped over her lips, begging her for entrance. She opened her mouth and groaned as his tongue tentatively entered her mouth. She cautiously touched his tongue with his own and they both groaned at the contact. This is the kiss she has always dreamed of getting from him ever since she was a little girl.

She tore her lips away from his and whispered in his ear, 'Touch me...please. I need you. Always.'

He shivered at hearing her say the very words he'd always been aching to hear. Jon took a deep breath and propped himself on one arm, using his free hand to stroke her hair, moving down to run his fingers over her cheek. He could feel his heart pounding as he moved his hand lower, caressing her neck and gingerly touching the swell of her breasts over her bikini.

Mary arched into his touch and gasped out, 'More'.

Jon drew in a sharp breath. He wanted to be gentle, but if she kept this shit up, he'd lose all control.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered, moving his hand to her stomach, feeling her muscles jump at his touch. "I'll do anything, Mary."

Mary was overloaded with sensations. She was craving for more, but wanted to keep up the fantasy. She felt empowered every time he touched her. The way he looked at her made her feel as if she could do anything, be anybody.

She took his hand and placed it in between her legs, arching up into him, 'Here, it's aching for you. You're the only one I want...need...please.'

Unable to help himself, he pushed his fingers up against her, feeling her wetness through her swimsuit. "You sure?" he managed to ask, his voice low and grating with desire.

Mary whimpered and nodded as she felt his fingers touch her. He was torturing her. She needed more. She needed everything he had to offer. She needed him.

She squirmed against his fingers and cupped his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs over his lips, 'I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I...love you.'.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud. She didn't mean to utter those words so soon and break the fantasy. She knew he wanted her back then, but wasn't sure if he loved her yet as much as she loved him.

Mary closed her eyes and turned her head away in shame, 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...' She shook her head, at a loss for words to say.

Jon grinned, licking at her thumb. He knew what she meant. Mary loved him now and she loved him then...just as he loved her.

"Love you too. Been wanting to tell you that a long time," he said softly. He hoped she understood what he meant; that he'd missed her so much during their separation that it killed him, and that while they were still playing out this fantasy, he was telling her that he loved her so much when they were lovesick teenagers. It was the real deal even back then, and he knew it. He'd loved her since the moment he caught her in the rain. His love just grew and matured over the years.

"I wanted to kiss you earlier," he admitted, wanting to continue the fantasy. "When you touched my hair..." He smirked and looked away, feeling strangely shy even though he kept gently rubbing his fingers against her.

Tears fell from her eyes at his confession. She never knew he loved her back then. For the longest time she always thought she was alone in this. Never did she think she would experience the kind of love they shared. It transcended boundaries, time and distance. It surpassed insurmountable obstacles and long durations of time. This is what they were meant for. To love each other and be together like this...always.

She stroked the sides of his face and trailed them down to his neck to rest them upon his chest over his heart, 'You're so beautiful. Inside and out. Never thought I would have this.' She raised her hips against his hand and moaned, 'Love me...please.'

Jon reached down and slid her bikini bottoms to the side, running his finger along her entrance. He watched her carefully, studying her reaction as he gently pushed his fingers inside her, letting out a sigh when he felt how wet she was. Damn. She really did want this.

He worked his fingers inside her tight warmth, wanting to see her lose control. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, anticipating the taste of her.

Mary let out a startled gasp when she felt his fingers inside of her. He didn't go the way in. He moved his fingers around her walls experimentally, just as he did for their first time. She was so wet and ready for him, making his fingers move fluidly and effortlessly inside her. Her body demanded more, craved it but she was determined to play out the both of is what they should have been doing all along. They had wasted so much time, but not anymore. Never again.

She spread her legs wider, opening herself up to him as she gasped out, 'Jon...please...more...I need more.' She knew she sounded needy, but she was beyond caring at this point. She just needed him.

"You're so fucking sexy," Jon growled, pushing his fingers deeper inside her. "You drive me fucking crazy, you know that? God, every time you look at me..." He hissed and shoved his fingers in as deep as they could and rested his thumb on her clit, gently rubbing against it. "Fuck, you get me so hot, baby."

Mary grinded herself against his hand and let out a guttural groan, 'Oh God yeah. Just like that. ' She whimpered and bit her lip, 'Uh...yes...Jonny. Feels so good. You're the only one who gets me wet. All you have to do is look at me.' She let out what sounded like a gasp and a laugh when she said, 'Do you know how many pair of panties I have to change because of you? I have to keep a spare pair in my purse. Don't believe me. Check my purse the next time I get in your car. All you have to do is look at me and I'm ready for you.'

"Fuck," Jon groaned, and took his hand away from her. He smirked when she whimpered and arched up, demanding his touch again. "Don't worry, baby. Haven't even started with you yet." Jon pulled her bikini bottoms down and pulled them off her, throwing them aside. He leaned down and kissed at her thighs, reinserting his fingers in her and rubbing his thumb against her clit. She moaned and arched up, placing her legs on his back as he kissed his way closer to her entrance. "That's it, baby girl," he purred, moving his hand faster. "Fuck, I've wanted this for so long. Gonna get you close, baby girl, then I'm gonna taste you." Jon moaned and licked at her lower stomach. "I can't fucking wait, baby. Been wanting to taste you for years."

Mary nodded dumbly, 'Been needing it too. Your mouth on me.'

She threaded her fingers in his hair, gently tugging at the strands. He gently nipped and licked the insides of her thighs as he worked three of his fingers inside her. His thumbs teasingly swiped over her clit, making her hiss and whimper. She was tethering upon the edge. All she needed was that final push from him to get her there.

Mary had enough of his teasing. He was driving her fucking crazy. She tugged upon his hair forcefully to position his head

at her entrance, 'Want your mouth on me. Want your tongue inside me. Shit, I need it. Not afraid to ask anymore...please.'

Jon grinned. He'd always love the part of her that was sweet and innocent, but knowing he could bring out a side of her that was like this was incredible.

"Now." Mary was writhing on the bed, her fingers scratching his scalp. "Need it now, now, please."

Jon decided to tease her a little more and flicked his tongue against her clit a few times, making her jump in pleasure. He chuckled and moved down, sliding his tongue inside her along his fingers. She let out a guttural moan and spread her legs more, pushing against him. Jon slid his fingers out of her and rolled his tongue along her inner walls, savoring her taste. He licked up and kissed at her clit, then placed his mouth over it and began lapping against it. Mary started making all kinds of noises, whimpering and sobbing and moaning all at the same time. He slid his fingers back inside her and kept flicking his tongue at her, alternating it with small sucks.

It was even better than his fantasy. When he thought of doing this as a kid, he'd come so hard just thinking about tasting her, but now he could control himself. He concentrated on getting her off, delighting in the sounds he was causing her to make.

Mary eyes were closed as she writhed and moaned against the bed. She took her hands out of his hair and gripped the bedsheets in her fists. She lifted her hips in sync to the movements he was making with his fingers and tongue. She was so wet she could feel it gushing out her. She had enough semblance of control to look down at him and moaned at the sight of him. His eyes were closed in pleasure and his mouth was covering her entire mound. He was devouring her. When she was young she always dreamed of him doing this to her. Even that day in the video. The sudden realization that this was real and no longer a fantasy brought tears to her eyes.

She tried to put her orgasm off for as long as she could, but the things he was doing with his lips, tongue, hands and teeth made it damn near impossible for her to hold back any longer.

Mary's breath was coming out in ragged harsh gasps and she was shaking like a leaf. She tightly wrapped her legs around his neck as he bit and sucked her clit into his mouth.

Her eyes popped open and she cried out his name, 'Fuck, I'm coming...oh...yeah...oh god...don't stop...please'

Jon moaned and sucked at her, rolling his tongue against her hard little nub. He remembered the day of that party when Mary was helping Kasey, he kept looking at her, even when he was talking to some random chick, but Mary ignored him and focused on cleaning up. He'd wanted so badly to take her into one of Cody's guest rooms and pleasure her like this. He wanted her to lose control and to tell him how good he felt and how she wanted him. He wanted to make her come and hear her scream his name.

Jon kept at her, his hands resting on her hips as he worked her towards her orgasm.

Mary's head thrashed from side to side as she mumbled incoherently. She was overwhelmed with sensations. His touches and caresses went straight to her very soul. For years she had needed this from him so they were driving somewhere in his car. There were so many times she wanted to ask him to pull the car over and place his face between her legs. Now she had this. She had it forever.

She let out a choked sob as her hands slapped the bed. She braced her hands against the headboard, needing something to hold onto as the most intense orgasm she has ever had assaulted her body.

She gyrated her hips against his hand and moaned aloud, 'Holy fuck, Jon. I'm coming so hard. I'm gonna scream. Oh God. I'm gonna scream for you, baby.'

Jon growled into her, sucking harder and tightening his grip on her waist, wanting to keep her steady so he could keep tasting her. He dug his nails into her soft skin and gave her everything he had, wanting her to come so hard she forgot her own name.

Mary screamed so loud her wails of pleasure bounced off the walls. Every single time he inserted his fingers in and out of she arched her back. His hands rubbed against her swollen clit, making her feel dizzy and lightheaded. He continued sucking and licking at her after her first orgasm and it looked as if he weren't stopping anytime soon.

She was so turned on she ejaculated in spurts all over his face. She has enough reasoning of mind to gasp out, 'Do you like me wetting all over your face?'

Jon responded by raking his nails down her lower back, making her arch up even more. He kept at her, wanting her to come again. They were half in their fantasy and half making up for lost time, ready to devour each other again.

She was close again, he could feel it. He wanted her to lose it completely with him. He _needed _it.

Mary let out another shriek and sat up in the bed. She held onto his head and clutched at his hair. She could feel another orgasm hitting her even stronger than before. Her entire body felt as if it were in flames. Her skin tingled and burned and her body was flush with sweat. No matter how many times he has done this to her, it always felt like the first time. It just kept getting better and better.

She remained sitting up in the bed as she hunched over his body. She bent down and kissed his head, gasping out, 'Oh God. Oh God. Baby, feels so good. You feel so good...love you.' Her entire body was convulsing as she screamed out, 'Oh God! Don't stop, Jon! Oh God!'

He moaned at the feel of her hands in his hair, remembering how turned on he was that day just by feeling her fingers touching a part of him. He'd always loved it when she stroked his hair or ran her fingers through it. It was the way she touched him, like he was someone special, not just some guy she was fucking. He could feel the way she loved him, even when he was too scared to realize it.

Mary screamed in pleasure and Jon moaned again, licking and sucking at her. He loved knowing he was the only one who'd see her this way. It was a goddamn privilege.

Mary collapsed on the bed and shrieked and wailed. She was losing herself in him. Her mind was hazy, her breathing was erratic. Her heart was pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears. She was surrendering herself to him, just as she had many times before. He was the only one she ever wanted to give herself to completely. She wanted this from him even that day, but was too afraid to act on it. She always thought he would never see her or want her like that, but he did and she had him...forever

She weakly pushed at his forehead, whispering, 'Come on up here. Wanna look at you. Wanna feel you.'

Jon kissed up her stomach and quickly removed her bikini top, nuzzling and suckling at her breasts. She sighed and purred, running her fingers through his hair and gave him a lazy grin when he propped himself up and gazed down at her.

"So beautiful," he murmured, and began moving against her, hissing when he felt his cock against her wetness. "Fuck...want

you to touch me, baby...want your hand on me...please..."

Mary nodded and bit her lip, 'Yeah.' She ducked her head shyly, 'Been dreaming about what you taste like.' She gave him a small smile, 'Tell me if I'm doing it right...okay?' He nodded and stroked her hair, not saying a word for he didn't want to scare her or make her unsure of herself.

She bent her head down and slowly took him inside of her mouth. She licked the tip of him, swirling her tongue around experimentally. She groaned around him at the taste of his precum. She relaxed her jaw and opened her mouth as wide as it could go as she grasped him gently and took him all the way in. She gagged when he hit the back of her throat, but she ignored the feeling, wanting to give him as much pleasure as she could. She wanted to do this for him ever since she was a kid and now she knew he wanted just as much She wanted to make sure she gave him the fantasy, just as he envisioned it.

Mary looked up at him and smirked around him. His arm was thrown over his eyes and his other hand was in her hair, scratching at her scalp as he ran his fingers through her hair. He was chanting her name, mumbling incoherently. She released him from her mouth and he whimpered. She gently stroked him as she stroked the tip of him, swirling the precum around it.

Mary looked up at him wearily and whispered, 'Am I doing this okay?'

"Yeah," Jon gasped, thrusting his hips up. "Fuck...your mouth feels so good, baby girl. You're so fucking sexy." He licked his lips and groaned. "More, baby...please. I'll tell ya when to stop." He grinned at her. "There's somethin' I wanna do before we're done."

Mary gazed up at him curiously and grinned. She took him back in her mouth, taking him in as far as he could go. She swallowed him down and gently grazed her teeth along the sides of him while swirling her tongue around him. She used one hand to stroke him, while cupping his balls with the other.

She slowly licked the length of him and released him out of her mouth while still stroking him as whispered, 'What else can I do for you, baby? How can I make you feel good?'

Jon sat up and stroked her face. "I wanna..." He swallowed, feeling nervous as hell. Shit, it was like he was actually nineteen again, and got the chance he'd been aching for that day. "I wanna make love to you. I wanna be your first. Your real first." He stroked her hair and stared at her imploringly. "If you don't want to that's okay, but I'll go slow. I'll be gentle. Anything you want. I love you, Mary."

Mary had tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. All of the sudden it felt as if she were sixteen years old again. She was so in love with him then just as she was now. The love she had for him just got even stronger and more powerful as the years waned on. She had always wanted him to be her first. Well, the one that counted anyway. That Summer day when they were teenagers she ached and yearned for him. He always had her heart, mind, body and soul. She belonged to him and no one else and was going to show him.

She smiled through her tears and continued stroking him as she looked up at him, 'I want that. I always wanted that...yes. You have me, Jon. You have me forever. I love you so much. I wanna make you feel good. Just lie there and let me love you.' She took him in her mouth again and began sucking him down.

"Oh god..." Jon shuddered at her acceptance and the feel of her mouth on him. "Baby..."

Mary licked along his tip, flicking her tongue against the slit there. Jon lay on his back and moaned, running his hands through her hair. That moment at the barbeque caught on camera was a moment of pure weakness. At first he'd hoped that her act of running her hands through his hair was something she couldn't help. For a second he thought he'd turn to her and she'd give him that sweet shy grin, and would admit to wanting him. Instead, she'd flicked dandelion dust in the wind and nonchalantly explained that she didn't want him walking around with weeds on his head.

His heart broke at that. It had been just another reminder that Mary would never want him they way he wanted her. It was too much for Jon to bear, so when she looked away he'd reached up and touched her, his pulse quickening when his fingers caressed her soft strands. She'd been surprised and frowned, feeling at her hair, looking for bits of flower that wasn't there. Jon was sure she saw the desire and adoration in his eyes and looked away, humiliated.

Later in the pool, he couldn't help but touch her again. He teased her and pulled her close after dragging her in the pool, the water hiding his flushed skin when she giggled and squirmed against him. Somehow he managed not to kiss her, but he was desperate to keep touching her, to feel her...

That night he'd imagined the day ending like this, him pleasing her and her pleasing him, and she'd tell him she loved him, and he'd get to be inside her, to feel her come...

Mary kept working on him as he remembered the emotions of that day and he groaned, feeling his climax start to build in his stomach. "Baby...baby girl, stop. Oh god...need to stop now, baby."

She pulled her mouth off of him and pouted slightly. "I wanna keep doing that."

Jon chuckled. Fuck, she was sexy. "You keep doing that, I'm not gonna get to do what I really want." He sat up and kissed her slowly, enjoying the taste of both of them. "How do you wanna do this?" Jon asked softly, caressing her cheek. "I can be on top, or you can ride me...either way we'll start slow, okay?" He smiled and brought up his other hand, cupping her face in his hands. "Anything you want, baby girl. Anything. I love you so much. I wanna make you feel good."

Mary got on her knees and crawled up his body to sit on his chest. She stroked his face and leaned up to run her fingers through his hair, swiping his hair back away from his forehead to stare into his eyes. He was so beautiful to her. His eyes, so blue yet whenever he got emotional they would become a dark shade of green. These were the eyes that had stolen her freedom so many years ago. There was once a time when she didn't like the idea of belonging to anyone, but with him she didn't mind so much. She loved him. He belonged to her just as much as she belonged to him. They belonged to each other and always will.

She lightly ran her fingertips over his face, tracing the contours. Tears fell down her face as she looked into his eyes, awed by his rugged beauty.

Mary smiled through her tears and ran her hands down his face and trailed them down his neck to rest them on his chest, 'I want you on top. I wanna feel your skin against me when you're inside me. I...always wanted that.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'When...he would touch me...I was...so...scared and...cried the whole time...' She closed her eyes and cringed, 'He...liked it when I cried...made him go...harder. I would close my eyes and pretend it was you. It didn't make me scared anymore or...cry cause it was you.' She shook her head sadly, 'That's the wrong thing to say now, but I just wanted ya to know that.' She covered her face and began sobbing, 'Never thought I would get the real...thing.'

Jon sobbed at her confession and held her close. "You got me now, baby girl. Always, okay? No one's gonna hurt you again. I swear it." He kissed her forehead and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm gonna make you feel good, Mary. I swear it." Jon smiled and stroked her hair. "You ready?"

Mary nodded and smiled as tears fell from her eyes. She wasn't scared or sad unlike all those times with...him. She always dreaded it and hated it. She always associated sex with pain, never pleasure, but this wasn't like those other times. This wasn't just sex they were having. This was the act of making love in the most carnal way possible. This was not just their bodies that were connecting tonight. It was their hearts and souls.

She rolled off of him and laid down on her back, opening her arms and legs for him as she stared up at him with love and adoration, 'I'm ready, Jon. Make...love to me. Give me...good memories.' Tears fell from her eyes and she smiled, hoping he remembered these were the same words she uttered to him when they made love for the first time.

He smiled, remembering that day. He'd been so fucking nervous and excited to finally make love to her, but it was perfect. Every time with her was perfect.

If they'd made love that day in the summer, it would have been just as terrifying and wonderful. She was the only one who could bring him to his knees.

Jon rested his elbows on either side of her and leaned over her, cupping her face in his hands. "I want you, Mary," he whispered, remembering what he told her the night they finally gave into their love for each other. "Do you want me? I need to hear you say it." The desperation in his voice wasn't anything new; he'd always need to hear her say how much she loved and wanted him. It blew him away every time he heard her say those things. He never thought he'd get to be with her and live out his fantasy every day.

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer to her. She held his face in her hands and stared up at him, unable to believe this incredible, wonderful, amazing, captivating and strong man was finally hers in every way possible.

She stared directly into his eyes, making sure he saw the love and desire in them, 'I want you, Jon. I need you...always. I love you so much I feel as if I'm drowning in it.' She arched her hips, brushing her sex against his cock and they both hissed at the contact, 'Make love to me.' She whimpered, 'God...please get inside me.'

Jon gazed down at her with wonder. How did he get so lucky?

"I love you so much, Mary," he whispered. "I'm gonna take care of you, I swear it."

She smiled at his words and stroked his hair. "I know."

He took a deep breath and positioned himself against her. This was the moment that drove him crazy in his fantasies. Just imagining that first push into her always made him moan, and he'd bury his face in a pillow to muffle the sound.

But now it was real, and he was getting to live out the fantasy he wanted when he was a lovesick nineteen year old.

"Please," Mary whispered, squeezing his biceps. "Please, I need to feel you."

"And I need to feel you," Jon murmured, and began pushing himself inside her. Her tight warmth gripped him and her wetness let him slide in easily. "_Oh god_..." He leaned on top of her and moaned in her ear, shuddering as he slid in as far as he could go.

Mary arched her back and let out a long throaty moan when she felt him slide inside her. She could never get over the exquisite feeling. Every single time he pushed inside her it felt like the first time every time. She felt so full, so loved and cherished. This wasn't about the physical act itself. It never was. It was being intertwined in a way that went beyond two bodies joined together. It was their souls being being bound together for eternity. Jon and Mary. Forever and always. She used to daydream about this while she lie in bed at night or sat in class. It was this she fantasized about when she would touch herself and come so hard she would have to bite into her pillow to muffle her screams. But this wasn't some dream where she woke up sweating and shaking. This was real. She would have this forever. Have him.

She tightened her legs around him and whispered in his ear, 'More...please..need it. Love you so fucking much it hurts. Take the ache away.'

Jon took a deep breath and began moving. Even though they'd been together many times, each time was incredible. He would never get used to being inside her.

"You're perfect," he murmured, and kissed her forehead. "Been in love with you for so long. Never thought ya wanted me like this."

Mary stroked his back and kissed his neck, moaning softly as he slowly moved in and out of her. He held her as if she were made of glass, as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him. Never did she think anyone would treat her like this, look at her the way he does and love her like this. It's a tingle she feels whenever she looks at him. When she looks into his eyes and feels him inside her, it's love pure and simple.

She sighed into his neck, breathing him in and whispered, 'Never thought I would get this with you. Always thought ya saw me as a friend, like your ...sister.'

Jon grinned at her. "Never saw you as my sister. Always saw you as my girl. Even before we met." He moved faster and moaned. "Fuck...you feel so damn good." He licked his lips and sighed at the feel of her slick walls around him. "So good, baby." Jon gazed at her half-lidded, nearly lost in his desire. Mary kept squeezing his shoulders and making these soft little

moans with every thrust of his cock. "You feelin' okay?" Jon whispered, caressing her forehead with his fingertips.

Mary nodded, small smile forming upon her face, 'God, yes. You never have to ask me that, sweetheart. You always feel good to me...always.' She squeezed her eyes shut as he kept himself inside of her and slowly grinded himself against her, 'You feel so good. Feel you everywhere.'

She kissed his neck, licking the sweat off his skin and gently bit the vein pulsing at his neck. She licked it, feeling his heart pounding against her tongue, 'You taste so good. Love you so much.'

"I love you, baby girl," Jon murmured. This was just as he'd imagined it all those years ago. She felt amazing, she was loving having him inside her, and she told him she wanted him. That she loved him. It was so intense that he shivered.

Jon moved a hand down her chest, resting it on her lower abdomen where he was nestled inside her. "Feel that?"

She managed a nod and gasped as he gently pushed his hand against her, thrusting inside her as far as he could go.

"I'm inside ya, baby. I'm deep in you. What you're feeling, that's us. You and me, always." He grinned at her and rolled his hips against her. "Feels so good, baby girl." He slid his hand up and cupped her face. "I love being inside you," he whispered in her ear, and licked at her neck.

Mary tightened her legs around him as she scratched her nails down his back She dug her heels into his ass as she rose her hips up to match his thrusts. She groaned his name each time he thrust into her. Her eyes rolled in please as he sucked and bit at her neck.

She cupped his face in her hands and stared into his eyes, seeing so much love in them she physically shuddered underneath him. He was everything to her and always has been. He was her angel and saved her in every way a person can be saved.

Mary smiled softly and brushed his hair away from his face. She smiled softly and whispered, 'I am so in love with you.' She looked away shyly and grinned, 'I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I wanna be your...wife one day.'

"You will be." He grinned. "I guarantee that, baby girl. I'm never letting you go. Never." Jon kissed her and buried his fingers in her hair. "I'm so in love with you, Mary. I wanna make you happy." He began giving her short thrusts, not quite filling her up, and smirked as she whimpered and tried to arch up and get more of him. "I wanna make you feel good," Jon growled, and shoved himself in as deep and as hard as he could.

Mary groaned aloud as he moved in and out her in deep thrusts. He was moving at a steady rhythm, but she needed more. Wanted more. Her body demanded it. She wanted all he could give her. She wanted to please him. She didn't want to deny him of anything.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and bit her lip, gazing up at him shyly from under her lashes, 'Can I...ride you now? Always dreamed of doing that with you.

"God yes," Jon groaned, and licked at her neck. "I've wanted that too." He slipped out of her and rolled on his back, reaching for her.

Mary climbed over him, sitting on his thighs. She looked down at him and bit her lower lip, running her hands over his chest. "It's gonna feel different, isn't it?"

Jon nodded and stroked her arms. "I'm gonna get deeper in you, baby girl."

She took a deep breath. "Oh, wow..."

"Start slow...I'd never do anything to hurt you, baby." He reached up and stroked her cheek. "I love you, Mary."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Okay, I trust you.'

Taking a deep breath she gently grabbed his cock and positioned him at her entrance. She gazed into his eyes and smiled shyly as she took him inside her, sliding down inside her inch by inch. They both groaned aloud when she was buried to the hilt. She braced her hands upon his chest and began swirling her hips, grinding upon him experimentally. He grasped her hips and slowly arched his hips as she moved, bringing himself deeper inside her. His moans and whimpers made her bolder and more confident. She began moving up and down upon him as she put her hands in her hair, gently tugging the strands as she rode him at a steadfast pace. He was so deep inside her she could feel him hitting her cervix. It made her feel full and complete. Her eyes were closed and her hands were in her hair as she bit her lip to stifle her cries of pleasure.

Mary opened her eyes and found him staring up at her with an intense look in his eyes. She shook her head in bafflement, 'What? What's the matter?' She averted her eyes downward, feeling self-conscious, 'Am I doing this wrong? Told ya I never did this before. Ya can...get back on top of if ya want.'

Jon shook his head. "No, you're perfect. God, you're absolutely perfect." He reached up and ran his hands over her breasts, her stomach, her hips. "You're so beautiful, baby. So sexy. You're like a dream." Jon grinned at her and rolled his hips. "How does it feel, baby girl? Ya like riding me?"

Mary bit her lip and nodded her head. She leaned over her, her breast dangling in his face. He leaned up and suckled and licked them, causing her to cry out. Regardless if this was a fantasy or not, he always knew her breasts were the most sensitive part of her during sex.

She bucked her hips and arched her back, bringing him deeper inside her. She let out a guttural groan and closed her eyes, 'Fuck yeah. I love riding you. You get so deep inside me. Feels like you're tearing me apart. I fucking love this. Wanna do this every day. I love you...oh god...so much'.

"Me too," Jon gasped, thrusting up into her. "Fuck, you feel so good. You're so damn tight and wet. You were made for me, baby." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder, kissing and licking at her neck as she rode him. She squeezed him with her inner muscles and he growled, gently scraping his nails down her lower back. "_Fuck_...god, baby,

you drive me fucking wild."

Mary put her hands in his hair, forcefully tugging at the strands as she rode him furiously. She scratched her nails down his back and buried her face in his neck.

She licked the sweat off the side of his face and whispered, 'I need more, Jon. Fuck, I love you so damn much. I need more. What do you want? I'll give you anything you want. Do anything. Fuck, I'm yours. All yours.'

Jon bit at her shoulder and licked at her skin. It was moving beyond their fantasy now, and his lust for her was going wild. He'd spent almost a year without her and felt like he was fucking dying. Now she was back. _They_ were back. All those nights alone or with nameless, useless rats were like torture since he couldn't have the woman he wanted.

"I wanna do everything," Jon growled, digging his nails into her hips and pulling her down forcefully on his cock. "I wanna have you in every way possible. You gonna let me do that? Gonna let me fuck you every way I can?"

Mary bit into his neck and soothed the wound with her tongue. She was through with the fantasy. For over a year she has spent alone with only her hands to satisfy her. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. Afterwards she didn't feel satiated. She felt empty, cold and alone.

She grinded herself against him as hard as she could and whispered in his ear, 'I don't want the fantasy anymore. Now I just wanna fuck. Do whatever the hell ya want to me, baby. I'm all fucking yours.'

Jon bit at her neck. "I wanna fuck my wife," he growled, and pushed her off him. Before she could react, he pulled her down and positioned her on all fours, then entered her from behind and began riding her hard.

"Fuck, you feel good." Jon took a deep breath and dragged his nails down her back. "I missed this, baby. Missed having you. Love you so much it's like I'm fucking crazy. I fucking hated being without you. Never again. _Never_." He snarled and grabbed at her hair, pulling it back. "Ya hear me? Never again. I'm yours and you're mine. I'm gonna spend my life loving you and fucking you. You're _mine_."

Mary let out what sounded like a gasp and a moan as he pulled her hair. She leaned up on her knees and grinded into him as hard as she could. She shrieked and wailed as he pounded into her over and over.

She slightly chuckled and looked at him over her shoulder, 'After a year without each other this is all I get? Damn, I think you're getting rusty in your old age.'

He narrowed his eyes and pulled out of her, then lay down and smirked as she glared at him. "Just for that, you put that smart little mouth of yours on my cock. Make it up to me and maybe I'll fuck your pussy again. Or your ass." He chuckled as she crawled over to him. "Unless you can't handle that."

Mary smirked and gazed at him from under her lashes, 'Baby, I can take whatever you give me...anything.'

She grabbed his cock and tugged it forcefully, making him hiss. She spit a generous amount of saliva on his cock and used it to stroke him. She swiped the precum off the tip of his cock with her thumb and licked it off, grinning at him without saying a word. She put him all the way in her mouth and sucked on him as hard as she could while cupping his balls with her

other hand. She could taste herself on him and it turned her on even more.

Mary took her hands off his balls to insert two fingers inside of her pussy. She moaned around his cock and released him with a pop, 'This turning ya on, baby? Fingering myself while sucking you off?'

"You know it, baby," Jon growled. "C'mon...I didn't tell ya to stop."

Mary smirked and laid back on the bed, resting upon her elbows as she stared up at him.

She ran a hand through her hair and faked a yawn, 'This is kinda boring. I invited you into my home and it's all about you.' She rolled her eyes, 'You've gotten really fucking egotistical this past year.'

Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "I seem to remember spending a lot of time getting you off earlier. Actually, you came more than once. So fair is fair." He began stroking himself and closed his eyes, sighing. "You gonna make me take care of myself, baby?"

Mary chuckled, 'I don't 's in it for me?'

Jon grinned. "Maybe I'll return the favor. I'll bet I can make you squirt again."

Mary's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp. She sat up and crawled over to kneel in front of her husband. She stroked the sides of his face and put her hands in his hair to brush his hair back.

She sighed, 'Mmm, you are so fucking sexy, baby.' She ran her eyes up and down him appreciatively and whispered in his ear, 'Do you know how many times I came over the past year fucking myself thinking of you?' She smirked, 'Right in this very bed.'

"Less talking," Jon growled, and pushed her over so she lay on her back. "More fun," he hissed, and moved down between her legs and stuck his tongue in her as deep as it would go.

Mary let out a loud drawn out groan when she felt his tongue deep inside her. She spread her legs as wide as they could go, giving him better access. Not wanting to come again quite yet, she clamped her legs shut and put her foot on his chest to gently push him off of her.

Jon looked up at her startled and she smirked at him, 'I wanna come again when you're fucking me. ' She got up from the bed and crawled over to him. She grabbed his cock and tugged it forcefully, causing him to hiss, 'Where do you wanna put this beautiful cock, hmm? '

He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her down. "Suck me off, and then if you're good enough, I'm gonna fuck your ass. But first you suck me. Now."

Mary grinned and nodded her head. She took his cock in her hands and stroked and squeezed him, loving the way he moaned for her. She put him in her mouth and scraped her teeth along the ridged veins of his cock as she went all the way down. She looked up at him and grinned. His head was thrown back and his eyes were rolled back in his head as he muttered her name. She kept on sucking him and squeezed and stroked him as she licked his cock from top to bottom.

She cupped his balls in her hand and licked them before she took each one in her mouth and rolled them around her tongue. He arched his hips in the air as generous amounts of precum spurted out of him. He ran shaky hands through his hair as she continued sucking him. She spit on his cock and he was slick, hard and heavy in her hands. She intently watched him, loving how crazy and out of control she could make him. She had to admit, it was a heady kind of power she felt whenever she could make him lose control. She felt so goddamn honored he trusted her enough to let his guard down with her. It made her love him even more.

Mary released him out of her mouth and looked up at him, whispering, 'Am I earning that fuck in the ass so far, baby?'

"Fuck yeah," Jon rasped, and reached for her, pulling her up for a deep kiss. He rolled them both so they were on their sides, positioning himself behind her and biting at her shoulder and neck. "You got me so close, almost came in your mouth. Good thing I learned how to control myself with you, baby girl." Jon pushed himself into her, bracing her carefully and moving a hand down her front, inserting two fingers in her pussy. "Gonna feel me everywhere," he hissed into her ear, and slowly positioning himself in her ass.

Mary moaned as she felt him insert two fingers inside her. She let out a choked sob when she felt his cock in between her ass cheeks. He didn't put himself all the way inside her. He kept the tip halfway inserted. It was as if he were afraid to go all the way in, almost as if he was waiting for her permission.

She squirmed against him and whispered, 'Jon, it's okay. You can do it. It's been a while so go gentle...okay?'

He rested his forehead on her shoulder and nodded. "You want me to get something? I don't wanna hurt you...but you got me so wet I don't think it'll be a problem." Jon slid in a little further and paused when Mary gasped. "Baby girl, we don't have to do this..."

Mary shook her head. "It's...god, it's good. Just give me a second, Jon. Almost forgot how big you are."

Jon chuckled and swirled his fingers inside her, her wetness getting them slick. He slid the tip of his thumb in her, getting it wet, and rubbed his thumb against her clit as he curled his fingers against her inner walls. "That feel good, baby girl?"

Mary nodded and moaned, 'Fuck yeah. My God you feel so good.' She reached down and inserted a finger inside of her pussy to join his three that were already deeply embedded in her. She grinded against him as he pushed himself inside of her in deep steady strokes.

She whimpered and groaned, 'Yeah, baby.I love you so much. So much. I missed you. Missed this. I would fuck myself so hard thinking of you fucking me like this.' She arched against him, gasping out, 'More give me more. Fuck give me with all

ya got, baby.'

Jon sunk his teeth into her neck and shoved himself inside her as deep as he could go, then licked at ear when she moaned and squirmed against him. "How's that feel, baby girl? You're the only woman who's had me this way. You feel good knowing that, baby? That you're the only one I wanted like this? You're fucking perfect around me. Tell me how it feels for you." He forcefully rubbed her clit and breathed into her ear. "Answer me."

Mary grinded her ass against him and groaned into the pillow, 'Fuck, feels so fucking good. I feel you everywhere. It's like you're tearing me apart. It...hurts...but in a good way.' She closed her eyes and groaned, 'Shit, gets me so wet when your balls slap against my pussy. Gets me off, baby.'

Jon ran his tongue up the back of her neck, groaning at the taste of her sweat. "You feel how much I missed you, baby? How much I missed being inside your tight little body? Fuck, I need to fill you up everywhere. Gotta remind every inch of you who you belong to. Who belongs in you. It's me, isn't it, baby?" He tugged on her hair. "Tell me. Tell me it's me."

Mary nodded dumbly. Her mind was so addled with lust she could hardly form a coherent sentence. She arched against him, needing more of him. He was so deep inside her she could feel him everywhere, but she craved more. Needed it like the air she breathed.

She gasped for air and whispered raggedly, 'It's you...always you." She closed her eyes moaning when he squeezed her clit, 'Holy shit, you're getting me off. Feel so fucking good. Tell me, baby. How's it feel after all this time?'

"Feels..." He spoke directly in her ear, keeping his voice to a low growl. "Feels like I'm drowning in you. Always felt like suffocation, baby. Like I'm home. Feels like I'm burning. Like I'm fucking dying and being reborn in your body. That's what

you feel like." He licked along her ear and rubbed at her harder. "Know what it feels like when I feel you come?"

Mary leaned up and bit and sucked at his neck, licking the sweat that was pouring down from it. She moaned at the spicy and sweet taste of him and whispered against his throat, 'What, baby? Tell me what it feels like.'

Jon grinned and sucked at her earlobe before answering. "Well, when I've got my tongue on you, it feels like I'm in the sweetest ocean...when I'm in your pussy, it's like you're pulling me in deep, I can feel you squeeze against me and it's so wet, so warm...and when I'm in your ass..." Jon dragged his teeth along Mary's neck. "...Like now, baby...it feels like a tightness that's just for me. You squeeze me here too." He thrust up and groaned. "Fuck...you got me dripping already, baby. Got me wet. You feel it?"

Mary nodded and let out a guttural groan, 'Fuck yeah. I can. Love it when you fill me up.' She swirled her hips against him, making them hiss in pleasure, 'Shit, you're so fucking big. Feels like you're breaking me in half. Fucking love it, baby.' She licked her lips and moaned, 'Love the taste of your come. Better than fucking ice cream baby.' She grinded as hard as she could against him and sighed, 'Shit, need you to go harder.' She whimpered and whispered in a pleading tone,' Want it as fucking rough as you can give it to me, baby. Fuck I need it. Been so long since I've been fucked. God, I'm so fucking horny for you, baby.'

Jon growled and rolled her on her back. He pulled out of her ass and buried himself in her pussy and began moving harder and deeper inside her. He kept working her with one hand and used the other to pull on her hair. "You're the only one that can handle me, you know that? No one else comes close. You're fucking perfect, Mary. I'm so in love with you. I'm like a fucking madman, I can't stop wanting you all the fucking time. You're all fucking mine. Gonna feel me for days." He pushed harder into her, grunting and moaning.

Mary tightly wrapped her legs around his waist and scratched her nails down his back hard enough to draw blood. His head snapped back and he hissed, his eyes rolling in please. He kept her hair in his tight closed fist, tugging upon it forcefully. She let out a sound between a moan and a chuckle as he furiously pounded into her. She loved having him this way. She loved knowing she was the only one who can make him lose control like this. He loved her enough to show her his vulnerability and she loved him enough to surrender to him. They were one another's equals in every sense of the word. They belonged together in every way possible.

She bit his neck and ran her tongue over the teeth marks she left there, soothing the sting. She bit his earlobe and whispered, 'Fuck, baby. I am so fucking in love with you. You fucking get me so hot. Give it to me harder, baby. Come on. I won't break. I'm all fucking yours.' She thrust up against him and squeezed her pussy lips around his cock, making him gasp, 'Just as you're mine. Come on. Want it harder. Want you to fuck me so hard you forget your own name.'

"Love you," he gasped, and gripped her shoulders tight, holding her in place as he rode her as hard as he could. She screamed and flailed under him, her body fluttering and shuddering around him. Jon groaned and buried his face in her shoulder, his cock jerking with every tight squeeze.

"Fuck...oh baby girl...shit...you're gonna make me come if you keep doing that," Jon mumbled, feeling his release start to build.

Mary scratched her nails down his back and grinned against his neck, whispering in his ear, 'Come, baby. Want you to come. Come in my mouth. Love you so much. Wanna taste you. Missed it so much.'

Jon managed a nod and kept driving into her. "Fuck...ride me, baby girl. You can suck me off when I come. I wanna feel you ride me."

Mary managed a nod through her lust filled haze. She roughly pushed him off of her and quickly crawled on top of him. She impaled herself upon him and they both screamed aloud at the contact. She grabbed the headboard and grinded herself on top of him, riding him as fast as she could.

She arched her back, bringing him deeper inside her and looked down upon him grinning, 'You like that, baby? Shit, you're cock feel so fucking good. How's my pussy treatin ya, baby?'

Jon moaned and reached up to fondle her breasts, his orgasm quickly approaching. "So fucking good...I'm close, baby...fuck, so close...you're so good, so good..."

Mary took her hands of the headboard and rolled off of him and they both sighed at the disconnection.

She laid on her back and spread her legs as wide as they could go, opening herself to him, 'Get on top of me so I can suck you off, baby. I want you to finger fuck me so we can come together.'

Jon rolled over and kneeled over her, reaching back to shove three fingers into her while she sucked him off. "Oh fuck..." With his free hand Jon grabbed a handful of her hair and held her in place, feeling the burn in his stomach extend all over his body. "Oh fuck, oh fuck..._fuck_!" He arched his back and growled as he shot in her mouth, grunting with pleasure as she sucked him down.

Mary kept a firm grip on his cock as she swallowed him down. She gagged slightly as his seed hit the back of her throat. She was convulsing underneath him as her orgasm hit her at full force as she sucked him down. She arched her hips, bringing his hands deeper inside of her as they rode out their orgasms together. As they subsided, Jon collapsed on top of her, making sure to rest on his elbows as not to crush her with his weight.

Jon rested his head upon her chest as he shivered. She stroked his back and hair soothingly as they both lie there, getting their breathing under control. They said not a word. They just lie there listening to one another's heartbeats, reveling in the comfort of finally being together after all this time.

He was lost in a lustful haze, coming down from an amazing orgasm as his beautiful wife held him. His life made sense again.

Mary sighed and gently moved a bit, and suddenly recorded conversations filled the room. "Oh shit, I think I hit the play button." She giggled softly and reached for the remote. "Oh...wait."

Their teenage voices picked up, and Jon glanced at the screen. Kasey must have set the camera down again. He could see a steady picture of him and Mary standing in front of each other, both looking down as the adults faded in the background.

_"Did ya have fun today?" Jon mumbled, pulling at his ponytail._

_Mary nodded and glanced up at him. "Yeah. You probably gotta go, though, right?" She frowned and looked away, staring at a girl in the background. Jon stared in shock. He remembered talking to the girl after the party, when Mary kept ignoring him and focusing on helping Kasey clean up._

_The teenage Jon stared at Mary in shock, then looked down, his eyes lowered in hurt. "I guess. Thought maybe we could hang out or something."_

_Mary shrugged. "I got summer reading to do."_

_Jon nodded and stepped back, blinking rapidly. "Sure. Want a ride home?"_

_"Nah. I'm gonna finish up some stuff here. Kasey can take me home." Mary took a deep breath and ran a shaking hand through her hair. "You go ahead. I'll see ya later, okay?"_

_Jon shrugged, then turned and walked away, his features darkening in anger and pain._

He remembered that. God, it had hurt like hell to have her reject him. He'd gone home and smoked a few cigarettes, then his lust took over and he lost himself in a fantasy.

"Oh god." Mary held him tighter, rubbing his back. "God, I was so stupid. We both were."

Jon buried his head in her chest and sighed shakily. It was too much. All this past rejection, all the pain...he couldn't do it anymore. He had to have her in his life. If he didn't have Mary, all he had was pain. A never-ending cycle of pain.

Mary had tears in her eyes as she stared at the screen. She shook her head and released a shaky sigh. She stroked his back and leaned down to kiss his head. What they put each other through. They had tortured themselves, thinking they were doing the right thing by staying away from each other. When in actuality all they were doing was causing each other pain. They needed each other. They loved one another as much as two people could. They had wasted so much time dwelling upon the bad that they never took the time to realize how good they had it. They had love, but refused to see it. They let their fears stand in the way of what they truly wanted, which was each other. But not anymore. They were together and that's all that mattered.

She continued kissing his head while stroking his back. Guilt overwhelmed her as she sobbed into his messy head of hair, 'I'm so sorry, baby. So sorry I thought you wanted time alone with that girl. I was so young and foolish. I didn't know. I didn't understand. I loved you so much then. I cried myself to sleep that night because I loved you so much. I still do.'

Jon nodded and pawed at her chest, his body shaking. Tears stung his eyes, but he didn't want to lose it in front of her. He'd done that enough. He just needed her to hold him, to love him forever.

Mary stroked his back and kissed the crown of his head. She rested her head upon his own as tears fell down her cheeks, wetting his hair. It was not as if he would notice. He was far too preoccupied with his own sadness. She closed her eyes and sobbed softly as she held him. She loved this man with every fiber of her being. His love swept over her, taking her over. It consumed her. There was once a time she cursed his love, thinking she was weak and powerless to him, but she wasn't going to run away anymore. She was no longer afraid of this love. Not anymore.

She smiled through her tears, knowing what would soothe him, 'I'm comin...home...I'm comin home. I've been to the Rockies...I've seen Saskatoon...I've driven down the highway one just knowing that I'll be home soon...but I'd rather wake up beside you...breathing that old familiar smell... '

Jon took a deep breath and climbed up her body, covering her face with soft kisses. He ran his fingers through her hair, gazing down at her with reverence. "You're my wife," he murmured, and smiled through his tears. "My beautiful wife."

Mary smiled through her own tears and nodded, stroking the sides of his face, 'That's right. And you're my husband. My handsome and strong husband. You're such a good man, baby. Such a good man.'

Jon kissed her and sighed. "Baby, we gotta figure something out. We're obviously meant for each other, but things keep getting fucked up. Not having you on the road all the time will help, but what else can we do?"

Mary sighed and nodded, 'Maybe we can...start over?'She shook her head, 'I remember talking to the therapist before we separated and suggested that we..live in separate households and start over, like go on dates and talk on the phone and stuff.' She bit her lip and bowed her head, shrugging her shoulders, 'That could work, Jon.'

Jon took a deep breath and rolled off of her, staring up at the ceiling. "We could do that...but for how long? How long until we can live together again?"

Mary sat up in the bed and rested her back against the headboard. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't know. Maybe for six months to a...year.'

Jon cringed and covered his face. "Fuck. A year." He cleared his throat, not wanting to make things worse by getting upset. "Okay, but...we still see each other, we still talk on the phone. Right?"

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Of course. Everyday.' She rested her head upon his shoulder and took his hand in hers, 'Just because we won't be living together doesn't mean we can't have...sleepovers.'

He smiled and turned to her, squeezing her hand. "That sounds good." Jon looked directly into her eyes. "Mary, baby...I gotta ask you something."

"Anything," Mary whispered.

Jon exhaled. "Are you sure you're okay with us not having kids? It caused a lot of stress for us last time...I think we need to let it go, Mary. I know it hurts, but I don't want it to come between us again."

Mary's heart sank upon hearing his words. She felt such an overwhelming sadness in knowing she couldn't give him something so simple, something that most people take for granted everyday. The gift of bringing a child into this world. He was right. This is something they would have to get over. If they wanted to survive this they had to focus upon one another and not look to a child to solve all their problems.

She nodded and blinked away tears, smiling despite herself, 'You're right. I told you, almost losing you made me realize I want you...not some nonexistent child, Jon. A baby isn't going to solve our problems, ya know?'

He nodded and stroked her face. "We're gonna have to talk about it some more, you know. I just don't want us to fall into old habits. Nothing should come between us. Not our pasts, not other people, not our jobs, nothing."

Mary leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, smiling. She let out a shaky sigh and opened her eyes to stare up at him, 'How long do we have together before you go back on the road?'

"I have rehearsals Sunday. So tonight and tomorrow." Jon gave her a sad smile. "Sucks, huh?"

Mary tried to keep a brave front, but inside she was dying inside. She just got him back and already she was having to let him go. It's the story of their fucking lives.

She put on her bravest smile and bowed her head whispering, 'So...what happens after you leave, Jon?'

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I guess I start looking for a place." Jon glanced at his wife. "Can't be near you, can it?"

Mary's widened, 'You mean ya wanna live in New York?' She grinned and to lighten asked him, 'What about all those Homicide fans?'

He chuckled. "Fuck 'em." His smile faded. "But seriously. Would that be okay? I'm not saying we gotta be neighbors, but if we're not even in the same state..." Jon gritted his teeth. "I don't wanna do that."

Mary nodded and smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it comfortingly, 'I couldn't do that either.' She chuckled slightly, 'Besides, it's not as if you'll be in New York much anyway.' She cringed and sighed, 'Sorry. I sometimes say the wrong fucking thing.'

He smirked. "Nah, it's the truth." Fatigue was starting to set in and he yawned. "Baby, as much as I want this night to last forever, I think it's time for bed." Jon chuckled. "I mean sleep. Unless you got another round in ya...?"

Mary shook her head and laughed, 'No. I'm pretty tired myself. You wore me out. Besides, I have work tomorrow morning anyway.' She looked at him shyly, 'You still...wanna come?'

"Of course." Jon kissed her and held her face in his hands, grinning at her. "I'll even dress up if you want."

Mary cocked her head to the side and smirked, 'Dress up, huh? You gonna borrow some of Jericho's scarves and fedora?'

"Very funny." Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "No GQ shit, remember?"

Mary nodded, 'That's right or Punk has your ass. Seriously though just wear..whatever. Though I have to warn you. The Mary you see now is different from work Mary. She's all business no...pleasure.'

Jon snorted. "Oh, so you don't go to work in a sexy bikini? Just as well, 'cause I wouldn't want guys ogling you all day." He frowned. "Hey, I know you said that one bitch is gone, but no one else at work gives you shit, do they?"

Mary took a deep breath and released it, 'Okay, since you're coming into work with me tomorrow I guess I should be honest. Honey, have you ever heard of Tumblr?'

"Yeah, sometimes the guys look at it in the back. People put up pictures. Why, did someone put up pictures of you?" Jon paused, realizing something. "Shit. That's where you saw pictures of me and Clara, right? Did someone at work show those to you?"

Mary nodded, small smile forming upon her face, 'Yeah...uh...there's this intern at work...she's kind of a mark...' She sighed, 'Anyway, she e-mailed me a link to one of those pages on there and that's where I saw you with her.' She averted her eyes downward, nervously playing with her hands on her lap, 'There were other pictures on there...personal pictures of the two of you at the beach. They looked...intimate.'

Jon put his arm around his wife and pulled her close. "Baby girl, me and Clara are friends. I told you, she reminded me of Kat. And guess what, it's not like she and I went to the beach on a date. There were a bunch of us there." He rested his head on her shoulder. "So this girl's been giving you a hard time? Can't you get rid of her, if she's such a pain in the ass?"

Mary shrugged, heaving a laborious sigh, 'No, it's...fine. She's only there for a couple weeks and then she goes back to school.' She rolled her eyes, 'Just prepare yourself for the barrage of questions tomorrow.'

He rolled his eyes. "Why do I have to meet some little bitch? Fuck her."

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Cause you're a star now. Isn't that apart of the job? I don't know. The fame thing...I never understood it.'

"No one does." Jon kissed her forehead. "We should get up early. We're gonna need a shower before we go anywhere." He rubbed her hip and gave her a lazy grin. "Unless you want us to go in there smelling like sex."

Mary grinned and shook her head, 'No we don't but what about your clothes? You can't be walking around in a tee shirt and gym shorts.'

"I'll stop at my hotel room before we go. It's not far from here." Jon stretched and snuggled close to her. "Got all my stuff.

Pictures of you. Love you so much." He closed his eyes, starting to doze. "Thank you, Mary."

Mary smiled softly and settled into the bed, lying his head upon his chest, 'Mmm, I love you too baby.'

Jon wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing him flush against him. He kissed her forehead as the two of them fell asleep together. They were together again. For good this time. Jon and Mary, just as it always should be.

When Mary opened her eyes, the sun was peaking through the blinds. She groggily blinked her eyes a few times, clearing them of its haze. She scrubbed a hand tiredly over her face and leaned her head up, looking at the clock on her bedside table. She groaned when she saw it was six thirty in the morning. It was time for her to get up.

She smiled softly as she looked up at Jon. She rested her chin upon his chest and had a wide grin upon her face as she stared up at him. His arm was thrown over his eyes and his hair was messy, sticking in every direction. His face was covered in three day old stubble. The sheet was covering his midsection and his legs were spread wide. She laughed to herself. Even after all these years he still took up most of the bed.

Mary could hardly believe there were here together. Last night seemed surreal, almost like a dream. When she went to that venue last night to hand him the divorce papers she truly thought it was the end. Never in her wildest dreams did she think they would end up like this, still together as husband and wife. She wasn't going to question it though. Not anymore. She had him. They had each other and it's all that matters. They would find a way to make it work.

No matter what has happened in these past twelve years they have always came back to one another. They were meant to was through with trying to hide from it and run. Not anymore.

She knew she had to wake him if he was going to work with her, but she just didn't have the heart to do so. He looked so cute and peaceful lying there sleeping.

All of the sudden, she had an idea. It was something she always wanted to do for him, but never got the chance to. She knew that he was not a morning person, but if he was awoken by something pleasant he might not be so grouchy when he woke up.

With a cheeky grin, she slid down his body and ever so softly grabbed his soft cock in her hand. She looked up at him, smirking and put it into his mouth, slowly licking and sucking at him as she gently stroked him.

Mary smiled around his cock as she felt him stir. His legs were slightly moving and she could hear him faintly groaning. She felt him harden slightly in her hands.

Oh yeah, he was awake.

Desire lifted him out of a fog, but Jon was still mostly asleep. The haziness gave way to sheer pleasure and he moaned as he felt himself harden. Words tumbled out of him and he reached down, eyes slitted, and managed a small grin when he felt Mary's hair spilled over his stomach and his groin. Her mouth worked on him gently, coaxing him to stiffen and grow. He moaned again as she licked and sucked along his length, lapping at his slit and teasing it with her tongue.

Jon hummed while she continued to work on him, bringing him fully out of his dream state. He rubbed her back and sighed as she sucked and slurped at him. This was a damn fine way to wake up.

Mary looked up at him and noticed he was awake, staring down at her. His eyes were still glassy and hazed over with sleep and his hair was obscuring his eyes. She grinned around his cock and winked at him as she continued to suck him down. She licked him from top to bottom and swirled her tongue around the head of his cock, making him hiss and moan.

She released him from her mouth and continued stroking him as she looked up at him, saying in a sultry tone, 'Good morning, baby.'

"Morning," he sighed, and groaned as she kept stroking him. "Mmm, baby girl. Feels good." Jon licked his lips and rolled his head on the pillow, losing himself in the sensations she was giving him.

Mary took him in her mouth once again. She relaxed her jaw, slowly taking him in until she could feel him hit the back of her throat. She used one hand to stroke him while using her other hand to stroke his stomach, tracing the line of hair there. She bobbed her head up and down, using her teeth to scrape along the sides of him, tracing the ridged peaks of his cock with her tongue. She watched him as his head thrashed from side to side. He ran shaky hands through his hair and groaned, his usually raspy voice was even more so due to just waking up. It was the sexiest fucking thing she's ever heard. His groans spurred her on, making her stroke him faster as her tongue licked up and down the length of him. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as she could. She wanted to show him how much she wanted him, loved him always.

"Oh fuck," Jon slurred. "Fuck, baby. So good...gonna make me lose it." He moaned and thrust up, unable to help himself.

Mary released him from her mouth and stared up at him as she continued to stroke him, 'So, how ya wanna do this, baby? Ya wanna come in my mouth or inside me? Husband's choice.'

He gave her a lazy grin. "Get on top of me, baby girl. Give your husband a good ride before we have to get ourselves all cleaned up." Jon winked and rubbed her shoulder.

Mary smirked and slowly crawled up his body she knelt over him and positioned him at her entrance. She stared into his eyes, her gaze never wavering as she put him in her body. She braced her hands against his chest and slowly impaled herself upon him, inch by inch. She watched him as his head snapped back and his eyes rolled in pleasure. He grasped her hips and she gently rode him, arching her back to bring him deeper.

She moaned and threw her head back, whispering, 'Shit, you always feel so good. We're so good together, baby. So good.'

"Damn right." He reached up and stroked her breasts. "Missed you, baby girl. Missed this."

Mary laid her hands over his as he stroked her breasts. She interlocked their fingers together and pinned them upon his head and she began riding him in a steadfast pace. She leaned down, kissing him deeply as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in.

She let out a contented sigh and licked his skin, letting out a satisfied moan, 'Fuck, you taste so good. Smell so good. How the hell did I do without you all this time?'

He smirked and ran his hands over her. "Could ask myself the same question. Never wanted anyone else, Mary. Always loved you." Jon sighed and rolled his hips, then ran his fingertips over her entrance. "So beautiful. Perfect." He rested his hand on her stomach and rubbed his thumb on hard her little nub. "Wanna feel you come, baby girl."

Mary laid her body over him and held onto his hands and she grinded herself against him. She sped her pace up, clenching her pussy around his cock, making him groan her name aloud.

She held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his own as she felt her orgasm slowly creeping upon her. She gasped aloud, letting out harsh ragged breaths as every nerve ending felt as if it were on fire. She felt a tingling sensation creeping up her spine and a burning at the pit of her belly.

Mary tightly closed her eyes and kissed him deeply as she moaned into his mouth, 'Oh God, I'm coming, baby. You feel that? You feel how hard I'm coming for you?' She let out a choked sob and cried out, 'Oh God! Jon...oh God.'

Jon clutched at her and felt his own orgasm build. Having her mouth on him earlier brought him damn close, but feeling her come around him was the final straw that pushed him over the edge. He moaned her name and thrust up, feeling himself spurting deep inside her. Pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead on her shoulder as he finished spilling into her.

Mary rested her head upon his chest and laid on top of him as wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They both laid there in silence, reveling in the feeling of being together. They lie there, catching their breaths as they came down from their orgasms.

She nuzzled his neck and kissed his pulse point, feeling his heart pounding against her lips. She giggled in delight and sighed, 'Now that's what I fucking call a good morning.'

"Mmmhmm." Jon kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. "Still need a shower, though." He leered down at her. "Ready for round two?"

Mary grinned and sighed, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder, 'Baby, as much as I would love that. If you're gonna come to my work today. We gotta get moving.' She averted her eyes downward, 'That's if ya still wanna. I mean, do you have any promotional stuff to do today like radio interviews or anything? I don't wanna interfere in your work.'

"You're not interfering." Jon kissed the top of her head. "And you sure you want me there? I don't wanna distract you. Or

cause problems. Although I promise to be a good boy and not make a scene." He nuzzled into her neck.

Mary giggled and rolled her eyes, 'You won't make a scene.' She cupped his cheek, smiling softly, 'I want you there. I've been to so many of your matches. I want you to see firsthand what I've been talking to you about all these years.' She grinned, 'Besides, so many of my coworkers thought I've been making you up. They thought I was some disillusioned fangirl.'

He giggled and pulled her close for a kiss. "You didn't show them our wedding pictures? Aw, and here I was hoping I'd be plastered all over your cubicle walls."

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Well, when I got my job back we were...ya know.' She bowed her head, 'I used to have pictures up before but it hurt too much to...look at you. I used work as a distraction from all that' She scoffed, 'Does that make sense?'

"Of course. Shit, I did the same thing." He kissed her again and grinned. "That's all in the past now, though. So..." Jon sat up and sighed. "Okay, I'll throw on last night's clothes and we can stop by my hotel to grab a change of clothes for me. Is that okay? Or I can do that now and meet you back here...?" He ran his hands through his hair and grimaced. "I look like shit,

don't I?"

Mary grinned and held his face in her hands, 'No, you don't You look perfect.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'My handsome husband. You get a quick shower and I'll put on a pot of coffee and then get ready after you. I'll drive you to your hotel so you can change, okay?"

Jon curtly nodded, 'Yeah, sounds good.'

She gave him a quick kiss and smiled, 'Be right back.'

Mary grabbed her robe off the door and blew him a kiss over her shoulder as she walked out of the bedroom. He shook his head, laughing to himself. Shit, he could not believe he got her back. Life was good. He was happy. He never thought he would have this again. He made a silent vow to himself he wouldn't fuck it up this time around. He doesn't think he could survive being without her again.

After she had her coffee, Mary got into the shower and got dressed. She was disappointed Jon couldn't join her, but if he did she would be late for work. Besides, there would be plenty of other times for them to shower together. They had the rest of their lives to make it up to one another.

After Mary got showered and dressed, she walked out into her bedroom and smiled when she saw Jon sitting at the edge of her bed waiting for her. He was wearing the same clothes from last night, but his wet hair from the shower was messy and disarrayed as if he were continuously running his hands through. His face was relaxed and his skin had a healthy glow. He looked far younger than his twenty nine years. She stood as she quietly studied him, not wanting to announce her presence just yet. She was enjoying the view. She grinned as she looked at him. Sitting there he looked like the young man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. It was so difficult for her to fathom how much he has matured. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. They both have. They were no longer lovesick teenagers. They were adults with a lot to lose, such as one another. They refused to make the same mistakes.

Mary cleared her throat, subtly announcing her presence, 'Hey you. Ready to go?"

Jon slightly jumped as if startled. He turned around to look at her, his eyes widening in surprise.

She bit her lip and looked down at her attire, fidgeting nervously. She was wearing a blouse tucked into a knee length pencil skirt and heels with nude pantyhouse. She pulled her hair up into a bun. She never liked having her hair scratching at her neck when she was trying to work, especially when it was so hot outside. It was Summertime so she wanted to be as comfortable as possible, but also still look professional.

Mary ran her hands over her clothes, feeling self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. She bowed her head, letting out a nervous chuckle, 'Told ya I look different.'

"Wow." His eyes widened as he took her in. "Damn, you look hot." Jon walked up to her and put his hands on her waist. "It's like you're right out of a fantasy."

Mary rolled her eyes and stepped back. "No time for that, baby. We gotta get you changed, remember."

"Fine." Jon scowled. "You owe me, though."

She giggled and took his hand, leading him to the front door. "We'll see."

They headed to his hotel, where he quickly got changed and tried to make himself presentable, and headed to her work. He was so nervous he kept tapping his fingers on his knees and adjusting in his seat on the drive there. When they pulled in he took a deep breath. Fuck, this was nerve-wracking.

Mary glanced at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He scratched at his head. "So, uh, do I need like a visitor's pass or something?"

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'Yeah...me.' She took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, 'Just be yourself, sweetheart. They're gonna love you.'

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "As long as you love me I don't give a shit about anyone else." Jon rubbed his face. "Okay, let's do this. Make sure to point out any assholes, though."

Mary laughed and nodded, 'Point out assholes...done. Now, come on. Lets go show you off.'

Jon laughed, shaking his head as he followed her out of the car. She held onto his hand as they made it through the car garage. He was silent as they stood in the elevator and walked onto her floor. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweaty. Shit, he felt just as he did before a match. Maybe it was because, like wrestling this is something that meant a lot to him. It was important for him not to fuck this up for her. She was giving him a second chance and he didn't want to screw it up for anything. He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

As if noticing his uneasiness, she took his hand once again, squeezing it in a comforting gesture. She leaned into him, whispering, 'Don't worry. It's a Saturday so none of the higher ups are here. What would you like for me to show you around first? I'll give you the grand personal tour.'

He shrugged. "I have no idea. This is your thing, baby girl. I'll go wherever you take me." Jon looked around. "So, uh, you get a lot of visitors here? Or is it mostly kids and parents, or...?" He shrugged again, feeling awkward.

Mary nodded, smiling, 'What I do is investigate cases of child abuse, whether it be a child with a disadvantage such as a handicap or mental illness. It's usually a child who is in a home where their needs aren't being facilitated due to neglect or due to child endangerment. If someone comes to me with a claim of child abuse I go to the home and interview the parents. I also go to their school and talk to their teacher or their peers to make a fully educated determination if there is abuse being taken place. If so I start the preliminary process in order to have the child removed from the home and into a safe environment until the court makes a ruling. I'm also usually the one who writes up the report and becomes a liaison between the parents and the authorities. I'm the one who usually has the child's best interests at heart' She saw him looking at her wide eyed and she cringed, 'Sorry, If I'm bombarding you with all this information. I tend to babble.'

Jon blinked. "No, it's cool. That sounds fucking complicated." He smiled. "But you're making a difference, baby. That's fucking awesome." He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand. "Okay, so take me where your office is."

Mary beamed at him and led him into her building, his heart pounding the whole way. Jon wanted so badly to see this part of her, to share this with her, but this was nothing like when she was backstage meeting Punk. Jon jumped around in a ring making faces, and she helped people live better lives. He could never live up to that. Dimly he wondered how the hell he got someone like her to fall in love with him.

Suddenly a memory came rushing back. Jon dug his heels into the ground and stopped short, letting go of Mary's hand. "Mary. What if someone recognizes me?"

She stopped and turned, looking confused. "Some of them know about you...some are even fans. You know that."

Jon shook his head. "I mean from the last time I was here. When I saw you with David." He swallowed hard, recalling that horrible encounter. That day he didn't yell or cause a scene (aside from making his wife cry), but he did storm off. There was no way people wouldn't remember that, even if he had a hat and a jacket on. They'd take one look at him and remember him as the scumbag who upset Mary.

Mary bowed her head and let out a shaky sigh, remembering that difficult time. She had to admit, that day was one of the worst of her life. She truly thought she had ruined things between them for good. The things he had said, the way he looked at her, with so much disgust and disdain. It made her sick to her stomach and haunted her to this very day. But she had to stop thinking about that. Jon was right. It was in the past. They had to start working on their future...together.

She lifted up her head and smiled softly, 'It's...fine. I doubt anyone saw you or were paying attention.' She waved her hand dismissively in the air, 'Besides, who the hell cares what they think?' She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward where her office was located, 'Come on, let me show you where the magic happens.'

Mary led him into her office and opened the door, giving him enough access to enter. She watched him nervously as he cautiously walked in, observing his surroundings. She closed the door, giving them some privacy.

Jon glanced at all the pictures of Mary with numerous kids and all the certificates and awards on her wall. It was incredible seeing what she'd accomplished with her life. He was proud of his own achievements, of being a champion and helping to promote the company, but even though he'd met with soldiers and a few sick kids (they tended to want to meet faces, not crazy guys like him), Jon knew his work wasn't changing lives. Sure, maybe some kid was watching in his own shitty home with his fucked up family, dreaming of being a champion too, but Jon wasn't doing his part to make sure that same kid could get out of his shitty home or away from his fucked up family.

He shook his head. No way would he let his insecurities fuck them up again. He had to focus on the good. On Mary, and her

work. "You're amazing, you know that? Look at all this stuff."

Mary stood next to him and shrugged, feeling self-conscious, 'I don't do it for the gratitude and recognition, ya know?' She pointed to the pictures of the kids on her walls and smiled, 'I do it for them. Just to see a smile on their faces. Give them hope and stand beside them and listen to them when they think no one else is listening, ya know?' She linked her arm with his and rested her head upon his shoulder, 'We were kids like that once.' She smiled up at him, 'Now look at us.'

Jon put his arm around her and grinned. "I love you so damn much." He kissed the top of her head and looked over at her wall, and paused. "Is that...oh my god. That's a picture of Punk, isn't it?" He snickered and walked over. "Holy shit, it is! I knew you had a crush on him!"

Mary's eyes widened and muttered a curse word under her breath. Shit, she forgot that was there.

She quickly walked over and ripped the photo off the wall and shrugged sheepishly, 'I told you. I...admire...his in ring ability and promo skills.'

Jon rolled his eyes nodded, laughing, 'Yeah...right.'

Mary playfully slapped his shoulder, 'Just shut up.'

He snickered and nodded his head, choosing not to say another word. If he wanted to touch his wife later he would have to be on his best behavior. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off on their last night together.

She shoved the photo under a stack of files on her desk and sighed, 'Besides, I did have photos of you up. I just took them down.' She opened one of the drawers in her desk and took out a stack of photos, handing them over to him, 'Here, look for yourself.'

"Whoa." Jon shook his head as he looked through the stack of pictures. Most of them were promo pics, but others were from magazines and some he recognized from Seth and Punk's Twitter feed. He smiled when he got to their wedding pictures, but then he spotted one of her he didn't recognize. Mary had one of his shirts on, and her hair was messed up, like she'd just gotten out of bed. She looked incredible. "Baby girl...how come I never saw this one before?"

Mary's eyes widened in horror when she looked at the picture. She covered her face to hide her blush. She had forgotten she had that picture. Kat had given it to her when she was staying at her apartment when she and Jon had separated.

She bowed her head and stared down at her shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world. She rocked back and forth nervously upon her heels, feeling shy and awkward, 'That was another picture Kat had taken of me at school. I had just woken up and she asked me to take that photo.' She chuckled nervously, 'Told ya I would wear your shirts to bed when I was away at school.'

"You're so beautiful," Jon murmured, setting the other pictures down. "How can't you see how incredible you are, baby?" He

brought her close and kissed her forehead. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

Mary blinked away tears as he said those words to her. When he said that, she believed it. She truly did. He was the only person in this world who made her realize her self worth. Not just for herself, but to everyone else around her.

She smiled through her tears and kissed his cheek, 'I'm the lucky one, baby.' She ducked her head shyly and pointed to the photo, 'You can uh...have that if ya want.'

"Hell yeah!" Jon set the picture on her desk and grinned. He'd definitely be using that picture when he was alone and craving his wife's touch. "So, what do you have to do today? I got my phone with me so I'll be out of your hair."

Mary was about to reply when someone knocked on her door. Jon stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a few steps back. He managed a nervous smile. "Guess we got company, huh?"

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Looks like it.' She cleared her throat, saying, 'Come in.'

The door opened to reveal a girl in her early twenties standing there. She had a stack of files in her hand as she shuffled in the door. She look sort of frazzled and her skirt and blouse were crumpled, like she just rolled out of bed. You know, typical college student.

The girl looked at Mary, saying, 'Mrs. Good I have the files you asked...' All of the sudden she stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes fell upon Jon. Her eyes widened and she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Her mouth gaped open and she shook her head in disbelief, 'Oh...my...god.'

Mary glanced at Jon and smirked as she whispered one word to him under her breath, 'Tumblr.'

Jon's glared at the girl standing before him, giving her one of his smirks. Classic Mox.

Oh yeah, this was going to be fun...

The girl's eyes darted from Jon to Mary and back. "I...I didn't think...holy shit."

Mary sighed and took the files from her. "Thanks, Suzy."

"Any time." Suzy beamed at Jon and batted her eyelashes. "Hi. I'm Suzy. Or Suze."

Jon sneered at her. "Snooze? Your fucking name is Snooze? That's fucking hilarious."

Mary hid her grin behind the files while the young girl stared at him in shock.

"N-no. Suzy. Um." She glanced at Mary. "I, uh. Didn't know you'd be here."

"Didn't know I needed your fucking permission." Jon glared at Suzy and put his arm around Mary. "You got something you wanna say to my wife, _Suze_?"

"Um..." The girl cleared her throat and slowly started turning red. "Uh, I don't know..."

"How about 'I'm sorry'? 'I'm sorry for sending those fucking pictures I had no business sending'?" Jon glared at her, staring her down like she was an opponent in the ring. "Did you think that shit was funny?"

Suzy had tears in her eyes as if she were about to cry, but she took a few deep breaths to get herself under control. Her hands were balled into tight fists at her side and she was glaring at Mary and sneering in disgust. She obviously wasn't going to let them get the best of her.

She crossed her arms over her chest and held her head high, saying in a defiant tone, 'I was just trying to be a good friend. Being your...wife. She obviously needed to know that you were cheating on her. I was just looking out for her.'

Mary's eyes widened incredulously and she snorted in disgust. The fucking nerve of this little shit. She was standing there lying her ass off as if she cared about her. The only person she cared about was herself.

Mary looked over at her husband. He had a stoic look upon his face and his head was tilted to the side. His eyes were

unreadable. He looked just as did when he was in the ring as Dean Ambrose. She shook her head and looked over at Suzy

wearily, wondering if either one of them were going to have a job after today.

"Okay, it all seems crystal clear now. You were just helping a friend. Is that it? Huh? You went online, picked out a few pictures that you knew would upset my wife, and sent them to her. That's what friends do. They look out for each other." He smirked and narrowed his eyes. "And of course you had proof that I was cheating on Mary, didn't you? What was that proof? Enlighten me, Suzy."

Suzy looked over at Mary with a desperate look in her eyes, as if she were asking for her to say something on her behalf. Mary could have. It would have been the right thing to do, but for some reason every time she tried opening her mouth nothing would come out. For months she had kept silent, not wanting to cause trouble. This girl was the cause of her humiliation and sleep deprivation. If it wasn't for Suzy she would've never known about Clara. She really almost ended her marriage because of those photos all because she thought he was seeing someone else. Those photos piqued her suspicions and made her want to look into the situation further. So forgive her for not defending her.

Suzy shrugged and stammered out, 'She was on your lap wearing next to nothing. Your arms were around her. She was kissing you. It was obvious something was going on between you two. A woman knows.'

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and bowed her head, blinking away tears from her eyes. The imagery in those photos came into her mind. She remembered how hurt she was when she saw them. She cried for days after seeing them. She barely slept or ate. She even called out sick for a few days and did nothing but lie in bed looking at photos of the two of them, wishing and praying she never met him. Even though she loved him with all of her heart, there was still a nagging doubt plaguing her mind that this was all a game. He was playing them both.

She shook those thoughts out of her mind. They were poisonous thoughts. She had to stop thinking like that. He was her husband. He loved her. That way of thinking it was what caused their separation in the first place.

Jon rolled his eyes. "A woman knows, huh? Well, thanks for that, Suzy, that's fucking awesome. You really helped us out there. Plus she was kissing me on the cheek and she was in my lap for like ten seconds. Did you happen to show Mary the other pictures from that night? Clara ended up dancing with Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler. I'm guessing Mary never saw those pictures, did she?" Jon sneered at the young girl, who was glaring at him. "You had fun, didn't you? Sending her that shit. Knowing it would get her upset."

Suzy smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, 'Well, how about the ones with you and Trina Michaels, huh? You and her seemed pretty chummy to me at the club. Your hands were all over her. Don't try to say they were old either. They were from two weeks ago. I didn't show her those cause I knew THAT would upset her.'

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud as she stared at Jon in shock.

Jon looked over at Mary guiltily and quickly bowed his head.

Mary shook her head in disbelief. She had tears in her eyes as she whispered, 'Jon? Is that true?'

Jon squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Fuck, he knew that would come back to haunt him. One drunken night from hell and everything with Mary would be undone...

"Suzy. Get the fuck out of here. Now." He opened his eyes and stared up at her, not bothering to hide his fury.

Suzy averted her eyes between the two of them and quickly hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her. She had a shit eating grin upon her face, knowing she won.

When Suzy left, Mary turned to Jon with tears in her eyes, 'Was she lying, Jon? She was making that up...right?'

Mary stood there staring at him. His head was bowed and he was silent and stoic. She stood there gritting her teeth, willing herself not to break down and cry in front of him. Nameless ring rats she could get over, but not her. Anybody but her.

Jon rubbed at his face, trying to breathe deeply. It was all in the past. This was a speed bump. They'd get over this.

"It was a bad night. A bunch of us went out for drinks, some of us stayed out. We ended up at a strip club. Trina was there." He took a deep breath and looked at the floor. "She recognized me and, um...she came with us when we ended up at some club. A couple of other girls went too. Each of us had...dates." Jon coughed and rubbed his neck. "Um, I danced with her. She invited me to her hotel room, but I didn't go. I didn't go, Mary. I thought...I thought if I had any chance in hell in being with you again I couldn't..." Jon sighed. "I shouldn't have been anywhere near her, I know. But nothing happened. I swear it, Mary."

He looked up at her and nearly sobbed when he saw how heartbroken and furious his wife was. "You want me to go now, don't you, Mary?"

Mary nodded and closed her eyes, trying to let this new information sink in. She could feel the hot stinging sensation of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She was shaking slightly and her heart was pounding, making her feel as if she were suffocating. She felt physically ill to her stomach. She was not only disgusted with him, but with herself as well. She had taken him to her bed without even talking with him first. Once again she had been the desperate fool taking him back. All he had to do was say 'I love you' and she was on her knees for him.

She shook her head sadly, swallowing the large lump that had formed in her throat, 'Ya know what's funny, Jon? You stood in that same spot over a year ago and called me a whore and a filthy lying bitch when all I was doing was trying to find a way for US to have a family. I was always faithful to you...always. Even when we were separated this past year.' She scoffed, 'I tried to go on one date, but felt as if I was fucking committing some moral sin because you were my husband.' Tears fell from her eyes and she let out a shaky sigh, 'We separate and the first thing you do is fall right into someone else's bed.' She snorted in disgust, 'Outta sight, outta mind...right?"

Jon wiped his mouth. "I said some terrible things to you that day. There's no excuse for it. But Mary, I didn't sleep with her that night. I haven't had sex with her since fucking years ago. And I told you about the rats, Mary. You knew about them. I thought we were done. Just because I was with a few nameless girls doesn't mean I never stopped wanting you or loving you."

Mary nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I understand. It's different for guys, right?"

He gritted his teeth, remembering the same words he used when they argued about the same sort of thing on their honeymoon. "I'm not asking you to understand, and I know it's gonna take a while for you to forgive me for this, but I didn't

tell you about this yet because nothing happened. I swear my life on it, Mary."

Mary took a step back away from him as he tried to reach out for her.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and released a shaky sigh, 'I think that you should leave, Jon. I think that you should go back to the hotel. I need to focus on my work.' She scoffed, 'You've humiliated me enough here. Just go while I still have some dignity left, okay?'

Jon rubbed his shoulder, his fingers digging into his skin to keep himself from screaming or crying. "Can I please stay?" he whispered.

Mary shook her head. "You've done enough, Jon."

He clenched his jaw and sighed deeply. "We'll talk later, okay?" Before he could forget, Jon grabbed the picture he'd set aside on her desk and stepped back. "We're not done, Mary. You and I. We're meant to be together, no matter what happened when. You know that." Jon sighed shakily and took out his phone. "I'll get a cab to the hotel. I'll call you later tonight and we'll talk, okay? We'll get this sorted out."

Mary shook her head, 'Just don't call me tonight, Jon. I need some time to think.' She sighed, shaking her head sadly, 'I knew we rushed into things again. We should have consulted with the therapist before we jumped right into bed together without sorting shit out first.'

Jon shook his head. "We need to talk, Mary. We'll do it later. I know you need time, but we need to figure this out before I have to leave town. But I'll leave now. I don't want this to get..." He shook his head. How could it get any worse? "We'll talk later. I love you, Mary. More than anything." He paused, then left.

He hated this. He hated leaving her so upset. Fuck, he imagined them spending the day together, having fun and making love, falling asleep in each other's arms. But no, his past fucked it up. Again.

Jon called a cab and holed up in his hotel, busying himself with work stuff, trying to distract himself from that morning. He couldn't stop thinking about his wife. What could he do to prove to her that he loved her? That he didn't want anyone else?

Suddenly he had an idea and hurried to his computer. She was getting home from work soon. He still had some time...

After work, Mary went back to her apartment and the first thing she did was change her bedsheets and comforter. She didn't

want his smell anywhere near her. She just wanted to drink some wine and lie down on her couch and forget about him.

Easier said than done, right?

Mary must have dozed off on the couch for she was shrewdly awoken by someone knocking on her door. She sprung up from her couch in alarm and got up quickly. She looked at her clock and shook her head. It was almost ten in the evening. Shit, she must have really drank a lot of wine. She wiped her eyes groggily and slowly made her way to the door, wondering who in the hell could be knocking at her door this late at night. She looked through the peephole and her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock at who she saw standing there.

Jon knocked again. "Mary? Baby, it's me." He put his hand on the door. "Can I come in? Please?"

Mary rested her forehead against the door and heaved a laborious sigh, 'Jon, just go back to the hotel...please.'

"Can't do that, baby. We need to talk." He paused. "I was telling you the truth earlier. If you don't believe me...I have proof."

Mary rolled her eyes and placed her hand against the door. She wanted so much to let him in right now, but what would that solve? They would just fall into the same vicious cycle.

She sighed shakily, 'When I ignored your calls and texts that means I don't wanna talk right now, Jon.' She scoffed, 'Besides, I have to get up early tomorrow. As soon as you left I made an appointment at the clinic to get checked for STD's considering who you've been trolling around with.'

For a moment Jon swayed on his feet, her statement shocking him to the core. "I haven't...I've never been unsafe with anyone, Mary. Never. Plus I get tested a lot 'cause of work. And I'd never put you in danger, ever. I love you so much." Jon took a deep breath. "But I told you I have proof that I didn't spend the night with her, and here. I brought it with me."

He slid to the floor and unfolded one of the many pieces of paper he'd brought with him. "Here are all the pictures from that night. Look at the date and time on them." Jon slid a printout of all the pictures of him with Trina, along with some of the other guys with a couple of the dancers. "Okay, and here are some from the rest of that night. I went to my hotel room and hung out with Punk. We took some pictures of our room 'cause the maid folded the towels into swans and shit, and Punk thought it would be funny to try to make them into...uh...other shapes, so here. Look at the date and time. It was the same night, Mary. It's me and Punk in the room. Plus look at the last one in the club. Trina's flipping me off and she looks pissed. It's 'cause it was right after I told her I didn't want to spend the night with her. She's already with another guy. She never cared about me, Mary."

Mary slid down onto the floor on her knees and hesitantly picked up the photos. She sneered in disgust as she looked at Trina's face. It made her physically ill just to look at her.

She placed the photos face down and sighed, shaking her head, 'This doesn't change anything, Jon. We still have problems. I think the best thing for us is some time and space and therapy. A lot of therapy.' She closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes, 'Just go...please.'

"We definitely need therapy. And yeah, space. But I don't wanna leave us like this." Jon smiled to himself. "I wanna show you some stuff. Like this." He unfolded another piece of paper and slid it under her door. "Remember how you said you've been watching me? Well, I've been watching you too. Every time you were in the local paper I got a copy of the article. Every time you did an interview I'd print it out and carry it with me." Jon laughed. "It was cool to see your awards in person today. Seeing them online or in the newspaper isn't as effective, you know?"

Tears fell down her face as she gasped aloud and stared at the door in wide eyed shock, 'You...knew...about that...how?' She shook her head in disbelief, unable to believe someone cared enough about her to do that.

"Aww, give me some credit. I know how to search on the internet and make copies." Jon smiled. "I kept track of every award you got, every interview...that's not creepy, is it? I was just so damn proud of you, Mary. You're a fucking inspiration." He took a deep breath. "Can I come in now so we can talk some more? Please?"

Mary picked up the pieces of paper and sift through them with tears in her eyes. She smiled through her tears as she looked through all the interviews she did for local papers along with pictures of her at charity events. She noticed he had cut the other people out of the photos and just kept her.

She rested her back against the door and sighed, 'Have you ever thought that maybe we're just better off as friends than husband and wife, Jon? First and foremost we've always been best...friends.'

His eyes stung with tears, but he shook his head. She was upset and scared. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that, baby. But remember last night, the way we were as kids? We were in love back then. I wanna show you something." Jon slid another paper under the door. "That's a picture of you from school. I had detention and this one kid was working on something for yearbook club or some shit, and he had this fucking pile of pictures he wasn't gonna use, 'cause none of the cool kids were in them. I looked through them and you were in some. I thought you were so beautiful...anyway, I took 'em. He got all pissy and said they were school property, but I shut him up." Jon laughed. "Anyway, yeah. Had those for years. That was before we met, Mary."

Mary covered her mouth to cover her sob as she picked up the piece of paper and looked at it. Tears fell down her face, blurring her vision as she stared down at her fourteen year old self. There were four pictures of her sitting under a tree reading a book. When it was warm she would sit outside for lunch. She could not believe he had kept these after all these years.

She took a few deep breaths to control her raging emotions and whispered, 'Just because you loved me then, Jon doesn't mean it's the same kind of love you have for me now. It's misplaced...love.'

"It's not, baby. I got more proof." He smiled and pushed a few more papers under the door. He'd printed out all their wedding pictures, and a couple of them after they'd gotten married. "Look at us, Mary. We're so in love."

Mary looked at the pictures and smiled through her tears. She looked at their wedding photos and a few photos he had printed out of the two of them together. They were pictures Mary had taken of them with her camera. His arm was wrapped around her and their cheeks were pressed together to fit in the shot. The happiness and love in their eyes could not be denied. Even a blind man could see it. He was right. They did belong together.

She got up from the floor and opened the door. He jumped up when he heard the door opening. Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled softly at him, whispering, 'Hi...'

He grinned and quickly got to his feet. "Hi...can I...can I get a hug?"

Mary nodded and tentatively walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his midsection, resting her head upon his chest. He tightly wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair and breathing her in. He was so much taller than her, which she always liked about him. She felt so safe and loved in his arms.

Jon held her tight and exhaled, feeling so relieved that he was nearly dizzy. "I love you," he murmured. "Never stopped loving you."

Mary smiled through her tears and rested her forehead upon his neck, breathing him in, 'I love you too. Wanna come in?' She chuckled slightly, 'Don't want my nosey neighbors calling the cops.'

He laughed and rubbed her back. "I'd love to. Though I'd be surprised if they haven't called already.'

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'Eh, I doubt it. This is Brooklyn after all. I'm sure they've heard worse.'

Jon followed her into the apartment and frowned when he saw the bottle of red wine and half eaten carton of ice cream on the coffee table.

Mary noticed him looking at the contents on the table and sighed, 'Looks like a pity party in here, huh?'

He sighed. "I just hate knowing I caused you stress." Jon rubbed his face. "Baby, we do need to talk about everything."

Mary nodded and sighed, 'Yeah, we do.' She pointed to the couch, 'Wanna have a seat?'

Jon nodded his head and she took a seat next to him, making sure to keep a considerable distance from him.

The two of them sat in awkward silence. They both stole glances at one another, but remained silent because neither wanted to say the wrong thing. God knows they've said a lot of things they regretted in the past.

She looked wearily over at him, asking him, 'So, how was your day?'

She outwardly cringed. Did she really just say that? That was the worst thing to ask him. Shit, she really was awkward as fuck.

Jon shrugged. "It was fine, I guess."

He glanced at her and they both burst out laughing. Mary shook her head and sighed. "God, we're awful."

"I know. Thank god I fell in love with you. I don't really know how to talk to anyone else." Jon smiled, but then cleared his throat. "Okay. How about this? We clear the air. You ask me a question, anything, and I'll tell you the truth, but you can't get pissed off and leave. And the same goes for me. Would that work?"

Mary nodded. She took a few moments of deliberation to gather her thoughts of what she wanted to ask him. She twiddled her thumbs nervously in her lap and looked over at him, 'Why whenever we separate do you sleep with tons of women? Do you do that to...punish me?'

She took a deep breath, bracing herself for his answer.

Jon frowned. "No, god no. I do it...as a distraction, really. And each time we separated I thought that was it, so I guess I feel like I gotta get used to it, which sucks 'cause it's nowhere near as good as when we're together." He looked directly into his wife's eyes. "I mean that, Mary."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'I know you do.' She sighed, 'Okay...your turn...shoot...ask me anything.'

"Okay." Jon rubbed his hands on his jeans. "Okay, here's one. I know you never slept with David or any other guy you hung out with...do you regret that?"

Mary nodded, 'The truth? Yeah...sometimes. I mean, I wish I could be just like any normal girl, ya know?' She sighed shakily and bowed her head, 'There was one time after I saw you with the valet where I almost...' She bowed her head, taking a few deep breaths to gather her courage, 'I was back at school and Kat took me to a campus party to take my mind off things. I got a little...drunk. I met this guy there, he was pretty nice and showed me attention.' She smiled bitterly, 'Told me I was beautiful. I ended up in the car with him and we started...making out, but when he tried touching me I looked at him and realized he wasn't...you.' She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I didn't want to sleep with some stranger just to prove a point. I didn't want to stoop to your...level.'

She saw him gritting his teeth and looked away, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes, 'I'm sorry. You're the only guy I ever wanted to be with like that...even now.'

"No. No, you're right." Hearing her admit that was painful as hell, but she was being honest. If moving forward meant Jon had to listen to some unpleasant truths, it was worth it. "And you are beautiful, Mary." Jon took a deep breath. "This is good, we're getting it all out. Progress, right?" He managed a small smile. "Your turn again. Ask me anything."

Mary ran a shaky hand through her hair and sighed, 'Have you ever had feelings for other women? I know that you said that you've always loved me and wanted me, but there was a lot of time where we didn't see each other or even talk.' She sighed, 'Not that it matters. I'm glad you found someone that made you happy, but I just...wanna know. I would hate to think that you just used women as a distraction.'

Jon looked down and smirked. "They used me right back. Most of them didn't know my name. And I don't mean 'Jon', I mean my ring name. Shit, one time a girl told me she bet her friend she could fuck a wrestler and that's why she ended up with me that night. A lot of times girls would shove me away right after I finished and would get dressed and get out of there. They'd be dressed and on their phones before I could even say anything. Or they'd ask what hotel room Seth or Punk was staying in."

He winced when he saw Mary's look of disgust. "Sorry. But yeah. As far as liking other girls, I liked Paige. But I really couldn't see that as a long term thing. Even if you and Wade weren't in the picture, we were just different. If I never met you I wouldn't have married anybody. I know that for a fact."

Mary scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Tears filled her eyes as she stared up at him. She regretted asking him that question. It made her so angry to know that women used him.

She cupped his cheek and turned his face to hers, forcing him to look at her, 'Baby, they didn't know what they were missing. They had no right to use you like that. No right. You didn't deserve that. No one does.' She smiled through her tears, 'I know you. Your name is Jon. You're not the wrestler to me. You never have been. You've always been just 'Jon' to me. The man that I love. That I will always love.'

"I know. I love you too. So much" He gently took her hands and held them."Brutal honesty, baby. I have to ask you this. Are you sure you're okay with us not having kids?"

Mary smiled through her tears and nodded, 'Yes, I'm sure. I had a lot of time to think about it. And when I thought there was a possibility that I might be...' She shook her head, 'I realized that I would rather have you.' She held his face in her hands, 'I don't wanna lose you over something that's out of my control.' She sighed, 'Okay, next question. Why didn't you come home most nights when we were married? I mean, when you did you always slept on the couch. Was there ever...someone else, Jon? I won't get angry. It's all in the past. Brutal honesty...right?'

Jon kissed her hands. "Never, baby. But if I'm being honest, I was sort of avoiding you. At first it was because I had crazy fucking hours and didn't want to wake you up when I had to go out at like four in the morning, but after a while I could tell you weren't happy. I wasn't happy either...we were cooped up all the time, and everything was fucking crazy. So a lot of the times I hung out with the guys or I'd just keep myself busy at work with meetings and shit. They kept asking me, didn't I want to go home to my new wife, but I'd say you weren't feeling well or you were busy with other stuff, and I think they knew I was full of shit." Jon sighed. "I should have come home and talked to you. I fucking made things worse by avoiding things."

Mary nodded and squeezed his hands, 'But, why were ya avoiding me? You said you could talk to me about anything. Why couldn't you talk to me then? I was so...lonely. I tried talking to you, but you shut me out and pushed me away.' She bowed her head, not being able to look into his eyes, 'I thought maybe you regretted our...marriage.'

He shook his head. "I never regretted marrying you. Not once." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know I'm fucked up. I guess I was scared to say something 'cause I thought you'd run off. I don't know."

Mary sighed and smiled bitterly, 'But I did run off.' She took a deep breath and nodded, 'Okay, your turn. Ask me anything. Anything at all.'

"Um." Jon looked down, feeling nervous. "Do you feel like you have to do certain things in bed with me? I don't want you to

feel like you gota do stuff you don't wanna do, baby girl."

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No, my God. Jon, I love you so much and I...wanna do those things.' She smiled shyly, 'I like it...alot.' She sighed shakily and averted her eyes downward, 'I think since we're being honest here there's something I should tell you.' She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to gather her courage, 'You know the reason why I can't have children is because of what he...did .Well, I never told you the full story. When I was fourteen...about a few months before we met I got...pregnant. My mama found out and told...him.' Tears came down her face and she took a few deep breaths. She never told anyone about this before and speaking of it just brought it all back, 'He knew it was...his. He beat me pretty good. Told me it was my...fault. She let out a choked sob as her face crumpled into tears, 'He drugged me up and got a...hanger...and ... I passed out and when I woke up there was so much...blood.' She covered her face in shame as she sobbed into her hands. The images flooded into her mind, forcing her to relive the moment over again, 'If I didn't meet you I would have been dead. I wanted to die. I'm so sorry I never told you.

God, I'm sorry.'

Jon broke into sobs and held her close, rocking her gently as she cried. His entire body shook with rage and hurt, but he

stroked her hair and rubbed her back, wanting to soothe her. When he was able to speak again he sighed into her hair. "Mary...god, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for not seeing it sooner. I should have known he was hurting you like that." Jon kissed the top of her head. "No one's gonna hurt you again, baby. I swear my life on it. Fuck, I fucking hate him. I hate him so much it's like I can't fucking breathe." He gritted his teeth and forced himself to breathe normally. Flying into a blind rage

wouldn't help either of them right now.

Mary clutched his tee shirt in her hands and sobbed into his neck, her tears wetting his skin, 'It's not your fault. It's not. It's mine. I fucking let him touch me. All those years...I let him. I let him.' Her breath came out in heaving gasps, 'I let his filthy fucking friends put their hands on me. He told me...he told me that no one would want me because I was his whore..I was ugly and disgusting and...used.' She pushed him away from her and crawled to the end of the couch and clutched her knees protectively against her chest as she would do when she was a child. She rocked herself back and forth, 'He was right. I don't deserve anybody. I'm filthy...ugly...damaged. ' She sneered in disgust, 'I don't understand how you could want me after knowing what he did. He's right. I'm ugly...'

"Stop that." Jon held her face in his hands and rested his forehead against hers. "Stop that. Breathe deep. Listen to me."

Mary held onto his arms and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

"Listen to me, Mary." Jon stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "He was a monster. You didn't want what he was doing. Don't tell yourself that, okay? You're gonna have to talk to the therapist about this, because none of that was your fault. And you aren't ugly or worthless, and you're not a whore. You're nothing like your mom, or my mom. You're beautiful and smart and funny and I love you so goddamn much. You know I'm not a fucking liar, Mary. I love you and you're perfect."

Mary shook her head in disbelief and pulled herself away from him, 'Stop saying that. Stop it. I don't want pity. Not from you. Just leave. I wanna be alone.' She put her face between her legs, too ashamed to look at him, 'Stop looking at me.'

"No fucking way. That's part of the deal." Jon put his hand on her back. "I love you. I don't pity you. Not ever, Mary. Remember when you were in my car and you tried to tell me you weren't hungry? I told you I didn't play games. That's still the fucking truth. I'm not gonna jerk you around and tell you shit that's not real."

Mary whimpered and looked away from him, shaking her head in disbelief, 'No. No one can love someone like me. Just go...please.' He tried putting his arms around her to hold her and she shoved his hands away, 'Get the fuck away from me! Stop touching me!'

Jon pulled away and held his hands up. She might have been getting a flashback of the horrible shit Slim did to her. Suddenly Jon remembered taking her to the gym so she could let her frustrations out on the punching bag. "You wanna hit me?"

Mary stared at him in shock. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me. Hit me. Or hit a pillow. Anything but yourself. But I can take it. Trust me." He grinned. "C'mon. There's no way you don't wanna punch me. I've been a pretty shitty husband. I deserve it. Take a swing."

Mary stared at him in bewilderment. She suddenly remembered the time he took her to the gym in the middle of the night to vent out her frustrations. He will never know what that did for her. It was yet another one of the many reasons why she fell in love with him.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself, 'Stop saying that shit, Jon. It's not fucking funny. I just wanna be left alone. Why can't you fucking understand that?'

"I'm not being funny, I'm being honest. And I'm not gonna leave you alone, 'cause part of our problem is that one of us usually avoids the other person when we're pissed and that creates more shit. Fuck that." He remembered having to get her riled up that day in the gym. "So you're pissed off and upset, and rightfully so. I'm telling ya to punch me. I want you to get all that shit out." Jon snorted. "You think I can't take it? I seriously doubt you can punch harder than Roman. Give me a

fucking break. C'mon."

Mary got up from the couch and stood over him. She pointed to the door and shouted, 'GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT!'

Tears were falling from her eyes and she was shaking uncontrollably, but he sat there staring up at her calmly, 'DIDN'T

YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? I DON'T WANT YOU HERE!'

Jon shook his head. "Not going anywhere, babe. That was part of the deal."

Mary sneered in disgust ands coffed, 'You don't fucking own me. This my house. MINE. If you don't leave I'm calling the cops to throw you out.' She bent down and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him closer to her. She stared into his eyes and whispered in an eerily calm voice 'Get out...now.'

He smirked at her, getting into character. He knew she hated Mox with a passion, so he was gonna be him. Let her take out

her frustrations on him. "Make me, sweetheart," Jon growled.

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. He had an arrogant smirk and a coldness in his eyes. He got up and stood over her. She looked up at him, sneering in disgust. This wasn't her husband, the man that she loved standing in front of her. This was Mox, the man she hated with every fiber of her being. She knew exactly what he was doing.

She pushed him forcefully, causing him to take a step back, 'Get out...now before I make you.'

"Wow, you're really scary." Jon snorted with derision. "You're really cute, though. You wanna have some fun? I can make it worth your while." He looked her up and down and smirked. "You look like you could use some fun."

Mary sneered in disgust and pushed him even harder, 'Get the fuck away from me you bastard.' Tears were falling from her

eyes, but she was so filled with so much anger in this moment she could focus on nothing else.

Jon giggled as she shoved him. "Can't stop yourself from touching me, huh? You're just like all the other skanks. You wanna put your hands where it counts?"

Mary's eyes widened in horror at his words. Without thinking she lifted her hand and slapped him as hard as she could on his left cheek. His head snapped to the side and she saw blood trickling from his bottom lip.

She pushed him again, 'Is that what you like, huh? You fucking asshole!'

He laughed and wiped his mouth. "That all you got? Fuckin' sad."

Mary shook her head and scoffed. She hit him again, harder this time, 'Like that?' She pushed him again and slapped him on the right side of his cheek, 'Ya like fucking with women, you fucking bastard!'

He cackled. "I love fucking women. I've fucked a ton of 'em. You got a problem with that?"

Mary grabbed him by the collar of his tee shirt and got right into his face until their noses were touching. She had no semblance of control, just anger. All the hatred, sadness and anger she had pent up over the last twelve years boiled to the surface. She didn't see her husband, the man she loved with all of her heart in front of her. She saw Mox and Slim, the two men she hated with every fiber of her being.

She looked him straight in the eye and whispered, 'I fucking hate you, you know that?

He nodded. "Tell me. Tell me why, Mary. Don't hold back."

Mary pushed him as hard as she could, causing him to stumble back, 'You used me. You hurt me. You took my virginity.' She punched him in the chest with both of her fists as she sobbed, 'You took my chances of being a mother.' She punched him again, 'You made me feel worthless, ugly ,undeserving of love...of anyone.' She kept punching his chest as she screamed, 'I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!'

Jon stood there and absorbed her punches, wincing slightly as she lay into him. It was worth it. If it would help her get past her rage, it was all worth it. He'd take the hit. He'd die for her.

She sobbed, shaking her head as she kept punching him in the chest repeatedly over and over again, 'Why did you do it? What did I do? I was a good girl. I laid there and gave you what you wanted! I got on my knees when you asked.' He stood there silent and stoic, which only made her angrier. She gritted her teeth and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him violently, 'FUCKING ANSWER ME!'

He closed his eyes and shook his head. His character was gone. There wasn't anything he could say to her. Not for this.

Mary punched his chest again and sobbed. "I said I want a fucking answer!"

Jon opened his eyes and stared at her sadly. "I don't have an answer, Mary. I don't. The things he did to you...to me...I can't..." Jon felt himself get weak and he stumbled back. A memory, long forgotten and pushed back, suddenly resurfaced. "Oh fuck..." He gagged and slid to the floor, his eyes filling with tears. "Oh Jesus fuck..."

It was as if a shade lifted up in a dark room. Mary snapped back into reality when she saw him fall to the floor upon his knees. She shook her head sadly. She could not believe that she went off on him like that. It wasn't fair. He has done nothing but love her and treat her good and she has done nothing but shit on him for it.

She fell down upon her knees before him and held his face in her hands. She sobbed as she wiped the blood away from his lip with her thumb. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked at his face. Guilt overwhelmed her and sadness clutched her heart, making her feel as if she couldn't breathe. This wasn't Slim or Mox. This was her husband. Her soulmate. Her everything.

Mary tightly wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead against his, 'Baby, I'm so sorry. Oh God, I'm sorry.' He shook his head, sobbing uncontrollably. His breath was coming out in heaving gasps and his arms were held limp at his sides, almost as if he were afraid to touch her, 'Baby, talk to me...please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't...'

"Don't, don't, please. I'm not. I don't want to, please." He started crawling away, his entire body shaking. "Please, no. I don't want to. Stop, please. Please, don't."

Mary looked at him wide-eyed. Suddenly her rage and sadness was forgotten and all her attention and focus was upon her husband. He looked so frightened and sad. She needed to be there for him, just as he was for her all those years.

She reached for him again and tightly wrapped her arms around him. She shushed him and held his head to her chest while stroking his hair. He was shaking so badly his teeth were chattering.

Mary whispered in a soothing tone, 'Shh, it's okay, baby. I'm here. I'm here. I'm so sorry. I love you so much. Talk to me. What is it? What has you scared? I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean it. I love you. Tell me...'

He shoved her away and ran into the bathroom, holding his head under the sink. The cold bit into his skin, making him shiver. Jon could hear Mary calling for him, but he couldn't face her. Not after remembering...

"Jon?" She sounded scared. "Jon, it's okay."

"No it's not," he hissed, and turned the water off. He stared at himself in the mirror, then cringed and looked away, turning the light off. At first the water seemed like a good idea, but it only made him shiver more. Mary came in the room and Jon looked away, his arms hugging his chest. "Go away. I'm not...no. No, no, no." He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. "No, I'm not gonna. I won't."

Mary stood there staring at him with tears in her eyes. She walked over to stand in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands and slowly lifted his head up to look at her. He kept his eyes averted downward and closed them. He couldn't look at her for some reason. He was trembling violently. His hair was went from the sink, falling into his eyes and she ran her hand through it, brushing it back.

Tears were falling from his eyes. She held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his own, whispering, 'What is it, honey? Baby, tell me. I can't help you if you don't tell me. I love you so much it hurts. I love you.'

He laughed bitterly. "Christ, why? Why? I'm not..." Jon shut his eyes and shook his head. "Fuck, oh fuck. I'm not...I'm not." He sobbed and pulled at his hair. "Oh god, I didn't...I didn't think they'd...I wasn't gonna. I couldn't...I can't..."

Mary shook her head and sighed shakily, 'Jon, I don't know what you mean. What are you saying? What is going on? What happened?'

He took deep breaths, swaying on his feet. "It's too fucking bright in here. I can't...can't think...oh shit..."

Mary's eyes widened. She knew what those words meant. He was going to have another panic attack. She grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom. She gently grasped his shoulders and sat him down on the edge of the bed.

She bent down upon her knees before him and held his face in her hands, 'It's not so bright in here, baby. I'm here. I'm your wife. You're safe and I love you very much. Now tell me. What's going on? Talk to me...please.'

Jon pulled himself away and curled up in a corner. "No! No, no. All these fucking lights...turn them off. I can't do this, I can't..." He held his head and groaned, his fingers scratching at his scalp.

Mary watched with frightened eyes as he hopped off the bed and scurried over to huddle in the corner. She crawled over to him and got into his lap. She tightly wrapped her arms around him and held his head to her chest. She stroked his hair and gently rocked him back and forth as a mother would her child.

She kissed the top of his head and whispered, 'Tell me, baby. You can't keep everything bottled inside. It's gonna kill you. Kill us. Please tell me. I won't ever think any less of you. I love you more than life itself. Please, baby. Tell your wife what's wrong. Tell me. No one can hurt you here. I won't let them. I promise. Talk to me.'

Jon sniffed and wiped at his face. "Can you please turn the lights off? Please, Mary...they had all the lights on when they..."

He shuddered. "Please, baby. Please, please..."

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears, 'The lights are off, baby. I never turned them on.' She sighed shakily, 'Baby, you're shaking like a leaf.' She held his head to her chest, 'Talk to me. You're scaring me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. What did they do to you?'

He wiped his face. "It's still too...I wanna..." Jon got up and crawled in her bed, throwing the comforter over him, still shivering uncontrollably.

Mary crawled in beside him and patted his body. "Can I get in there with you?"

Jon nodded and held the comforter up, pulling her close when she got under the comforter. He rested his head on her chest and sniffled, letting her hold him and stroke his hair.

After a while he stopped shaking and was able to breathe normally. "Sorry," he mumbled, nuzzling against her neck.

"Baby, it's fine." She sighed and rubbed his back. "You gotta tell me what's wrong, Jon. What happened?"

Jon cringed. "...Okay. Remember how I told you about that woman...one of his workers...and my mom was there? And they laughed at me?"

Mary nodded and stroked his back. "I remember, baby. That wasn't your fault. You were a kid."

"I know." He sighed shakily. "Well, um. Slim found out. He...he was with his friends, and I was coming back from selling his shit. He started laughing and saying I was...um..." Jon winced. "He called me a closet queen. I said I wasn't, but he was laughing and he grabbed me and threw me in the back...some guys were there...and the woman...and um...Slim said I had to try again and if I couldn't...if I couldn't then one of the guys was gonna take care of me. I tried to run, but he caught me...so...so I, uh, tried to...and I was so fucking scared and they had all these lights on and were laughing at me and...I just closed my eyes and I did it, I managed to do it and she laughed at me the whole time..." Jon sobbed and rubbed his face. "S-so Slim said 'I guess you're not a fag after all' and beat the shit out of me. And she was there and she...she said I was a lousy lay and she fucking kicked me in the nuts...and I heard my mom laughing. I think she saw it...I think she saw everything."

Mary sobbed as she held him. She stroked his hair and his back as kissed his head softly. She closed her eyes as her tears fell upon his head, wetting his hair. She now understood everything. His fear of bright lights, his panic attacks, his insecurities and promiscuity. It all stemmed from his childhood and what Slim done to him...to them.

She managed to get her emotions under control and kissed his forehead, whispering, 'Baby, none of that was your fault. None of it. You're such an amazing, wonderful and good man. I feel so lucky to know you. To be your wife. Nothing you do or say will ever change how I feel about you. Hearing you telling me that makes me love you now more than ever because I know that you trust me with everything you are. Just as I do with you. I love you so much that sometimes I feel as if I'm gonna die from it. You're everything to me. You're beautiful and extraordinary. Do you understand that?"

He snorted and wiped his face. "I'm fucking disgusting. You were right...no wonder I ended up with girls like Trina. I'm trash. I'm disgusting. How the fuck can I be a husband to someone like you?"

Mary sighed and stroked the sides of his face. She stared directly into his eyes, giving him the loving look he deserved, 'Baby, don't say that stuff. You're not disgusting. You're not trash. Ya know the same could be said for me too?' She smiled through her tears, 'But what I realized is that everything that happened in the past wasn't our fault. Not any of it. We didn't choose our situations and we definitely didn't choose our mothers.' She kissed his forehead, 'But we chose each other. And choosing you was the best decision I ever made in my life. Getting in your car that night changed my life for the better. I had nothing, no one before you came along. You made me see my worth and showed me that I could do anything. Before I met you I was so scared of...everything. You're strength gave me strength to survive.' Tears fell from her eyes and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves, 'I don't even wanna think about what would've happened to me that night at prom if you didn't show up.' She cupped his cheek, 'Do you know it was that night I realized how much I loved you? I knew even then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. When you held me in the bed and told me everything was going to be okay. I knew. I knew it would be because you were there. You're the only person who has ever made me feel safe, loved and...beautiful and I love you more than I thought I could love anyone.'

She kissed his forehead and stroked his back lovingly, 'That's why you're my husband.'

Jon pulled her close and kissed her. "I love you so much. I'm so fucking sorry...I should've told you, but I guess I blocked it out, I don't know. But I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry for everything. I love you so fucking much, you're everything to me."

Mary smiled and rested her chin atop of his head, 'It's okay, baby. You have nothing to be sorry for...nothing. I'm sorry too. Never meant to hurt you. I love you so much it hurts. I really do.' She sighed shakily, 'Jon, can I ask you a question?"

Jon nuzzled into her neck and kissed her cheek, whispering, 'Anything, baby.'

She took a deep breath and released it, 'Does it ever bother you that Slim...touched me? That he took my...virginity? Are you ever disgusted by that...by me?" She closed her eyes and cringed, bracing herself for his answer.

Jon stroked her cheek. "I have never, ever been disgusted by you. And baby, he didn't take your virginity. He didn't. What he did, that wasn't sex. So the way I see it, you lost your virginity to me." He smiled. "And it's one of the greatest memories of my life. Along with marrying you."

Tears filled her eyes and she leaned into his touch, sighing in content, 'I'm gonna love you forever, ya know? I'm never gonna leave you again...ever. I wanna take care of you, love you. Will you let me do that for the rest of our lives?'

"Forever," he agreed, and held her close. "God, I love you. So much." He sighed deeply and stroked her hair. "Do you feel better, baby? I know that was a lot to get out."

Mary nodded and kissed his head, 'Yeah, I do. How about you?'

Jon sighed and kissed her neck, 'Yeah.' He chuckled slightly, 'Yeah, I do.'

She bowed her head shyly, 'Jon? Can I ask you another question while we're being honest here?'

He nodded his head, 'Yeah, baby. Of course.'

Mary bit her lip and looked away, feeling embarrassed, 'Do you...uh...enjoy sex with me? Am I doing it...right?' She closed her eyes, already regretting her question. He probably thinks she's some insecure fucking little girl, which in a lot of way she was.

Jon grinned and stroked her face. "I love it. You're incredible, Mary. Know what? When I'm alone and thinking of you, it's better than when I've ever been with another girl. It's the truth, baby. You're the best." He kissed her and grinned. "Of course the fact that I'm madly in love with you helps. But yeah, I can't get enough of you." He took a deep breath. "That being said, I think we should take a break tonight. It's been a long weird day. But I wanna stay here tonight, if that's okay. I wanna fall asleep next to you."

Mary breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, 'I agree. Yeah, I don't think I have the energy to keep up with you.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'Of course, you can stay here. I want to hold you tonight...forever.' She ducked her head shyly, 'Would you...er...mind taking your shirt off?' She chuckled nervously, 'Don't worry, I'll behave. I just like feeling you like...that. I

love feeling your skin against mine. I'll take mine off...too.'

"Sounds like a fair trade." He grinned and pulled his shirt off, pulling her close when she did the same. "It's okay to kiss

you, though, right?"

Mary blushed and smiled shyly, 'God, yes.'

Jon tilted his head and moved closer, brushing his lips against hers and kissing her gently. She hummed and returned the kiss, their mouths opening so they could taste each other. He groaned and moved closer, running his hand up her hip and over the swell of her breast, but then pulled away. "Sorry." He sat back and sighed. "See what I mean? You drive me crazy." He gave her a chaste kiss and scooted over, pulling her close so she could rest her head on his chest.

They lay together like that, then Jon thought of something and grinned. "So, Punk fan. Wanna hear a funny story about your favorite wrestler? It involves CM Punk, a couple of new guys from FCW, and some...food products."

Mary wrapped her arm around his midsection and draped her leg over his. She kissed his neck and laughed, 'Oh, God. Do I really wanna know?"

Jon giggled. "Well, when you get called up and you start out, there are some initiation things they do with everybody. Nothing scary, but usually there are nicknames, and they fuck with your stuff...nothing too bad. So, the champion usually gets to decide the, uh, punishments or whatever. For us, Punk was champ, so the three of us got like shitloads of gross porn shoved in our lockers...nasty shit, like...nevermind. Just gross stuff. And they hid our bags and put weird shit in them. So not too bad. Although I wasn't too thrilled when all my clothes were soaked with Diet fucking Pepsi. Anyway. So Punk was champ again when these new guys got called up. He kept saying he had something new in mind. It was kinda scary 'cause he was all excited about it. But he needed some help, so me and Seth gave him a hand."

"Oh god." Mary snickered. "What did you do?"

"First thing we did was get as much maple syrup as we could. Then we snuck into the locker room during their matches and filled their bags with it. I mean it was like oozing out the zipper, it was pretty fucked up."

Mary giggled. "Holy shit! Oh god, they must have been pissed."

"Uh, that's not all." Jon snickered. "The next week we got some yogurt and left a message saying we'd never put food on their stuff again. So we went into the locker room during their match again and like dropped these globs of yogurt all over their bags. And we left a note saying 'Come isn't considered a food, is it?'" Jon cracked up, remembering how the three of them kept cracking up as they carried out their prank. "Oh man. Punk kept saying 'That's not enough come! More come!' and he was fucking yelling it and Seth and I were fucking dying...holy shit. Those poor guys were so freaked out. I thought David was gonna start crying. It was fucking hilarious."

Mary shook her head and laughed, 'Men. I fucking tell ya.' She kissed his cheek and sat up, her eyes beaming, 'Holy shit. That reminds me. I have another tape for us to watch ' She grinned, 'It's of us when I was seventeen and you were twenty. Apparently, it was taken without our knowledge.' She rolled her eyes, 'Kasey and her meddling.' She smiled shyly, 'Wanna watch it?"

"Kasey and her meddling is right." He beamed up at her and patted her leg. "Yeah, I wanna see!"

Mary nodded and kissed his cheek, 'I'll be right back.' She winked at him and walked over to her television. She grabbed a videotape on the floor beside the other ones and took the old one out, inserting the new one.

She grabbed the remote and crawled back into bed with him. She turned on the television and pushed play, impatiently awaiting for the video to load. She was so anxious for him to see this. This video explained everything they felt about one another, but were too afraid to say.

Mary gasped and cringed at her younger self popped onto the screen, 'This is obviously me. Kasey was helping me getting ready for my graduation.' She chuckled nervously, 'She made me wear this dress.' She rolled her eyes, 'She said it would finally make you see me as a woman.'

"I saw you as a woman before that." Jon kissed her cheek. "But I remember that dress. You were so damn beautiful in it.

Broke my heart."

Mary smiled shyly and kissed him, 'Thanks.' She settled back into the crook of his arm and nodded towards the screen, 'Just watch and listen.'

The camera was put off to the side and looked to be resting on her bedside table. Kasey and seventeen year old Mary were both seen standing in what appeared to be a full length mirror.

_Mary was running her hands down her dress, pulling at it and fidgeting. She let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, 'I look ridiculous, Kase. This dress makes me look like a fucking whale.' She put her hands on her hips and groaned, 'I would like to smack the shit out of whomever said black was slimming.'_

She hid in Jon's neck and groaned, 'Oh my God. I was such a fucking spazz.'

"Oh shut it." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her shoulder.

_Kasey sighed loudly. "Will you shut up? You look amazing. Plus I know someone who would love to see you like this."_

_Mary narrowed her eyes at her in the mirror. "What are you talking about?" Kasey snickered. "Like you don't know."_

_Mary shook her head and sat down on the edge of her bed, 'Don't even start with that, Kasey.'_

_Kasey sat down next to her on the bed and chuckled, 'Why it's the truth. Jon is crazy about you. And you love him too.'_

_Mary heaved a laborious sigh, 'It's not like that, Kase. We're just...friends.'_

_Kasey chuckled and nodded, 'Yeah, okay. So friends look at each other like they wanna fucking devour each other?'_

_Mary looked at her as if she grew two heads, 'Where the hell do you get this shit from?' She bowed her head, 'Jon doesn't see me like that.' She sighed shakily, 'Look, ya know that I have tried and failed. The bikinis, the tight shirts, the slight touches ya told me to do. He fuckin told me to cover up cause I looked cold. None of it worked.' She scoffed, 'I even tried to kiss him once and he told me he had to get me home for school.' She fiddled nervously with her hands in her lap,' He doesn't see me that way. I'm just a little girl to him. Like a little sister. I even heard him say it. One day I was cleaning up backstage after an event and I heard him talking to Cody. Cody said something about some wrestler hanging around me and that he should like tell me how he feels.' She laughed, 'I got so excited cause I thought this was it, ya know? Ya wanna know what he said, Kase? He said that I could do what I wanted with who I wanted because I was nothing more than a little sister to him. See, little...sister. Right out of his mouth.'_

Mary had tears in her eyes as she watched the scene. She sniffled and chuckled slightly, 'Shit, forgot all this was in here...sorry.'

Jon took in a deep breath. He remembered that. "I wasn't...I didn't mean..."

He paused when Kasey started talking again.

_"I'll bet that's not the whole story."_

_Mary shook her head and crossed her arms, looking away. "Forget it, Kase."_

_"Oh shit." The camera moved a bit. "You're in love with him, aren't you Mary?"_

_Mary shook her head, 'No...I'm not.'_

_Kasey snorted and laughed, 'Yeah fucking right. I've been in love, baby girl. I know what love looks like. You look at him like he hung the moon.' She wrapped her arm around her and gently shook her, 'I see ya checking him out at the gym. Ya think he's so hot, dontcha?'_

_Mary shook her head once again and faintly whispered, 'I think he's beautiful.'_

Jon shook his head in disbelief. How could he have missed this?

"Mary...that time I said that, I didn't mean..." He groaned in frustration. "Baby, I wasn't...I never meant..."

Mary shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, smiling, 'It's okay...I'...'

Their attentions were averted by what was transpiring on the screen.

_Kasey chuckled softly, 'So you are in love with him.'_

_Mary sniffled as if she were crying and snorted, 'Yeah...I am. It's that fucking obvious huh? To everyone but him.' She shrugged, 'Which is best because he doesn't think of me like that. He made it very clear.'_

_Mary looked up at the clock and hopped up from the bed and gasped, 'Holy shit. He's gonna be here to pick me up. Hurry up lets fix my makeup and hair really quick.'_

_Kasey quickly helped Mary with her hair and makeup and put the finishing touches on her dress._

_Mary sighed and stood in front of Kasey, 'So, I look okay?'_

_Kasey smiled and nodded, cupping her cheeks, 'You look beautiful and Jon will think so too.'_

_Mary shook her head sadly, 'Just drop it, Kase. We're friends and that's all we're ever gonna be.' She smiled, 'See ya at school.'_

_Kasey nodded and returned her smile. She shook her head sadly as Mary walked out of the frame._

Jon pulled her close. "Baby girl. I was so in love with you." He chuckled. "I can't believe you thought-"

Both of them jumped when static filled the room, and then a twenty year old Jon was scowling at the camera.

"_Why are you doing this?"_

_"Oh, just making sure I do this right. Cody says I fucked up filming the last couple of matches so I gotta practice." Kasey laughed as Jon rolled his eyes. "Calm down. No one's gonna see this, okay?"_

_Jon shrugged and looked down. "Let's just get this over with."_

_"Stop acting like a baby. You realize you're gonna have to get comfortable in front of cameras, right? You're gonna have to learn how to cut promos."_

_Jon snorted. "Yeah, but I won't have to deal with you, so it'll be easy."_

_"So modest." Kasey paused. "Anyway, let's practice interviewing."_

_Jon rolled his eyes again. "For fuck's sake..."_

_"Relax! It's an easy question. How do you feel about Mary?"_

_He blinked, looking slightly stunned. "I'm...what? She's...we're friends." He frowned and looked away._

_"Yeah, friends. But she's really pretty, right?"_

_Jon scoffed. "She's not pretty, Kase."_

_"Oh, give me a break..."_

_"She's gorgeous. She's fucking beautiful. Fuck, anyone could see that." Jon fidgeted a bit. "Okay, so we're done here?"_

_"Not so fast. So Mary's gorgeous, beautiful, funny and smart, and...what's wrong?"_

_He crossed his arms over his chest, looking uncomfortable. "This is a weird interview."_

_"Bear with me. So Mary's great, and I hear she thinks you're cute."_

_Jon burst out laughing. "That's fucking bullshit."_

_Kasey sighed. "It is not."_

_"It is. Stop making shit up." Jon suddenly looked upset, his features darkening in anger. "You're making fun of me."_

_"Why would I do that?"_

_"I don't know. But I know she doesn't think that. I'm like her brother. She keeps calling me her friend and..." Jon shrugged. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. We done here?"_

_"Calm down. Okay, but what if I told you I had proof that she liked you?"_

_Jon glared at the camera. "Knock it off."_

_Kasey groaned. "You're such a little shit. I'm serious! You two are crazy about each other."_

_His eyes grew wide. "I never said that! Don't say that! Don't go around telling people that shit!"_

_"Okay, okay! So you don't like her, relax."_

_Jon nodded and paced back and forth, his hair hiding his face. "I just...don't go around saying shit like that. It's not true."_

_Kasey sighed, but then hummed slightly. "I won't say anything like that, especially now that I know it's not true. It's probably just as well. You know Steve? He's had some great matches lately, he's really tall and really fucking handsome? I heard he's got the hots for Mary. Plus I've seen her checking him out."_

_Jon stopped pacing and looked up at her, his eyes wild. "What did you just say?" _

Mary had tears in her eyes as she kissed his neck and wrapped her arms around him, 'I never liked him, Jon. Never wanted him. I always wanted you and loved you. You're all I ever wanted.' She scoffed, 'Yeah he would talk to me. ' She chuckled, 'Now I know why whenever he saw me he would run away in the other direction. Did you say something to him?'

Jon held her close and kissed her forehead. "Ummm..."

_"What sort of shit has he been saying?" Jon approached the camera, his eyes wide with fury. "That fucker! I'm gonna fucking kill him if he so much as looks at her!"_

_"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Jon. It's not..."_

_"And what did Mary say about him? When? How long has this shit been going on?" Jon stomped around, pulling at his hair and muttering to himself._

_"Okay, okay. Hold on a sec." Kasey set the camera down and put her hands on Jon's shoulders. "Hey, listen to me. Mary doesn't want anything to do with Steve, and he hits on all the girls. Relax, okay?"_

_Jon gritted his teeth. "I don't want him anywhere near Mary."_

_"I'll talk to him, all right? What's got you so fired up?" Kasey stepped back and shook her head. "You're not her bodyguard, Jon. She can handle herself. Mary's tough as nails."_

_"I know that!" Jon pulled at his hair. "She can handle anything. But I'm still gonna talk to that fucker. If he lays one finger on her..."_

_"Unreal." Kasey crossed her arms. "Jon. You see what's happening here, right?"_

_Jon stopped pacing and glared at her. "What?"_

_"You're in love with Mary." Kasey chuckled. "Jon, if you only knew..."_

_"Stop." Jon's eyes got huge and he stepped backwards. "No. I never said that. I never...fuck you!" He whirled around and stormed off._

_Kasey watched him go and shook her head. "These kids are gonna be the death of me," she muttered, and turned the camera off._

Jon watched the video and wiped at his face. "Shit. I remember that. Uh, yeah, I talked to Steve. I told him that if he came anywhere near you I'd break every damn bone in his body." He laughed. "Fucking pathetic, huh?"

Mary shook her head and kissed him, 'It's not pathetic, Jon.' She chuckled nervously, 'Ugh, ya know that fist fight I got into with Katie who worked at the gym with me?"

Jon frowned. "Shit, I remember that. Yeah, what happened? You never told me what happened, just that she pissed you off."

Mary looked away and cringed, 'Uh, it was after one of your matches. I was backstage counting out the money for the night to give to Cody. She came up to me and started saying all this shit about how she...slept with you one night.' She snorted, 'It wasn't the first night she said that, but it got to me because it was the night after I tried to kiss you at the airport.' She sighed, 'Anyway, she said that I was pathetic following you around and I should just get a life of my own cause there's no way a guy like you would want a tomboy like me.' She snorted, 'I saw nothing but red and just hit her.'

Jon narrowed his eyes. "What a stupid bitch. Sorry about that, baby. If it's any consolation Katie was obviously wrong. And I was only with her once and I was drunk out of my mind. She wasn't exactly a beauty queen, as you remember."

He kissed his wife's shoulder and sighed. "Well, I did see you talking with Steve once after Kasey told me that you guys liked each other. He was leaning real close to you and you were laughing and playing with your hair. I thought I saw you blushing. I got in his face in the locker room and told him I'd rip him apart if he ever got near you again. I may have shoved him against the lockers a few times." Jon smirked and ran his fingers through his hair. "So yeah, I guess Kasey should have shown us the videos, huh? Would have saved us a lot of grief. And maybe a few people wouldn't have gotten their asses kicked."

Mary grinned and kissed his cheek, resting her head upon his chest, 'I never did like him, ya know?' She scrunched her nose, 'He always put on too much cologne and talked about himself in the third person. I just humored him cause he was apart of HWA and Cody liked him.' She chuckled, 'Now I get why your matches with him were so intense. I was so happy when ya took the title belt from him. Served him fucking right.'

Jon laughed and rubbed her back. "Yeah, I beat the hell out of Steve any chance I got. Poor refs used to have to pull me off of him. And after I had to explain to Cody why I hated his fucking guts, Cody didn't like him too much either."

They watched some more of the video, which was footage of Jon and Mary hanging out at the gym, surrounded by wrestlers. The two of them sat close to each other, talking quietly and sneaking glances at each other.

"Fuck, it was so obvious. I wonder why Kasey didn't show us the video?" Jon sighed and snuggled close to his wife. "Maybe she was afraid we'd get pissed or something?"

Mary wrapped her arm tighter around her husband's midsection and rested her head in the crook of his neck, 'When she told me about it. I begged her not to show it to you.' She laughed, 'I didn't want to be embarrassed and have you avoid me or something. I honestly thought ya really didn't see me like that. After I tried to kiss ya that time at the airport and you turned away, I thought that was... I heard that shit ya said to Cody about ya seeing me as a little sister.' She playfully nipped his neck and giggled, 'Liar liar pants on fire.'

"Yeah." He tickled her sides, making her laugh and squirm. "I said that 'cause I was fucking scared as hell that Kasey was gonna show that video to you. She swore she erased it, but you know." Jon pulled her close and kissed her. "Thank you, Mary."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you keep thanking me? You've got nothing to thank me for." Mary rubbed his stomach. "You're my husband, and I love you. No need for thanks."

"I love you, and I do need to thank you. For letting me in, for talking to me, for listening. For everything." Jon kissed her again. "So thanks."

Mary nuzzled his neck and kissed his cheek, 'Baby, you're welcome here any time.' She closed her eyes and yawned, 'I'm about ready for bed, honey. Ya tired?'

"Exhausted." He nestled close to her and kissed her again. "I love you so much, baby girl. I'm fucking glad we got that shit out, you know?"

Mary smiled and snuggled closer to him, 'Me too, baby. I love you...so much.' She kissed his neck and closed her eyes, 'Goodnight, Jon.'

Jon kissed her forehead and whispered, 'It is now.'

They both closed their eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber.


	29. Chapter 29

Mary was nervous as she stood backstage waiting for Jon to come and meet them. She had texted him, letting him know they have arrived and he told her he was getting changed and would be on his way to meet them. She had brought Kyle along, wanting for him to not only meet Jon, which was one of his idols, but to also have the experience of a lifetime. This was every kid's dream to be backstage and cavort with their idols and heroes. It was an extra special moment, not just for him, but for herself as well.

Jon had given her two backstage passes, wanting to give Kyle the full experience of a live taping. He was also gracious enough to give Kyle's foster dad and foster brother and sister tickets to the show as well. After the show was over, Kyle would head back to New Jersey with them while Mary stayed behind with Jon. They had one night left together before he had to go back on the road.

Some of the wrestlers had recognized her as Jon's wife and gave her hugs and chatted with her for a few minutes before they had to run and get ready for the show. Some of them were even cool enough to take photos and sign Kyle's program, which made his fucking year on so many levels. She was so happy she could give this to him. Then again, she didn't have herself to thank. This was all Jon's doing, which made her love him even more.

The whole ride to Philadelphia, Mary had been anxious and excited. This is the first time in a very long time that she has done something like this. Yeah, she had been backstage with him for their reunion at Barclay's Center, but this was under entirely different circumstances. This was going to be a very special time. Not just for herself, but for Jon and Kyle as well.

Kyle deserved this considering all the horrible things he had been through. He had lived through some terrifying and frightening ordeals that no child of his age should have to experience. He had lived through an entire lifetime of sadness, anguish and pain. He had been through so much horror in his short six years upon this Earth that most people don't experience in an entire lifetime. He deserved a little happiness. She wanted to show him that there is hope and goodness left in the world, that people like him can live a happy and fulfilling life. That no matter what someone tells them, they are worthy of happiness and love, regardless of what people may say. She and Jon were prime examples of that. She could not wait to see his face when he met Jon. This was not only going to make his year, but it would be a memory he would cherish and look back on fondly. His life was filled with so much painful memories, he deserved to at least have one good one.

As they made their way backstage, his eyes were as wide as saucers as he saw some of the wrestlers he had admired and idolized on television. She had tears in her eyes when Daniel Bryan walked up to greet them. He had given Mary a hug and a kiss on the cheek and took photos with Kyle and signed his program. He even let him hold his title belt and put him on his shoulders and they both screamed the 'NO! NO! NO!' chant together. The happiness and smile upon his face made her so damn happy. It was the first genuine smile she had seen upon his face since she has known him.

Mary laughed when he started crying and hid behind her back when Kane came along. He was scared of him because of his mask and costume. When they watched him at home, he would always behind a pillow and jump in fright when the fire burst from the sides of the ring. Surprisingly, Kane was actually a really gentle soul and such a nice guy. He took his mask off and bent down on one knee and talked to him, coaxing him from behind her back. He was used to little kids being scared of him so it was nothing new. It took Kane a few minutes, but he finally managed to have him open up to him. He had given him his own mask and took a few photos with him.

Kyle was now actually a Kane fan...

It was chaotic backstage. Most of the crew and wrestlers were scurrying around backstage, trying to set up last minute preparations for the show. It was live and was a sold out crowd so they had to make sure everything was perfect. Right down to the lighting, costumes and sound.

Kyle was clutching Mary's hand as if it were a lifeline. His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared in fascination at everything going on. She smiled warmly down at him. He was wearing his Dean Ambrose tee shirt she had purchased for him and a pair of jeans. She had also bought him a black WWE baseball cap at the merchandise stand. He wore it proudly, keeping it low over his eyes. He was such a quiet and shy kid. Hopefully, Jon would be able to make him come out of his shell. If there was anyone that could make people come alive, it was Jon. He had done it for her all those years. She saw a lot of Jon and herself in Kyle. All three of them had come from similar circumstances. The three of them came from broken homes. Their mothers cared more about getting high than they did for their own children's welfare. Like Jon and herself, Kyle had escape...barely. The devastation and traumatic effects of what had happened to him left lasting effects upon him. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. He was skittish, introverted and did not trust people and for good reason. He was exactly like herself when she was at that age, which is why she had chosen to take care of him. Sure, he had a foster family, but they didn't care for him much. Not really , they gave him food, shelter and clothing, but they had four of their own children to worry about. They didn't give him the attention, love and neutering that he needed in his formative years. She would gladly be that person for him he needed. She was going to be that person she wished she had when she was his age.

Just as Jon had been for her.

Mary squeezed Kyle's hand and looked down at him, smiling sweetly, 'Ya nervous, honey?'

Kyle shrugged nonchalantly, trying to act cool, 'I'm...good.'

She nodded and chuckled, 'Okay, ya excited to meet Dean?'

He nodded eagerly, a wide smile forming upon his face, 'Ya think he'll like...me?'

Mary bent down and cupped his cheek, smiling warmly, 'Of course he's gonna love you, sweetie. I told him so much about ya. I even showed him the pictures ya drew for him. He hangs them in his locker. He thinks you're pretty cool, sweetie.'

His cheeks were filled with a crimson blush and he ducked his head shyly. It was obvious he was pleased. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. He was such an amazing and wonderful little boy. She wished she could have a child like himself one day.

If only...

As if sensing him, Mary looked up and her eyes were wide. Speak of the Devil.

Jon was already dressed in his wrestling gear for the show. He was wearing one of his Dean Ambrose tee shirts along with his signature black trunks, which had barbed wire wrapped around the front along with his logo. He was wearing black wrestling boots and black duct tape was wrapped around his hands. His hair was wet and was slicked back with some wayward strands obscuring his eyes. His infamous black denim jacket completed his ensemble. He was geared up and ready for battle.

Dean Ambrose has arrived.

Jon spotted Mary and grinned, then noticed the little boy next to her, clutching at her hand and staring at him with wide eyes. This was Kyle. Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Shit, he was nervous.

"Hey." Jon dropped to one knee and held out his hand, giving the young boy the friendliest smile he could manage. "You're Kyle, right? It's nice to meet you."

Kyle hid behind Mary's leg. She shook her head and laughed, resting her hand upon his shoulder, 'Baby, it's okay. Look who it is. It's Dean. It's the guy ya love. Say hi.'

Kyle shook his head, obviously embarrassed.

Mary smiled at Jon and cringed, 'Sorry, he's a little...shy.'

He smiled and shrugged. "That's okay. I can relate." Jon looked up at Mary. "I got an idea. Stay right here."

Mary watched him go with a raised eyebrow, then squeezed Kyle's shoulder. "You've got nothing to be scared of, sweetie."

"I know," Kyle replied in a small voice.

They watched a few people come and go as they waited for Jon to return, and Mary was able to get Kyle talking again until she heard him gasp and felt him clutch her hand. She looked up to see Jon approaching with Ryan Stevens, who had a huge grin on his face.

Jon excused himself for a moment to talk to some journalist who wanted to get a backstage interview with him before his match.

"It's Max Renner!" Kyle whispered, sounding excited and terrified. "Holy crap!"

Ryan nodded at Mary and then looked down at Kyle, giving him his trademark grin. "Hey dude! I heard you're a friend of Mary's, and she's my friend too." He crouched down and lowered his voice. "I heard you got to meet some of the guys. I got a funny story about Daniel Bryan. Wanna hear it?"

Mary gave Ryan a curious look, but he waved his hand to let her know it was okay.

"One time, Danny Boy and I were drinking coffee at a cafe, and he wanted sugar, so I told him I'd get some. But I tricked him, 'cause I got a bowl and put in a bunch of salt and handed that to him. So he puts in all this salt in his coffee, and when he drank it, he made all kinds of faces. I took pictures, wanna see?"

Kyle giggled and nodded, letting go of Mary's hand and stepping forward.

Ryan grinned and took out his phone. "Look at how mad he is!" The two of them looked at the pictures and laughed, with Kyle seeming much more relaxed.

As he walked away, he could not help the tears that formed in his eyes. Jon could not help but be touched in this moment. Meeting this little boy meant so much to him. Looking at this boy was like looking at a mirror reflection of his younger self. He saw himself in his eyes. Kyle was a representation of the little boy that was still trapped inside him longing for love and acceptance. He wanted to make this special for him. Jon has been a fan of wrestling all of his life. It was not only his career, but his passion. When he was a kid watching WWF and ECW he used to dream about hanging out backstage with his wrestling idols like Ric Flair, Dusty Rhoades, Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer. It was still hard for him to fathom that he was now in the same ranks as those he once idolized. Shit, he still looked up to them. Now he was the guy the kids wanted to be, feared and admired and emulated. This moment between him and Kyle signified everything he has accomplished in his life; personally and professionally.

If it were not for wrestling he would have probably been in prison or dead from drugs. He would be wasting and wallowing away in abject poverty always dreaming, but never doing. If Cody and Les did not give him a chance none of this would not have happened. He most certainly would not have married Mary. He owed his life to them.

Mary mouthed a thank you Ryan and he nodded his head smiling.

Mary turned to Ryan, asking him, 'Do you have any idea what my crazy husband is up to?'

Ryan shook his head, chuckling, 'I haven't a clue. Ya know how he is. When he gets an idea there's no stopping him.'

She nodded and scoffed, 'That's what I'm afraid of.'

Her eyes widened when all of the sudden, she saw none other than Paige walking out of one of the dressing rooms. She was dressed in her ring gear, which consisted of tiny leather shorts, a black corset and black boots. Her long hair was perfectly straightened and her face impeccably polished. In other words she looked gorgeous. She felt her insecurities popping up again as she stared down at herself. She was simply dressed wearing jeans, boots, a v-neck tee shirt and a jean jacket. Her hair was worn down, which she hasn't had a chance to brush since that morning and her clothes were rumpled from sitting in the car for three hours.

Mary took a deep breath when she noticed Paige's eyes widened in recognition as if she knew who she was. The thought suddenly occurred to her this was their first time meeting face to face ever since she called Jon that night after breaking up her engagement, only to have her answer the phone.

Her heart was pounding as Paige made their way up to them.

Paige gave her a friendly smile and extended her hand out to her, 'Hi, you're Mary, right? Jon's wife. It's so nice to finally meet you.'

Her British accent was warm and friendly, which oddly put Mary at ease.

Mary gave her a small smile and tentatively put her hand in the younger woman's. She nodded, 'Yeah...I am. It's nice to meet you...as well.' She cringed inwardly. Shit, this was awkward as fuck.

'So, it's crazy around here, huh?" Paige asked her.

Mary sighed and nodded, 'Yes...very.'

Paige's eyes then fell on Kyle, whom was still engaged in a very serious conversation with Ryan.

She turned to Mary wide-eyed, 'Is this you and Jon's child?"

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No, no. Uh...no.' She chuckled nervously, 'He's actually my friend's kid. I thought it would be nice for him to come meet everybody, ya know?'

She did not feel right lying, but she didn't want to embarrass Kyle. She wanted to make this experience as pleasant as possible for him. He deserved that.

Paige bent down on her knee and patted the kids back, 'Hey there, cutie. What's your name, lad?'

Ryan smirked and chuckled, 'Calm down, girlie. He's too young for you.'

Paige narrowed her eyes and mouthed a 'fuck you' without Kyle noticing.

Kyle ducked his head shyly and whispered, 'It's...Kyle.'

Paige extended her hand out to Kyle, 'Kyle it's nice to meet you. I'm Brittani.'

Kyle looked at her wearily, 'But you're...Paige.'

Paige chuckled and nodded, 'That I am, little man. But Brittani is my real name. Paige is just what I go by on TV.'

Kyle nodded his head and narrowed his eyes and had a serious look upon his face as if he were trying to figure it all out in his head.

Kyle slowly and tentatively put his hand in Paige's and shook it gently, 'Nice to meet you...Brittani.'

Paige nodded and smiled, 'You too cutie.'

All of the sudden, Brittani heard her name being called to come out onstage. She sighed and rolled her eyes, 'It never ends around here, does it?'

Ryan shook his head and chuckled, 'Not when you're Diva's champ it ain't.'

Paige scoffed and nodded, 'Ain't that the bloody truth.' She patted Kyle on the head, 'Nice to meet you,lad. Enjoy the show.' She averted her attention to Mary and smiled, 'Nice to finally meet you.'

Mary nodded her head, feeling awkward and shy. She felt very uncomfortable standing in front of the woman whom had slept with her husband. He also admitted to having feelings for her, which made the situation all the more nerve wracking.

Mary forced a smile upon her face and nodded, 'You as well.'

She sighed in relief as Paige ran down the hallway, getting as far away from them as she could get. That went surprisingly better than she thought it would go. She really was proud of how well she handled the situation. Maybe she was finally maturing after all these years.

Mary smiled when she saw Jon walking back down the hallway.

Jon gave her one of his infamous smirks and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek

Jon leaned forward, whispering in Mary's ear. "How long has he been watching me?"

Mary grinned. "He's seen everything. Even your FCW stuff. Nothing before then, though. I didn't think that would be...appropriate." She lowered her eyes and scowled, thinking of Mox's promos.

"Good call." Jon crouched next to Ryan and Kyle, laughing at the pictures of Daniel Bryan wiping his tongue on a napkin and scowling at the camera. "Hey, Kyle, something really cool's gonna happen tonight in my match. I hope you like it. Plus I know where you guys are sitting, and you might get some cool souvenirs."

Kyle bowed his head and smiled shyly. "Mmkay."

Jon stood up and laughed when he saw Mary's eyes narrow at him. "What?"

"What's gonna happen for your match? You didn't mention anything earlier."

"It's a surprise." Jon winked at her. "Be patient for once."

He and Ryan said goodbye to Kyle and Mary, watching them leave backstage to go to their seats. Ryan shook his head and clapped Jon on the back. "Your wife's amazing, man. Wish I had someone like her looking out for me and Clara when we were kids."

"Yeah." Jon beamed with pride and walked with him to the locker room. "She's incredible."

The show started with Miz stomping to the ring, demanding a title shot. He listed off his accomplishments, only to be interrupted by Seth and Daniel Bryan, who also demanded their own title shots. Chaos erupted when Roman and Dolph made their way to the ring, demanding to know why they also weren't in the running for the championship. All five men were staring each other down when Dean Ambrose's music hit.

"Let's just stop all this right now," Dean growled, stepping onto the ramp. He smirked at the chorus of boos and pointed at the guys in the ring. "None of you measure up to me, none of you are worthy of this title, and none of you are worth my time." He strolled to the ring and cackled as the five men glared at him. "So you can fight among yourselves all you want, but you're not getting anything out of it." He stepped in the ring and stared them all down. "You're not getting any part of MY championship, so stop wasting your breath and GET OUT OF MY RING."

Brad Maddox's music hit and all six men groaned, rolled their eyes or stared at their General Manager with exasperation. Brad grinned at them and sighed into the microphone.

"Boys, boys, boys. All this arguing, and fighting...it's no good! It's bad for business. But, I can assure you I hear your pleas. Therefore I propose we have some fun tonight. I propose that all six of you fight in a match. I'll be watching backstage to see who impresses me the most. Maybe the one who truly shines tonight gets a title shot. We'll see."

Dean scoffed and glared at him. "Why would I bother to fight these idiots? I'm already champion!"

Brad chuckled and wagged his finger. "Funny you should say that, Dean. See, while I was backstage in my office, I was taking a good look at the guys in the ring. I gotta be honest, I got some flashbacks. In fact, I can remember back when you and two of your former buddies there attacked me for no good reason. You remember that?"

The crowd cheered as Seth and Roman glanced at each other and Dean narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I certainly remember it. So how about this...let's turn back time, shall we? I love a good nostalgia act. How about we have Miz, Daniel Bryan, and Dolph...versus the team of Seth Rollins...Roman Reigns...and Dean Ambrose...formerly known as The Shield!"

Dean's eyes widened in horror as Seth and Roman shook their heads in disbelief.

"No, no no no...I don't associate with these idiots anymore!" Dean screamed. "I won't be a part of this!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that, Dean." Brad smirked. "Funny thing about being the General Manager is that I have a lot of power. So, basically, if you don't compete tonight in this match, you lose your title. How's that work for you?" Brad laughed as Dean threw down his mic in disgust. "Aww, don't look so glum. Maybe Seth and Roman WON'T turn on you during your match, or leave you to get beaten to a pulp by your three opponents? Who knows!" Brad winked and turned to leave as Dean whirled on Seth and Roman, demanding that they stay out of his way.

The entire night was really exciting. She was so anxious for Jon's match later on that night. Mostly she was excited for Kyle. His hands were gripping the guardrail and his eyes were solely focused on the ring in front of them. He would clap excitedly for the faces and boo and heckle the heels. She has never seen him so excited or happy. She kept her arm wrapped protectively around his waist. She knew how rowdy wrestling fans could be, especially when they had a few beers in them and wanted to make sure he was safe. Her agency would fire her and she would never be able to live with the guilt knowing something happened to him under her care.

Tears filled her eyes when Brodus Clay invited him to come on stage and dance with him. John Cena had also give him one of his armbands and Rey Mysterio took off one of his masks and put it on his face. She knew Jon had something to do with it. It warmed her heart in knowing that he cared enough about her to want to make sure this was a memorable night for Kyle. It only made her love him even more. She truly was a lucky woman to have such a good man in her life.

When she saw how he acted with Kyle, she had no doubt in her mind he would be a good father. He was so good with children. He had such as big and tender heart. Any child would be lucky to have such an incredible man as their father. Even though that issue was in the past, her old insecurities crept up on her. She will probably never get over the guilt and sadness in knowing she could not give him a child, but she had to stop thinking about that. She had him and it's all that mattered. She had a loving husband, great friends and she was doing what she loved. She considered herself lucky and blessed. Not many women from her circumstances could say that.

All of the sudden her eyes widened and she beamed when she heard Miz's music hit. It was time. She watched as Miz walked down to the ring, acting as conceited and arrogant as ever. Kyle clapped excitedly and bounced up and down when Daniel Bryan's music hit. He walked down the ramp, screaming his signature motto, 'NO! NO! NO!'.

Mary clapped and laughed when Daniel Bryan got in Kyle's face and screamed, 'NO!' back and forth with him. He winked at Mary and she mouthed a 'thank you' to him. He quickly nodded his head and ran up to climb into the ring. Dolph followed closely behind, surprisingly still being valeted by AJ Lee. He walked down the ramp arrogantly as if he owned it. Ironically, he had become a face awhile back ever since he teamed up with Seth during an Elimination Chamber match. The transition was surprisingly smooth considering people loved him anyway.

Her heart leaped in her chest when she heard the unmistakable sounds of 'The Shield''s entrance music. She laughed aloud and shook her head amusingly. This was so fucking awesome. The crowd burst into pandemonium when they saw them walking down the steps dressed fully in their SWAT gear. The fans patted them on the back as they made their way through the crowd.

Mary's eyes were solely focused upon Jon. She always thought he looked so sexy dressed in his SWAT gear. He was even wearing that sleeveless black hoodie she loved so damn much. It took her back to the days of watching him on television when she was lonely and lovesick for him. She didn't feel that way anymore. She had him forever now.

Jon was holding his title belt over his shoulder as he pushed his way through the crowd. He had a serious and angry look upon his face. His eyes were half-lidded, looking like he was about to go on a rampage. Her heart raced and she gasped aloud when she noticed that his eyes were solely focused upon her. He had a smirk upon his face as he made his way up to her. She gripped the guardrail tightly as he made his way through the crowd with only one sole purpose in mind...her.

The three of them were like fucking kids when they got ready for their match. Seth and Roman started talking about the old days, recalling how they'd come back to pats on the back from veterans in the locker room (as well as the occasional initiation prank from Punk). When they'd suggested this match to the writers, they were sure the idea would be rejected as two of them were faces. Surprisingly they all loved the idea, and when the six of them sat down and went over ideas for the match, they realized they'd all have a chance to shine.

Jon knew Mary would love this, especially since they reconciled when he was still a part of The Shield. Plus she told him many times how she loved how he looked in his SWAT gear. He glanced at the mirror and grinned, getting an idea.

After he became champ, Punk and Bryan told him how much fun it was to mess with the fans at ringside. You could tell who was going to be cool and play along, and you could say things to them to mess with their heads and make yourself look even more like a badass. Jon tried it at a few house shows, getting in some people's faces, telling them he was gonna destroy whoever his opponent was or just holding up his title and laughing at them. The fans ate it up, and it was a hell of a lot of fun.

When they got close to the ring, Jon eyed his wife with a smirk. He jumped over the railing and approached her, chuckling when he saw how nervous she looked. He leaned close and murmured in her ear.

"Love you, baby girl. I'm gonna show you how much I love you later when I taste you." Before she could react, he continued. "Now, you can't hit me, but act like I just said something disgusting." He pulled away and sneered at her, then raised his eyebrow at Kyle.

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock. His heated words sent a tremor throughout her entire body. She felt the wetness between her legs and it took all of the strength within her to not let out a whimper.

To fuck with him a little, she leaned over the guardrail. He was still leaning into her, oddly sniffing at her hair. She discreetly whispered in his ear, 'As long as you let me suck you off with your gear on.'

She shook her head and sneered in disgust, all the while giving him a look only he would understand. She gave him that look he knew so well. It was the look she gave him right before he put his mouth on her or got inside her.

Jon pulled back and laughed, wagging his tongue at her while she cringed. He could practically hear Lawler and Cole talking about what a jerk he was. When he turned to get in the ring, Roman and Seth were glaring at him with utter contempt, but he could see the humor in their eyes at his interaction with his wife.

Brad's prediction came true, which surprised no one, but the crowd loved it. After a few rough tags, Seth and Roman had enough and started beating on their former friend Dean, kicking him to the floor and winning the match after Seth hit Miz with a flying knee to the head and Roman speared Dolph for the pin. After the match, Seth kicked Dean in the face and Roman powerbombed him, and then the two of them ripped off their SWAT gear and threw it on top of Dean, leaving him laying in the ring. Brad came out and applauded as Seth and Roman headed backstage and Dean wearily got to his feet, stumbling to the back and muttering angrily to himself.

Mary stood there stunned with tears in her eyes as she watched the match unfold. She knew that it was fake, but she still never liked to see him get hurt. She will never get used to it. She had spoken to a lot of the other wives and they felt the same way. Shit, Randy Orton's wife told her she couldn't even watch his matches sometimes because she got so scared for him. She liked talking to the other wives. It made her feel less alone.

She was so angry when Seth and Roman turned their backs upon him. She had to bite her lip to stifle her sob as she watched her husband lying there in the middle of the ring. She had leaned over the guardrail, almost hanging over it as she watched him wide-eyed. It took all of their insurmountable strength she had within her not to jump over the guardrail and into the ring to beat the living shit out of them.

After the match, Mary took Kyle back with his foster dad to get him home. She was so anxious to see if Jon was alright. She practically ran to the back to check up on him. She ran down the hallway, frantically searching for his dressing room.

Mary sighed in relief when she found it. Thankfully, the door was unlocked.

She burst through the door and found him sitting in a chair still wearing his SWAT GEAR, except for the bulletproof vest. He had a towel around his neck and he was drinking a bottle of water.

Mary slammed the door, causing him to jump up, startled.

She shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Are you trying to fucking kill me?'

Jon giggled and set his water down, getting up so he could hug her. "Sorry baby girl. It looked worse than what it was." He kissed her forehead. "The crowd loved it, though. What did Kyle think?"

Mary wrapped her arms around him and smiled, 'He loved it. He pretty much thinks you're the coolest guy in the world." She grinned, 'I have to agree.' She playfully slapped him, 'I can't believe you said that shit to me on live television. You know how fucking shy I get...' She scoffed, 'Asshole.'

He snorted. "Yeah, you were real shy when you promised to suck my dick." Jon grinned at her and stroked her hair. "Wanna make good on that promise?"

Mary ducked her head shyly and smiled, 'Do you still keep a picture of me with you when you're in the ring like ya used to before?'

Jon grinned and reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a copy of a picture of her in her wedding dress. "I'm always gonna find a way to carry you with me everywhere, baby girl."

Mary blinked away tears and smiled softly. She leaned up and stroked the sides of his face. His beard scratched against her fingertips, sending shivers down her spine.

She looked up at him and whispered, 'Do you still jerk off to me after every match?"

Jon smirked and ran his fingers over her arms. "Damn right. Although it'd be cool if I got to have the real thing tonight."

Mary's eyes widened in a dramatic fashion and she scoffed, 'Mr. Ambrose. What kind of a girl do you think I am?'

His breath caught in his throat. Fuck, he loved it when she acted all innocent. It was sexy as hell.

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Jon growled, his eyes traveling over her body.

Mary ducked her head shyly, gazing at him from under her lashes, 'Well, I don't know...Dean. I'm not one of those kind of girls, ya know? I have to admit, I was kinda surprised surprised when ya asked me back here. ' She smirked, 'Been a fan of yours for a long time.'

He managed to suppress a giggle and leaned close, breathing her in. "You look like fun," he murmured, and teasingly pulled at her shirt. An idea formed in his head and he grinned, hoping she'd play along. "I'll bet your husband doesn't know how to make you have fun."

Mary bit her lip to hide her grin. Fuck, this was going to be a lot of fun. She always had a fantasy of the two of them backstage like this. It looked as if she could finally make it a reality.

She shook her head and sighed, 'No, he doesn't. All he cares about is work. He's all fun and no...play.' She ran her hand down his chest, 'What about your wife? Does she satisfy you?'

Jon shrugged. "Yeah, but uh...you're way hotter." He smirked and started playing with a lock of her hair. "And you seem like you're willing to try new stuff. Am I right?"

Mary played with a lock of her hair and giggled nervously, 'Honestly? I haven't done...much. My husband is the only man I've been with like...that. Maybe you can teach me some...things?'

"Definitely." He smirked at her. "You wanna do stuff here or find someplace else?" Jon leaned close and breathed into her ear. "I plan on making you scream."

Mary closed her eyes and shivered at the tone of his voice. His naturally raspy voice was even more so, sending shivers down her spine.

She bowed her head, 'Do you have a place we can go?' She sighed, 'If we do this, I have only one rule. No kissing.' She smirked, 'I do have some respect for myself.'

Jon narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that. Especially since I'm assuming you mean no kissing on the mouth. There are a couple of other places where I wanna kiss you." He ran his tongue over his lips and chuckled when she gasped. "Wanna go to my hotel?"

Mary nodded and sighed shakily, 'Okay, ya want me to meet ya there?' She chuckled nervously, 'Don't want the dirtsheets seeing ya with a girl that's not your wife.'

Jon shrugged. "We can meet there if you want. But I don't give two fucks who sees us. Besides, if your husband ends up seeing me with you I doubt he'd be able to do anything about it." He leaned close and ran his finger down her throat. "Am I right?"

Mary trembled and let out a sigh. She nodded and looked up at him shaking at the intense look in his eyes.

She nodded her head, 'If he saw us he wouldn't care.' She chuckled, 'He would probably be relieved. He doesn't care for me much these days. Busy with work and all that. What about your wife? ' She smirked, 'I heard she's the jealous type.'

He snorted. "Please. She can't tame me." Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "We doing this or what? I want to get you out of those clothes."

Mary nodded and grinned, 'Yeah...we are. I have a car. Wanna take us where you're staying?'

He nodded. "Hope you drive fast, sweetheart. I'm tired of talking."

Mary curtly nodded her head toward the door and grinned, 'Follow me.'

Jon followed her out of his dressing room, not even bothering to change out of his gear. Thankfully, the hallway was cleared out with only a few wrestlers around, but most of them were too preoccupied with themselves to notice them. When they made their way out of the back exit, most of the fans had gone home. Mary's car wasn't that far away and was parked next to the tour buses since she was given a backstage pass. They said not a word as they walked to her car.

When they reached her car, Mary threw him the keys and smirked, 'Here, you drive since ya know where you're staying.'

"Don't get used to calling the shots," he growled, and got in her car.

They headed towards his hotel, and they were stopped at a red light when Jon noticed how Mary was smirking at him. "Got something you wanna say to me?" he challenged.

Mary shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window, saying in a nonchalant tone, 'I was just thinking how I've never gave anyone road head. Kinda always wanted to do that.' She smirked, 'Have you ever had your cock sucked while driving?'

Jon bit back a grin and shook his head. "That's something I've never had." He glanced at her. "You game?"

Mary's eyes widened in surprise, 'Ya never had that before?' She grinned, 'Then it will be a first for us both then.' She leaned over and turned the radio on. The car was filled with the sounds of The Deftones.

She grinned, 'This music okay for you? Figured it would set the mood and ya know...drown out the noises you're gonna make when I go down on you.'

Jon snickered. "It's fine. You seem awful sure of yourself, though. You sure you know how to give head, little miss innocent?

Mary arched her eyebrow and said, 'I think I can figure it out.' She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, 'If ya don't want it then oh well guess we'll just wait til we get to the hotel.'

His smirk vanished. "I didn't say that. You just seem like a good girl, that's all. Who knows, maybe you'll be really fucking good at it." He squirmed in his seat. "You got me hard, baby. Let's put this theory to the test."

Mary ducked her head shyly, perfectly content to play the innocent little girl act for him.

She sighed, 'My husband never liked it. Said it was unnecessary. He's kinda boring and...stuffy. He's a...doctor.' She grinned, knowing that would get him all riled up, 'You might have to show me what to do.'

He gripped the steering wheel and sneered. "Doctor, huh? Sounds like a fucking bore. Well, sweetheart, first you get my cock out. Think you can handle that?"

Mary smirked and bent her head down and slowly unzipped his pants. She slowly took his cock out of his boxers and gripped him tightly, slowly stroking him. He threw his head back and let out a hiss.

She looked up at him and smirked, licking her lips, 'Wow, you're really fucking big. I don't know if I can fit the entire thing in my mouth.'

"Just start from the top and do what you can," he managed to get out, keeping his eyes on the road. "Use your tongue a lot.

C'mon..." Jon writhed in the seat, impatient for her mouth on him.

Mary grinned and slowly took him in her mouth, inch by inch. She trailed her tongue along the length of him and used her teeth as she went down. She gagged when the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. Her saliva regurgitated on him and she used it to stroke him, making her movements fluid, mimicking the actions of her tongue.

She scraped her teeth along the edges of his cock, tracing the ridges with her tongue. She felt the car swerve a bit and she grinned around his cock, loving the fact that she was making him lose control.

Mary released him from her mouth and continued to stroke him, while whispering, 'Looks like you're having trouble concentrating. Maybe I should stop doing this and wait til the hotel.'

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. Thankfully there weren't too many other cars out. "Give me some more. C'mon. Feels really fucking good...you're better than I thought you'd be...so much better. More."

Mary grinned and took him in her mouth again. She took him in as far as she could go and sucked and slurped at him. She tensed her jaw, clamping her mouth around him. He let out a guttural groan and thrust his hips up, unable to help himself.

She quickly released him with a pop and sat back in her seat. She wiped her mouth and sighed, leaning back in her seat, 'I don't feel like doing that anymore.' She looked over at him and smirked, 'How about you finger me and get me all nice and wet for you? That is if you can handle driving and finger fucking a girl at the same time, Mr. Macho Wrestler.'

He managed a small laugh. "Sounds like someone's feeling full of herself." Mercifully they came to a red light, stuck behind a line of cars, and Jon quickly reached over and slid his hand under the waistband of her pants, feeling for her entrance. "Damn...you're already wet as fuck, baby. You must've liked having my cock in your mouth, huh?"

Mary licked her lips and groaned, 'Yeah, I'd like your cock in other places to.' She arched her hips, bringing his hand deeper inside of her.

She threw her head back and let out a long satisfied moan. She could feel her juices already gushing out of her, spilling out onto his hand.

Mary sighed shakily, whispering, 'Fuck, you turn me on. Used to fuck myself watching you on tv, ya know that?"

Mary leaned over and stuck her hand his pants and gripped his cock, stroking it quickly.

She grinned when he moaned and whispered, 'There's a green light, baby. Better pay attention.'

Jon dug his nails into the steering wheel and managed to pull into the hotel parking lot. It was full, but no one else was around. He grinned and turned off the car, leaning over and rubbing her thighs. "You're so fucking hot." He nuzzled against her neck. "C'mon, I wanna kiss you."

Mary rubbed her cheek against his and shook her head, grinning, 'No, I told you. I only kiss my...husband. He's the only one I ever kissed, ya know?'

He narrowed his eyes and sat back. "Well, you're gonna have to make it up to me." His glare turned into a smirk. "Bet I get you to kiss me before I'm done with you tonight."

Mary glared her eyes at him and scoffed, 'You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?'

He smirked and moved his hand up her thighs, stroking her gently. "Just calling it as I see it." Leaning close, he licked around her neck and breathed in her ear. "Let's go to my room. I wanna play with you."

Mary rested her back against the car door. She stretched her legs and putting in his lap to gently rub his cock with the tip of her flats.

She smirked as he hissed and bit his lip, 'What if I say no? Ya gonna make me?"

"How about I give you some incentive?" he murmured, letting his fingertips travel over her entrance. "I can give you a sample of what I wanna do. And then you can decide if you want more."

Mary sucked in her breath and nodded, 'I'm game.' She grinned, 'Show me.'

He grinned and unbuckled her belt, then turned her so her head rested against the passenger door. Within seconds he had her panties down to her knees and settled his face between her legs, giving her long slow licks up her slit.

Mary gripped her seat and the dashboard as he licked her. She groaned aloud, the sound reverberating throughout the car.

She grabbed his head and tugged upon his hair, forcing him off of her and nodded, 'Oh yeah...you can SO fucking play with me. What made you choose me tonight? Out of all the girls in the crowd...why me?"

He grinned and stuck two fingers in her, wiggling them around and chuckling when she squirmed. "You're hot as hell. Plus you looked like you could use a great fuck." He pulled his fingers out of her and sucked on them, moaning at her taste. "Let's get to my room. Time to play."

Mary's eyes widened and she fixed herself quickly as he got out of the car, not even bothering to wait for her. She ran up to him in the parking lot and walked next to him as they made their way through the hotel. It was late in the night and hardly anybody was in the lobby. They said not a word as they got onto the elevator.

She gasped aloud when he spun her around and threw her against the wall of the elevator.

"When's the last time someone made you scream?" He bit at her neck and grinded against her. "Answer me."

Mary groaned and arched against him, whispering, 'Never'. She smirked, 'Told ya my husband is stuffy and boring. Never came with him. Always had to finish myself off.'

He smirked and stuck his hands under her bra, rubbing her nipples. "I guarantee you're gonna come with me, baby. Gonna make you scream my name."

Mary bit and sucked at his neck and whispered in his ear, 'Is that a promise?'

'I fucking said I guaranteed it." He reached into her panties and gave her a quick rub. "Gonna see how much fun a good little girl like you can be."

They were thwarted from their heated moment by the sound of the elevator ringing signaling their floor. Mary gently pushed him off of her and grinned as they she followed him off the elevator. She followed him down a long corridor until they reached the end where his room was located. He swiped the key card in the door and gave her a smirk as he opened it. She said not a word as she followed him inside. She looked around the room and chuckled at the mess. Suitcases were on the floor with clothes spilling out of them along with some of his ring gear strewn on the floor. Her husband was still as messy as ever, but tonight he wasn't her husband. He was Dean Ambrose and she was nothing more than a no name fan.

She shoved her hands deeply into her pockets and rocked nervously back and forth upon her heels, still playing the part of the innocent girl, 'You wouldn't happen to have any beer or liquor would ya?' She grinned, 'Kinda wanna have some fun tonight. I never get to have any fun.'

He laughed hysterically. "Do I have beer or liquor? You sure you're a fan of mine?" He rummaged through the fridge and handed her a beer. "Have you even had a drink before?"

Mary grabbed the beer from his hand and popped the cap. She tipped the bottle back and took a long swig. She licked her lips slowly as she stared into his eyes, giving him that look she knew got him hot.

She walked around the room looking around and sighed, 'Ya wanna put some music on? Kinda in the mood for some dancing.'

"Dancing?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a slow dance kinda guy."

Mary shook her head and smirked, giving him a sultry stare, 'I'm not asking you to dance. Why don't you pull up a chair and sit down and enjoy your beer. Since ya gave me a great performance tonight it's only fair I return the favor.' She pouted as she looked at her beer bottle, 'Ya have anything stronger like whiskey or tequila?'

Jon's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. He seemed to be visibly shocked by her behavior. She was the only person who could render him speechless.

"Um..." He pointed at the minibar. "Help yourself." He shook his head, trying to get back into character. "Knock yourself out." Jon glanced around. "So where the fuck do you want me to sit?"

Mary walked over to the minibar and grabbed the chair. She arched her eyebrow and pointed to it. He smirked and sat down as he took a long swig of beer. She grabbed the bottle of Southern Comfort and walked over to the stereo, pushing play. The sounds of some melodic rock band filled the speakers. It was something she recognized Jon like to listen to.

She opened the bottle of Southern Comfort and took a long sip, handing him the bottle. He looked shocked as he stared at the bottle and she chuckled, 'What's the matter? I thought ya wanted to play?'

He chuckled. "You're full of surprises." His eyes travelled over her body. "Thought you were a goody two shoes. I guess your husband hasn't shown you a good time in a while, huh?"

Mary shook her head and chuckled, 'No he hasn't.' She sat down upon his lap, bringing her crotch flush against his cock. She could feel him already hard as a rock underneath her. She gyrated her hips on top of him, making him hiss.

She brought the bottle of liquor to her lips and took a swig and put it against his lips to take a sip, 'See I am a goody two

shoes. I do and say the right things. My life is rules, rules, rules. Sometimes a girl just gotta have fun and play a little bit.' She leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'Sometimes all a girl needs is a really great fuck.'

Jon smirked and pulled at her shirt. "You came to the right place, baby. How about getting that sweet little mouth of yours on my cock again?"

Mary smirked and whispered, 'Make me.'

Jon reached up and sunk his teeth into her neck, pulling at her hair. "You little bitch," he hissed. "You don't get to play the bad girl whenever you want." He dragged his nails down her back and grinned when she gasped. "I think you forgot who you're fucking with here. I'm not your boring excuse of a fucking husband. I don't have a shit ass medical degree. I picked you 'cause you seemed like a good fuck. Now get that mouth of yours on my cock or I'm gonna punish you."

Mary grinned and licked her lips, 'What if I don't, hmm? What's my punishment?'

Jon gave her a wicked grin. "I might tie you up. Or I'll fuck your ass. Or both. Think your husband will like that?"

Mary pulled his hair and yanked his head down so she could whisper in his ear, 'I don't give two fucks what he likes. I do what I want to whomever I want.' She grinned, 'Fuck me in the ass, huh? Never done that before. It seems like fun.'

He grinned at her and grabbed her hips, pulling her down so she'd grind against him. "I wanna fuck you so hard you forget you're married. I knew you were gonna be a great fuck once I got a good look at you." Jon chuckled. "You seemed so disgusted when I told you I wanted to taste your pussy. I wanted to get inside you right fucking there."

Mary grinned and grinded against him harder, 'I used to fuck myself and watch you on tv. Does that get you off, baby? I never had it rough before. I want it so fucking hard I won't be able to walk tomorrow. Can you give me that?'

He laughed darkly and dug his nails into her hips. "Baby, you're gonna remember me forever. You think you can handle me? Little Miss Innocent?"

Mary grabbed his hair harder and scratched her nails down his arm, 'I hear a lot of talk but no action.'

Jon snickered. "You want action? You got it." He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, throwing her on the bed. "Time for some fun." He crawled onto the bed and pulled at her pants. "Get these off now. I want to lick that pussy of yours. You taste good, you know that?"

Mary quickly unbuttoned her pants and took them off along with her panties. She spread her legs wide, opening herself up to him.

She looked up at him and smirked, 'Do ya wanna know my name considering you're gonna be screaming it later? Or am I just a little bitch?'

He laughed and ran his fingers over her entrance. "Sure, what's your name? Like it fucking matters."

Mary ran her hands through his hair and whispered, 'It's Mary. You're gonna remember that. Every fucking time you go down on someone else's pussy you're gonna wish it was as sweet as mine.'

Jon cackled and bent over her, staring her down. "Mary, huh? Such a good girl name. Let's see how good you are." He bent down and lapped at her entrance, groaning at her taste. "Fuck. You taste damn good. You mean to tell me your husband doesn't eat you out every fucking day? He's a fucking idiot." He ran his tongue over her, flicking at her clit.

Mary shook her head and moaned, 'No he doesn't, hardly ever actually.' She yawned and rolled her eyes chuckling, 'Gotta tell ya. You're kind of boring. I can get anyone to eat me out. Do I really got to go back to my friends and tell them THE Dean Ambrose was a boring lay?'

He growled into her and crawled up her body. "You're gonna regret that, girl." Jon smirked and sat up. "Open your mouth. Now."

Mary opened her mouth and smirked, 'Now what?'

Jon grinned and pulled his cock out. "Stick your tongue out and shut the fuck up."

Mary stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes, egging him on.

"That's more like it." Jon moved up and ran the tip of his cock over her tongue, groaning at the sensation. "Fuck...suck me off. Suck me off and I'll lick your pussy. C'mon. I wanna feel that sweet mouth of yours on my cock again. Felt fucking great when you sucked me off in the car. Show me how much you wanna fuck the baddest motherfucker in the WWE."

Mary clamped her mouth down on him and sucked him in, taking him in as far as he could go. She grabbed his ass cheeks and dug her nails into the flesh hard enough to draw blood. She surprised him by inserting her finger in his ass and twirled her finger inside of him.

She smirked around his cock as he yelped in surprise and moved her head up and down in a steadfast pace as she sucked, licked and slurped at him.

"Fuck...Goddamn. God, I'm gonna love breaking you in." Jon gasped at the sensations and tugged at her hair. "Man, I love fucking you good girls. You give the best fucking head."

Mary spit onto his cock and sucked him down until she could feel him in the back of her throat. She made a swallowing motion and moved her head back and forth upon him until he whimpered. She smirked around his cock and tensed her jaw, clamping her mouth upon. She grasped him with her hands and stroked him as she massaged his scrotum.

"Shit." Jon began panting, his cock dripping with precum. "Fuck...you suck cock like a pro, baby. Christ, I can't wait to feel your pussy around my cock. I'll bet you're tight as fuck. Shit...god, you have the best fucking mouth...damn." He groaned and pulled away. "Gonna make me come if you keep that up. Jesus."

Mary grinned and licked his precum off her lips she inserted two fingers inside herself and took them out to put them in her mouth.

She groaned and whispered, 'Fuck, my pussy taste good.' She spread her legs wide and smirked, 'Wanna taste this pussy for yourself, baby?' She chuckled at his eyes went wide, 'Good girls can taste their own pussy can't they?'

Jon chuckled and pulled his shirt off. "I suppose so. But I'll be the judge of how good you taste." He settled in between her legs and kissed her deeply, running his tongue all over her. He pulled away and grinned at her. "I'm guessing it's okay to kiss you here?"

Mary nodded and tugged his hair, gasping for breath. She thrashed her head from side to side and let out a guttural groan as he sucked, bit and tonguefucked her.

She groaned aloud and whispered raggedly, 'Fuck, I lied. Get the fuck up here and kiss me. Wanna taste myself on your tongue. Wanna kiss you.'

Jon shook his head and ran his tongue all over her. "Wanna make you beg for it." He lapped at her clit and stuck three fingers in her, moving them around. "You can beg better than that, you fucking bitch. Fucking goody two shoes. Beg me to kiss you. I wanna hear it."

Mary groaned and tugged at his hair as he worked his mouth on her. She arched her hips, bringing his fingers deeper inside her and whimpered at the sensation.

She sighed shakily, 'Please, Dean. Kiss me...please. I'll do anything. Please. Fuck yeah...don't stop. I'll be good I promise just kiss me...kiss me.'

"More," he growled, and began moving his fingers faster inside her and ran his tongue harder over her clit.

Mary chuckled and pushed him away from her, 'Fuck you. That's as good you're gonna get.'

"You don't call the shots." He glared at her and scratched at her hips. "I'm gonna mark you up so your husband knows you were fucking around."

Mary narrowed her eyes and smirked. She wrapped her legs around his waist and licked the side of his face, causing him to moan.

She grabbed his hair and whispered in his ear, 'My husband doesn't give two shits about me. Do what you want.'

"His loss." Jon grinned and rubbed his hand in between her legs, feeling her wetness. "My gain." He bit at her neck and sucked at her skin. "I wanna fuck you. Wanna fuck you raw."

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped aloud, still wanting to continue the fantasy, 'I never...only...with my husband.'

"I don't see the good doctor here. So I'm gonna take full advantage." He dragged his teeth over her shoulder. "Like that little fuck could stop me anyway." Jon snickered and positioned himself at her entrance. "I'm gonna come in you too. You're gonna feel me dripping out of you. Think you can handle that?" He shoved himself deep inside her and moaned in her ear. "Fuck, you feel good. So fucking tight. I knew you'd feel good...I could fucking tell." He grunted and began moving inside her, building a steady rhythm.

Mary wrapped her legs tighter around his waist as he pounded into her. She scratched her nails down his back and moaned his name. She arched her back, bringing him deeper inside of her.

She bit his neck and whispered raggedly in his ear, 'So good. Fuck, you feel so good. Harder...want more.'

He ran his tongue along her face and drove himself harder into her. "Who's a good girl now, huh? You liked getting fucked like this, don't you?"

Mary whimpered and nodded her head, 'Fuck yes...shit.' She bit his ear and licked around it. She was overwhelmed with sensations. He always had the ability to make her lose her mind.

She licked the sweat off his neck and bit his pulse point, 'Ya like my pussy, don't you? ' She arched her hips, grinding herself against him, 'Good girls give the best fucks, don't they?'

He chuckled and pulled out of her, turning her around so she was on all fours. "I'm not done with you yet, sweetheart." Quickly he shoved himself into her and groaned. "Fuck, you feel good. I'll bet your husband doesn't fuck you from behind, does he?" He pulled at her hair and began riding her hard, smirking when she screamed in pleasure. "You wanted to get fucked hard, now take it."

Mary grabbed the headboard as he rode her. He was fucking her so hard she lifted off the bed. She screamed with every thrust. She tried to keep up with him, but he was thrusting into so hard she found it difficult to match his strokes.

She looked at him over her shoulder and managed to gasp out, 'My ass...want you to fuck it...please.

He cackled and dragged his nails down her back. "Not so shy now, huh?" Jon pulled out of her and sat on the bed. "How about you fuck yourself? C'mon. Ride me. Put it anywhere you want."

Mary crawled on top of him and faced her back towards him. She looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a smirk. She grabbed his cock and positioned him between her ass. Ever so slowly she put him inside her hole and slid him in inch by inch.

She groaned aloud and held on his legs as she slowly rode him reverse cowgirl. She chuckled when she heard him scream, 'What's the matter, baby? Never been fucked like this before?'

He shuddered and held onto her hips, unable to answer. She felt so amazing he could only moan as she rode him to oblivion. Mary grinded her hips against him and he thrust up and whimpered.

Mary bucked her hips and rode him faster, making him want to lose all control. She wanted him to beg and scream for her. She wanted him to forget everything but her.

She dug her nails into his thighs and yelled out, 'Scream for me, baby. Want you to scream my name.' She moaned and bit her lip, 'Fuck, your cock feels so good inside me. Fuck yeah.'

"Fuck." He dug his nails into her hips and shivered. His body was covered in sweat and his heart was racing. "God...Mary...gonna fucking lose it if you...keep...moving like that."

Mary chuckled, 'Isn't that the idea?' She rode him faster, bucking her hips every time she arched against him.

She wailed, her breath was coming at in heaving gasps as she yelled out, 'Fuck, god. You feel so good. Love you, baby. So much.' She eyes widened and she gasped aloud, horrified that she let those words slip out of her mouth, 'Sorry...didn't mean...'

He laughed and tugged at her hair. "You think you're the first girl who fucked me to tell me that? They all love me...oh shit...but none of them feel as good as you. Keep fucking me, baby. You feel fucking amazing..."

Mary sat up, taking him out of her and they both moaned at the disconnection. She turned around and sat on his chest, her juices wetting his skin.

She ran her nails down his chest and he hissed. She smirked and ran her pussy over his cock as she leaned over to whisper in his ear, 'I'm not just any other girl though am I, baby? Tell me you love me or you're not getting this pussy for the rest of the night. You can go fuck yourself.' She grabbed his hair, making him whimper, 'Tell me who you belong to. Fucking say it.'

Jon stared up at her, running his hands over her breasts. "Kiss me first."

Mary smiled and held his face in her hands as she placed her mouth upon his. They both groaned into each other's mouths as they tasted each other. Their tongues dueled as they ravenously devoured each other.

Jon held her face as he kissed her, losing himself in her taste, then broke away and rested his forehead against hers. "Told you I'd get you to kiss me," he whispered, and ran his tongue down her neck.

Mary chuckled and kissed his chin, nipping at it with her teeth, 'I don't want the fantasy anymore. I want Jon to fuck me. I want my husband. I need you. Just need you.'

"You've got me." He nuzzled into her hair and breathed her in. "You've got me, baby girl. How do you want me?"

Mary sighed and whimpered, scratching her nails down his abdomen, ' I want you to fuck me. Want my husband to take me however he wants. I'm yours, baby. I'm yours.'

Jon growled and ran his hands over her legs. "I wanna feel you ride me. You drive me fucking crazy when you do that, baby girl."

Mary nodded and positioned himself at her entrance. She impaled herself upon him quickly and they both moaned aloud at the contact. She braced her hands upon his chest, riding him furiously. He grasped her hips, forcing her down upon him harder as he thrust up into her.

She leaned over and started biting, licking and sucking his nipples, alternating between them both as she scratched her nails down his chest.

"Fuck, you're hot," Jon groaned. "Gonna make me come so hard...fuck, Mary. God, I love you."

Mary leaned over him and ran her hands through his hair as she grinded against him, 'I fucking love you, ya know that? Do you know how hot you made me tonight when you whispered in my ear? I was so fucking wet. Ya got me so wet, like I am now. So fucking wet for you.'

"Thought you'd like that. Couldn't help myself, you know. You looked so damn hot. You always do, baby girl." He grinned up at her and pulled her down for a kiss, savoring her taste.

Mary whimpered into his mouth and tore her lips away from his as she rode him furiously, 'Come on, baby. Help me out here. Wanna feel how much love me. How much you need me.'

Jon chuckled and picked her up, flipping them so she lay on her back. He teased her with shallow thrusts and nipped at her neck. "You're fucking cute as hell when you get all commanding, you know that?"

Mary chuckled softly and nipped at his neck, 'Do ya know how fucking hot you are when you're inside that ring, baby?' She shook her head, 'But when you're inside me you're fucking beautiful cause you're mine.'

"I'm always yours, baby girl. No matter where I am." He shoved into her as deep as he could and grinned at her. "Feel how much I love you, baby?"

Mary rested her forehead upon his and whimpered as she arched up into him, 'God yeah. Love you so much. Always gonna love you. You're always gonna be mine...always.' She let out a choked sob, 'Fuck me harder, baby. Need it.' She ran her nails down his biceps, 'Please...'

He held her close and moved harder into her, kissing at her neck, her ear, her cheek. "God, I love you...I love you...I love you so much, Mary. Love you forever..."

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and licked the side of his face as she grinded against him, 'That's it, baby. Fuck your girl. That's it. Just like that.'

"Love fucking you," he gasped. "Love being inside you. You feel so fucking good...I'm so in love with you...god, you're perfect."

Mary smirked and licked the sweat off his neck as she moaned into his ear, 'Love you so much. Love when you fuck me. Feels like I'm fucking dying.'

"You're gonna feel me coming in you soon...you feel so fucking good." Jon groaned and grinded his hips against her. "God, I love my wife."

Mary arched into him and wailed, 'Fuck, yeah. I'm gonna come with you, baby!'

Jon rode her harder and shouted her name as he came, collapsing into her arms as Mary shuddered around him, clutching at his back as she climaxed. He moaned and shivered as she held him, whimpering as she came down from her own orgasm. He closed his eyes and sighed at the feel of her all around him.

Mary lie there with him, coming down from one of the most intense orgasms of her life. She stroked his back and chuckled softly, 'Told ya good girls are great fucks.'

"Damn right." He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair away from her face. "So beautiful."

Mary brushed his hair away from his face and smiled softly, 'So are you. Sorry about the doctor thing.' She grinned, 'Thought that might really get ya going.'

"Well, you made it up to me." He kissed her nose and gently slipped out of her, bringing her close so she could rest her head on his chest. "I love you so damn much, Mary. Thank you for tonight."

She giggled. "For sex? Don't mention it."

He laughed and rubbed her back. "That was fucking great too, but I meant introducing me to that kid. He's awesome. He's gonna be okay and it's all because of you."

Mary snuggled closer to him and kissed his cheek, 'I can't take all the credit. He's a strong kid.' She chuckled, ' He thinks the world of you. Thanks for having those guys give him stuff during the show. Ya made his life doing that, baby. You're such a good man. It made me fall in love with you all over again seeing you with that boy.'

"Aww, it was fun. I'm glad he had a good time." Jon kissed her forehead and sighed. "You're goddamn amazing, you know that?"

Mary sighed and kissed his neck, 'Baby, ya give me way too much credit. Do you have any idea what you did for him tonight? You made his dreams come true. You did that. You have so many people, so many kids just like we were that look up to you. Don't you see how extraordinary you are?'

Jon grinned and hugged his wife. "You're too kind, babe. I'm just honored as hell that he even wanted to talk to me."

Mary scoffed and leaned up to look at him increduously, 'Are you fuckin kidding me? You're fucking Dean Ambrose. World fucking Champion. Do you know how many of the kids I help look up to you?'

"That's probably 'cause you talk me up to them, and you're biased," he giggled.

Mary rolled her eyes and snorted, 'Yeah, fucking right. Are you kidding me? A lot of my kids in foster care love wrestling.' She scrunched her nose in disgust, 'Of course some of them like John Cena, but they're too young to

know any better.'

Jon snickered and kissed her forehead. "I'm fucking flattered." He ran his fingers through her hair and gazed at her. She was so beautiful that it broke his heart. "Did you have fun tonight, baby girl? I mean besides the awesome sex."

Mary nodded eagerly, 'Fuck yeah I did.' She playfully slapped his shoulder, 'And fuck you for not telling me you were bringing back The Shield. You embarrassed the shit outta me when ya sniffed my hair like that.' She rolled her eyes, 'Weirdo.'

"Aww, you loved it." Jon leaned into her, growling and sniffing at her, making her giggle.

Mary playfully pushed him away and laughed, 'What am I gonna do with you?You're crazy ya know that?'

"You love it!" He pounced on her and sniffed at her hair, making her shriek with laughter. "Say you love it...say you love me!"

Mary giggled and pushed him off of her, 'You're such a fucking butthead.' She smirked at him. It was the name she used to call him when they were kids.

He returned her smirk and started tickling her sides, making her squirm. "Ya little smartass."

Mary giggled and crawled on top of him, pinning his arms to the bed as she grinned down at him, 'Ya know, those are some fighting words, Mr. Ambrose. I would like to issue you a challenge.'

"Oooh, a challenge!" He beamed up at her and stretched, lacing his hands under his head. "I like challenges. Fire away."

Mary smirked down at him, 'How about this? We both go back and forth talking dirty to each other. But the stipulation is no matter how turned on we are, we can't touch ourselves or each other. Whomever gives in first has to..' She took a moment of deliberation to carefully think about her wager, Pleasure the winner but they can't get anything in return.' She arched her eyebrow, 'So, ya game or are ya chicken?'

Jon giggled and reached up to rub her hips. "Only if I get to kiss you before we start. I need some incentive."

She rolled her eyes, saying, 'Well, I guess I can give you a kiss.'

"Fuck yeah!" Jon sat up and pulled his wife close, kissing her deeply. She ran her hands through his hair and he moaned, stroking her back and easing her down so she sat on his lap. He felt himself start to harden and he moaned again, rolling his hips against her.

Mary tore her lips from his and reluctantly pushed him away from her. She rolled off of him and sat down next to him.

She wagged her finger in front of him and smirked, 'I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. The game hasn't even started yet.'

"Aww." Jon pouted and then sighed. "Okay, so who starts? Do we flip a coin or some shit?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'How about you just start by telling me a fantasy ya have of you and I...and we'll take it from there. ' She grinned,'No holding back either. I play to win.'

"Um..." Jon blinked. "Huh. What haven't we done yet...OH!" He grinned. "Remember when I tried to kiss you after you graduated?"

Mary ducked her head shyly and blushed, remembering that night, 'Yeah?'

Jon snickered. "Well. You had this dress on, and you were all tipsy...I thought about that night a lot, baby girl. I had ideas on

how it should have gone." He grinned. "I'll bet ya want details, huh?"

Mary settled under the covers and rested her head upon his chest, 'Yeah...actually I do.'

"Of course." He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Well, you looked beautiful. No surprise there. But oh man, when you laid back on the car, and your dress moved up a little, and I could see those sexy thighs of yours..." Jon shivered. "Fuck. The things I wanted to do to you right then."

Mary let out a throaty chuckle, 'I would have let you.' She shook her head and sighed, 'What did you wanna do to me? Tell me...'

Jon sighed and stroked her hair. "Well, of course I imagined your legs wrapped around me as I fucked you. But once I started thinking about it, I got other ideas. Like you'd let me kiss you, and I'd get on top of you and start rubbing those legs of yours...and I'd start moving my hand up..." Jon looked down as his wife started to squirm. "Getting excited, baby girl?" he teased. "Shit, this is gonna be easier than I thought."

Mary scoffed and rolled her eyes, 'Hardly.' She danced her fingertips along his chest and grinned when she felt his muscles clench up under her fingers,'I thought about me running my hands through that sexy head of hair of yours and kissing your neck as I sat in your lap with my legs wrapped around you.'

Jon hummed. "That would've been awesome." He grinned. "Back to my fantasy. I'd move my hand up and run my fingers along your thighs...and I'd keep kissing you, I can never get enough of that...and I'd take my hand out and pull up your dress..."

Mary felt herself start to get wetter and wetter with each word he spoke. She rubbed her legs together to ease the pulsating and throbbing ache between her legs. She nuzzled his neck, breathing him in, 'Then what?'

He chuckled, knowing full well the effect his words were having on his wife. "Well, at this point you'd be telling me that you always wanted me...and I'd tell you I wanted you too, that you drove me fucking crazy...and I'd kiss down your neck...your chest...your stomach...and then I'd get to your legs. I wanted to run my tongue all over those creamy white thighs of yours, baby girl. Fuck, I wanted to taste your skin."

Mary kissed his neck and whimpered. She was so fucking turned on, but she refused to let him win. It was about time she started to make him rubbed her foot along his leg and whispered, 'I wanted to unbuckle your belt and unzip your pants and put my hand inside and touch you. Those trunks you wore when ya wrestle fucking got my mind going...wanted to see if ya were as big as I knew ya were.'

He took a deep breath. Damn, she was making him hard. Time to turn up the heat. "Well, know you know, don't you, baby girl?" Jon snickered and rubbed her back. "So...back to those thighs of yours...I was going to lick all around you until you started begging me for more...and I'd be gentle with you, baby...I was gonna kiss you over your underwear. Just soft kisses, no tongue...just my lips up against you...and when I started to be able to feel how wet you were, then, well, I'd take it a

step further." He grinned. "Wanna hear more?"

Mary closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself and nodded, 'Fuck, yes. Don't stop.'

Jon bit back a grin. This was fucking awesome. He knew he was gonna win this one. "After I got you nice and wet, I figured by then you'd be begging for me to do something...anything. But I still wanted to be gentle, so I was gonna pull those panties aside and start kissing that sweet pussy. Nice and slow...real gentle. You'd want more, but I'd be giving you these soft little kisses...after a while I'd pull those panties down and throw 'em to the ground. I'd move in closer, but just

soft little kisses...getting my lips wet. That sound good?"

Mary nodded and smirked. There was no fucking way she was going to let him get the best of her, 'I would have my hand in your pants, stroking your cock. It would be so hard for me. You'd already be leaking and I would take some of your precum and taste it.' She licked her lips slowly and groaned,'Fuck, you would taste so good.'

He took a deep breath. Her words were getting him hard, and she scooted away and smirked at him, knowing he was craving contact.

"Huh. That sounds good." Jon cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. So. Where was I? Oh yeah, in between your legs."

She grinned and patted her mouth to mimic a yawn, 'Boring.'

Jon sneered at her. "Well then. I was gonna tell you more about what I wanted to do that night, but if you're gonna be shitty..."

Mary nodded and smirked, 'No, no, no. Please continue. It's just starting to get good.'

"Okay then." He cleared his throat. "So, I'd be in between your legs, kissing you, and you'd be going crazy by then...so I'd start tasting you. Just running the tip of my tongue over you. I'll bet you would've lost your damn mind, huh?"

Mary nodded and shivered. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, 'Well, yeah. Of course. I mean...that would've been the first time anyone has ever touched me like that.' She smiled, 'At least the first time I would want that anyway.'

Jon nodded. "I'd be real gentle. I'd take it slow. You'd be wanting more, though, so I'd put my hand over you and really slowly I'd start pushing my finger inside you. Real slow. And once I got it all the way in, I'd lick around you while you got used to the feel of my finger inside you. Then I'd start moving it around, feeling you."

Mary let out an involuntary groan. She could actually feel his finger and mouth upon her. She rubbed her legs together, easing the ache.

She cleared her throat and nodded, 'I would have fucking loved that.'

"I wanted to take care of you," he murmured. "Wanted to taste you. Never did that with a woman before...you were my first. God, I wanted to taste you. I would've slipped another finger in - you'd be so fucking wet, you'd take it so easily - and I would've kept licking at you. I imagined me kissing your clit and you'd jump, so I'd know that was sensitive for you...so I'd kiss you there some more...then I'd start licking at you, feel that little bit of hardness under my tongue."

Mary's eyes widened as tears formed in her eyes. His confession shocked her to the core.

She shook her head in disbelief, 'Ya mean you never did that before? I was your...first?'

"Yeah. Never really wanted to, uh, you know, get intimate before. It was just sex. But I wanted that with you." Jon cleared his throat. "For the record, I've only done that with one other girl, and didn't do it for very long. She didn't taste as good as you. The way you taste, it's fucking amazing. I could go down on you all day." He squirmed a bit, his hardness driving him crazy. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and impale her on his cock, but there was a game to play. A game he wanted to win.

"I wanted to suck your clit and finger you while I could feel your hands in my hair, the night air flowing over us...fuck, I wanted that so bad. Wanted you losing your damn mind on the hood of that car."

Mary closed her eyes and gasped for breath. She was so wet she could feel it dripping down her legs. She wanted nothing more than to crawl on top of him and put him inside her. She shook her head, clearing her mind of the lust filled haze. No, she had to remain strong. She refused to let him win this time around.

She put her hand on his chest and began nuzzling his neck as she whispered in his ear, 'I would have my legs wrapped around your neck. I would be moaning your name. Telling you how much I wanted this. How I used to finger myself and get off on you doing that to me. Fuck, I would be so wet for you. I'd beg to let you taste myself. Never done that before. I wanted to kiss you and taste myself on you. ' She whimpered, 'Love tasting myself on you'

Jon took a deep breath. "Shit yeah. Wanted to do that too. Love doing that. I was gonna lick at your clit and then along your pussy, then move up and kiss you. I'd kiss you for a long time, and then I'd move back down 'cause I wouldn't be done with you. Fuck no. I'd wrap my arms around your waist and you'd wrap your legs around my head and I'd stick my face up against you...I'd stick my tongue inside you, real slow, then shove it in as deep as it could go and lick all inside

you."

Mary groaned aloud at his heated words. She started squirming on the bed to relieve the throbbing pressure between her legs, but it only seem to make things worse.

She licked her lips and sighed, 'I would come so fucking hard for you. I just know it. I would squirt all over your face. Get your face all wet wouldn't I, handsome?'

He chuckled. "Wouldn't have stopped me. Never does. I love that I can make you do that, baby girl. But I wouldn't have been done by a long shot. I would've kept licking at you, drinking up that sweet wetness. Then I would've stuck three fingers in - you'd gasp but you'd take 'em - and I would've moved back to your clit, and I would've sucked on it. Nice and gentle at first, but then harder...harder...making you scream. You would've screamed, huh, baby?"

Mary sighed shakily and physically trembled. He was going to make her come just by his words alone and she wasn't even touching herself. She took a few deep breaths, getting herself under control.

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, 'Maybe. What else ya got?'

He smirked. She was getting close, he could tell. He wondered if he could make her come without touching her, without having her touch herself.

"You would've screamed. And I'd keep sucking you, and then when you were shaking all around me I'd pull away...I'd take off my clothes and make you watch...then I'd pull that dress off of you...take off that bra...lean over you and suck those tits, run my tongue over your nipples. You'd still be wet as fuck, and you'd be wanting more...so I'd get on top of you and I'd rub the tip of my cock against you...what would you have done, baby girl? And by the way, I'd have one of my hands pushing against your waist so you wouldn't be able to move up and take my cock in you. So you'd be lying there feeling the tip of my cock rub against your wet pussy and you wouldn't be able to move much...what would you have done?"

Mary ran her fingertips along his bicep, making him shiver, 'Well...for starters I would reach down and cup your balls...feel them heavy in my hands..I would bite and lick your neck and whimper your name...begging you to fuck me.' She smirked, 'Ya love when I beg, don't you, baby?' She pouted, knowing it drove him crazy.

He gritted his teeth and exhaled shakily as he felt precum ooze out of his cock. Fuck, she drove him crazy when she pouted like that. "Shit yeah. God. You'd beg me to fuck you...you'd want my cock in you, so I'd reward you for begging like a good girl and slip myself inside you...a little bit at a time...you'd get me so hard, I'd be so big for you...and I'd slip all the way inside and watch the look on your face when I pushed up against you. You'd feel me real fucking deep, deeper than you'd imagined, and oh fuck, the look on your face when you felt how deep I got..." He squirmed and took a deep breath. "Shit. Thought about that a lot."

Mary smirked as she leaned the entire length of her body against him, 'I would think about that too...' She pouted again, 'What about my fantasy?'

He nodded, unable to speak, he was so turned on by their words and her pouting. Fuck, that time when they had that teenage role playing fantasy and she pouted after he made her stop sucking him off 'cause he was about to come...shit. That was hot as fuck. Jon bit down on his fist and grunted as more precum oozed out of him, eager to hear her fantasy.

Mary smirked as she looked down at his cock. She could tell just by looking at it that it was hard as a rock. She bit her lip to stifle her groan when she saw the precum oozing out of the tip. It took everything within her not to lean down and lick him clean, but she digressed. She had a story to tell.

She lightly danced her fingertips upon his chest, 'Do you remember your first match? Do you remember when I was in the audience watching you and ya smirked at me before entering the ring?'

He closed his eyes and nodded. Shit, he needed to focus. Between their fantasy talks and her pouting, he was gonna lose it before she even touched him. Jon gritted his teeth and tried to focus, waiting for her to continue.

Mary grinned, 'I'll never forget how gorgeous you looked that night.' She chuckled, 'Don't get me wrong, you pretty much look gorgeous to me all the time, but that night it was like I was seeing you in a different light.' She sighed wistfully at the memory, 'Ya were wearing those trunks and that jean jacket...I almost fucking came right then and there. Got me so wet, baby. ' She smirked as she watched him writhe and moan on the bed, 'I can stop if it's too much for you...'

He narrowed his eyes at her. Fine, let her fight dirty. Two could play at that game. "No, you can go on. 'Cause I still got stuff I wanna tell you about that night I got you a little drunk." He smirked. "I wanted to take full advantage of that."

Mary smirked and nodded her head, 'Alright. That night when ya took your jacket off and your skin was covered in all that oil...' She groaned and chuckled softly, 'The way you looked at me...ya gave me that smirk...fuck...turned me on. Ya knew what you were doing to me that night didn't you? Tell me'

He snickered. "I kinda hoped. Thought maybe for the first time you wouldn't see me as a goofy older brother-type friend."

Mary's eyes widened incredulously and she scoffed, 'Are you fucking kidding me?' She ran her hands down the planes of his chest, 'I never saw you as goofy or a brother. Ya were always the man I love. But that night...' She sighed shakily, 'I thought about meeting you backstage to congratulate you...Ya would be all alone in the locker room and I would hug you...You would be all sweaty and I would lean up to lick the sweat off your neck.' She licked his neck, causing him to hiss and groaned into his ear, 'Love the taste of you, baby.'

Jon grinned at her. "You would've surprised the hell out of me. What else would you have done?"

Mary grinned and shrugged her shoulders, 'Well for starters I would have put my hand on your cock. But over your trunks. I would have traced the length of it just to see if it was really as big as it looked. It would have been light touches cause I would be scared as fuck...' She bit her lip to hide her grin when he gritted his teeth and arched his hips up, 'Ya would have liked that wouldn't ya, honey?'

"Fuck yeah. Then what?" He squirmed, getting impatient.

Mary grinned as she watched her husband squirm. She loved to make him lose control, 'Then I would slowly put my hand down your trunks as I kissed your neck. I would slowly stroke you, feeling you getting hard in my hand..shit ya would get so hard...wouldn't ya?'

He managed a laugh. "Jesus. God, yeah. Always wanted you to touch me. Fuck, the first time you did that..." Jon shivered. "You're so fucking hot."

Mary grinned and nuzzled his neck, whispering in his ear, 'Then I would take your hand and tell you touch me...anywhere where you wanted. Tell me, if ya had me in that moment where would you have touched me? My pussy...my...tits...my ass...hmmm...so many places...'

Jon ducked his head shyly. "Honestly? Your face." He paused. "But then your pussy."

Mary smirked, 'My face, huh? Interesting place to start off with.'

"You're beautiful." Jon grinned at her. "Always thought so, baby girl. But your hand was on my cock?" He snickered as she elbowed him.

Mary rolled her eyes, 'Yeah. I guess it was, huh?' She tilted her head thoughtfully, 'Well...then I guess I would ask you if I could taste you cause I always wanted to do that.' She licked her lips slowly, staring him directly in the eyes, 'You would tell me to get on my knees for you and I would...'

Jon frowned. "I don't want you on your knees...maybe I'd lay down and you could lean over me?"

Mary pouted, 'But this is my fantasy. You can't dictate it.'

He groaned at the sight of her pout. "Shit. I'm getting a new fantasy here."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah."

"Uh huh. We're gonna have to act it out when we're done here. So go on. C'mon..."

Mary let out a throaty laugh, 'Can't wait. Well, okay. So...I would get down on my knees for you. I would be staring up at you the whole time as I took your cock out. I would start by slowly stroking it...' She groaned aloud just thinking about it, 'Fuck...you would already be leaking. I would flick my tongue on your tip...licking the precum and tasting you...you would taste so good.'

"Jesus," he gasped, gripping the bedsheets. "Fuck...wouldn't have lasted long, that's for damn sure."

Mary leaned up against him, making sure to rub her nipples along his chest and they both hissed at the contact, 'I would take you in my mouth real slow, making sure to watch your face the entire time. I love watching your face when your cock's in my mouth...I can tell how much ya love it. I would take you in as far as you would go. The tip of your cock would hit the back of my throat, but I wouldn't stop. I fucking love how big you get for me.'

He leaned close to her and panted into her hair. "When do I get to tell you more about my fantasy, baby girl?"

Mary licked the side of his face and whispered in her ear, 'Tell me, handsome. Tell me what ya would do to your, baby girl?'

He took a deep breath. Time to turn things in his favor. "Well, I'd have my cock in you...I'd lift your legs up so I could get deep in you. You'd beg me to move, you'd want more...and I'd start moving inside you, and you'd have your hands in my hair and on my back...you'd be so tight and wet for me, baby."

Mary whimpered and nuzzled into his neck as she whispered teasingly in his ear, 'Like I am now? Damn, ya should feel how wet I am right now. It's dripping down my legs. ' She spread her legs as wide as they could go and whispered, 'Wanna see for yourself?'

Jon looked at her and buried his face in his pillow, groaning helplessly. He grinded against the mattress, desperate to relieve some of the pressure. His wife chuckled and he turned to her, glaring.

"You fight dirty." He let his eyes travel over her body and sighed. "So you have my mouth on my cock...and I'm fucking you on the car hood...but you know, at one point I'd pull out and lay down on that hood myself and have you get on top of me. I'd have you sit on my face for a while and I'd suck at your clit some more, and then I'd move you down so you could sit on my cock. You would've screamed so loud for me..."

Mary nodded and licked her lips. She moaned just thinking about it. She writhed on the bed as she whimpered. She was so turned on right now it took everything inside her not to give in. She refused to admit defeat.

She gasped into his ear, 'I'd be on my knees and my hands would be tightly wrapped around your cock. Your hands would be buried in my hair guiding my movements as I fucked you with my mouth. My tongue would be licking your cock from top to bottom and my teeth would be scraping the sides. Shit, my cunt would be so fucking wet. Just begging to be fucked.'

He growled and nuzzled her neck, breathing into her ear. "I'd grab your hips and force you down, making you scream...I'd sit up and suck at those sweet tits of yours and you'd grind on my cock, getting my thighs wet..."

Mary nuzzled her nose against his and whispered raggedly into his ear, 'You would grab my hair and pull me up and tell me to stand over the table. My back would be facing you as you unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down along with my underwear. Now you would be on your knees for me as ya ate me out from behind.' She pouted again and rested her forehead upon his, 'You've never eaten me out from behind before.'

"Gonna take care of that tonight," he murmured. "You'd have your hands on my chest and you'd ride me, slow at first, then hard and fast...I'd hold onto you and you'd come fucking hard with my cock in you."

Mary whimpered just thinking about his promise. She arched her body into him, 'Your tongue would be deep inside my pussy as your teeth fucking gnawed on me, baby. I fucking love when ya get wild on my pussy. I would squirt my juices all over your face. Ya love it when I do that, don't ya? You want that, baby? As I was coming you would turn me around and shove your cock so deep inside me my feet would leave the floor. Love it when you fuck me. I can feel how much you want...love it.'

"Fuck yes. God, I love being inside you. It's the best feeling in the world, baby girl." He moaned into her ear and shivered. "I'd push you off and get off the car, and I'd make you bend over the hood and I'd fuck you from behind. I'd pull your hair and you'd make these amazing noises as I drove my cock into you."

Mary rubbed her legs together and whimpered into his ear, ' I would beg you fuck me from me behind. You would spin me around and throw me over the table and shove your cock inside me. You reach around and finger fuck me. Shit, I love when ya do that. I feel you everywhere. You would grab my hair as you bit on my neck. You would be riding me so hard I couldn't keep up.' She moaned and panted into his ear, 'Fuck, baby. I might come for you before the game even stopped. You get your baby girl so fucking hot. Ya know that?'

Jon growled and moved closer, pressing his body against hers. "You ready to end this game? Or do you wanna hear the fantasy I wanna act out tonight? It's inspired by that sweet filthy fucking mouth of yours."

Mary smirked and nodded, 'Wanna hear your fantasy. Tell me. Tell it to your girl.'

Jon grinned at her. "Love that mouth of yours. You're a fucking smartass, and I love how you don't put up with any shit. And you're sexy as fuck when you pout and get all bratty with me. I wanna fuck you while you act like a little spoiled brat." He groaned and rubbed his cock against her leg. "You got me wet, baby girl. Got me wanting to come in your pussy while you pout at me."

Mary groaned and arched her body into his as she gasped into his ear, 'Ya wanna fuck me, baby? I'll give you the fantasy. Ya want that? Tell me how much you want it.'

He tugged at her hair and licked a line up her neck. "Wanna fuck you. Wanna fuck you so hard you can't fucking walk tomorrow."

Mary bit his chin and laughed, 'Don't threaten me with a good time, baby.' She pouted, 'Come on. I don't got all fucking day.'

Jon sunk his teeth into her shoulder and sucked at her skin. "Beg me for it. Beg for my cock."

Mary smirked and gave him her best pout, making sure to stick her lip out as far as it could go, 'Please...baby...I want your cock. Want it so fucking bad, baby.' She whimpered and pouted, 'Please...baby...want it...need it.'

Jon growled and pulled Mary on top of him so she was straddling his chest. "Ride my cock. Now."

Mary pouted and rolled her eyes, 'But what if I don't want to? What ya gonna do to me if I don't, hmm?' She ran her hands down his chest as she snickered. She was already enjoying herself. She loved to rile him up.

He snarled and pulled at her hair. "Fucking ride my cock now. Or I won't eat your pussy, and I know you're dying for it."

Mary smirked, 'Don't have to tell me twice, baby.' She quickly impaled herself on his cock and they both groaned aloud. She grab the headboard and rode him furiously, grinding herself on him as hard as she could. He grasped her hips, digging her nails into her skin as he thrust up into her.

She pouted and bucked her hips, 'Ya like don't you, baby? You fucking love my pussy. Come on. That the best ya can do?'

"Fuck." Jon shoved himself up into her, desperate to feel her more. He was so turned on he could hardly think straight. "Keep riding me...fuck..."

Mary kept pouting as she rode him. She alternated between slow and steady and fast and furious, making him dizzy with sensations. She braced her hands upon his chest and whimpered and moaned.

She leaned down and pouted, saying in her best little girl voice, 'Come on, Jonny. Fuck me harder. Come on.' She whimpered and bit her lip, knowing it drove him crazy.

He sat up and kissed her deeply, trying to keep himself from shaking. She was even better than the fantasy - she always was.

She whimpered and grinded against him, making him gasp and he pulled away, flipping them so she was on her back. Jon licked at her neck and rode her hard, moaning helplessly as he thrust into her.

Mary wrapped her legs around his waist and grasped his biceps as he pounded into her. She whimpered and moaned, wanting to give him the fantasy. Although, she had to admit. She may have been more turned on by this than he was.

She rested her forehead upon his and pouted, saying in that same little girl voice, 'Yeah, that's it, sexy. Give it to your girl, Jonny. Come on. Fuck me harder.' She let out a throaty laugh, 'I'm pretty sure I could still walk tomorrow if I wanted to.'

"Fuck, you're hot." Jon reached in between them and started rubbing and pinching at her clit. "Wanna feel you come, little girl. Wanna feel you squeeze my cock and hear you scream. Come for me."

Mary arched her hips and grinded herself upon him. She could feel her orgasm ripping through her with every thrust of his cock. She whimpered as he rubbed and pinched her clit. She pouted and moaned, still having enough semblance of mind to give her husband the fantasy.

She clamped her pussy around him in an iron hold grip and pouted as she convulsed and wailed, 'OH MY FUCKING GOD! FUCK YEAH OH GOD YEAH!' She gripped the back of his head and rested her forehead upon his as she pouted and moaned, 'Fuck, I think I'm still coming. Oh God, yes. Don't stop. Fuck!'

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh god!" He bit at her shoulder and grunted, fucking her hard while still rubbing at her. His cock jerked inside of her but he squeezed his eyes shut, managing to hold off his orgasm. "Not done with you...keep coming for me, you little bitch. Come harder...c'mon...let yourself feel my cock in you."

Mary scratched her nails down his back and bit into his shoulder. She could taste blood in her mouth and she licked the wound, soothing the sting with her tongue. Something seemed to snap within him then for her grabbed her hair with both of his hands and pounded into her so hard her hips lifted off the bed.

She felt another orgasm hitting her stronger than before. Her eyes widened and she let out a choked sob. She wailed so loud her piercing screams reverberated through the walls. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps. She wrapped her legs tighter around him and screamed his name over and over.

Mary scratched her nails down his biceps, feeling the skin break under her nails as she whispered in his ear, 'Harder. I want it harder. Fucking give it to me, fucker. I won't break. You're so afraid to hurt me. So afraid.'

Jon pulled out and threw her on her stomach, then lifted her hips up and entered her from behind. "Gonna fuck you hard, little girl. Gonna make you come again, and then I'm gonna taste that sweet pussy." He pulled her hair and began pounding into her. "You hear me? Huh? Fucking tell me how good my cock feels, little girl. Tell me how it feels to have that tight little pussy filled with cock."

Mary grabbed the headboard as he pounded into her. She got up on her knees to get better leverage as she roughly grinded herself against him. She shrieked every time his cock entered her.

She looked at him over her shoulder and smirked, 'I don't have to say whatever the hell you tell me to.' She pouted and gave him that look she knew he loved, 'Come on, baby. Come on. Fuck me harder. Fuck yeah, Jonny.'

He sneered and pulled out of her, flipping her on her back again and leaning over her. "You're not in charge," he growled, and moved down to lap at her entrance, holding her hips down so she wouldn't squirm too much.

Mary let out a guttural groan as she felt his mouth on her pussy. She arched her back and writhed and moaned as he gnawed upon her. She put her hands in his hair and forcefully tugged at the strands, holding her in place.

She pulled his hair, forcing him to look up at her as she pouted, 'You're a really boring fuck, ya know that?'

"Little bitch." He licked and sucked at her clit, then pulled away and smirked. "My tongue's not good enough for you?"

Mary rolled her eyes and smirked, 'I've had...better.'

He glared at her. "I doubt that, little girl."

Mary pouted, 'You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?' She smirked, wanting to really get him going, 'My husband's more of a man in bed than you'll ever be.'

"You're a fucking smartass, you know that?" Jon smirked and rubbed at her clit with his thumb. "I felt how hard you came earlier. I'll bet I can make you come a few more times before I'm done with you." Before she could reply he shoved three fingers inside her and leaned forward to lick and suck at her while moving his fingers in and out of her.

He was making her lose her fucking mind, but she wasn't going to let him know that. She shoved him off of her and quickly crawled on top of him. She scratched her nails down his chest, making him hiss and moan.

Mary grabbed his hair, yanking it as hard as she could, 'I'm gonna fucking take you over. Ya know that?' He smirked and kept silent, not even bothering to answer. She slapped him in the face and his eyes widened. She smirked, 'Answer me when I'm talking to you.'

He laughed and tugged at her hair. "Is that so, little bitch. I'd like to see you try. I'll bet you can't even get me off."

Mary smirked, 'I bet you I can.' She impaled herself on his cock and grabbed the headboard. She started grinding herself upon him as hard as she could She arched her body and gently grabbed his throat as she she rode him. He tried to thrust his hips up, but she was riding him so fast he could hardly keep up.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'I feel your cock jerking inside me, baby. Ya wanna come so fucking bad, don't you?' She sunk her teeth into his shoulder, causing him to let out an animalistic growl. She whispered into his ear, 'That's it. Come on. Lose control. I want Mox tonight, baby. I'm in a nostalgic kinda mood. I missed him. Want him fucking me.'

He cackled. "No way you could handle that, you little bitch."

Mary pouted, saying in a whining voice, 'But I want him.' She leaned down, whispering teasingly, 'What's the matter, ya too scared? ' She pouted again, 'Come on, bring that fucker out, baby.'

He turned her over and pinned her, dragging his teeth along her neck. "Thought you hated him. What's changed your mind, little bitch?"

Mary smirked and ran her nails down his back, 'Just because I hate him doesn't mean I don't wanna fuck him. I always liked the way he fucked.' She pouted, 'Gonna let him fuck me or not?'

Jon snickered and pushed her legs against her chest. "You're gonna get it now, sweetheart," he hissed, and shoved himself inside her.

Mary smirked and whispered, 'I sure fuckin hope so because so far I'm not impressed.' She gasped as he pounded into her. She arched her hips, bringing him deeper inside her with every thrust.

She whimpered and pouted, 'Come on, Mox. Fuck me harder. Guess your skills in the ring don't carry on the bedroom.'

Jon wrapped his hands around her throat and snickered when she shrieked in surprise. "Little bitch." He pulled out of her and picked her up, shoving her against the wall and entering her forcefully. He laughed at her expression and began driving himself into her. "Don't. Piss. Me. Off."

Mary should have been scared, but she was far from it. In fact, she has never been more turned on in her life. Besides, she trusted him with her life and knew he wouldn't do anything she didn't want. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist as grinded herself on his cock as he pounded into her.

Deciding to take it up a notch, she yanked him by his hair and grabbed him by his throat as well as she smirked at him.

Jon let out a crazed laugh and pulled her to the floor, pinning her arms and smirking down at her. "Think you're so fucking tough, huh?" He chuckled and shoved himself back inside her, burying himself to the hilt and stared down at her, then pulled out and slammed into her again.

Mary moaned and whimpered as he fucked her. She shrieked every time he thrust into her. She was so turned on and overwhelmed with sensations she could barely form a coherent thought. All she knew was that she couldn't let him get the best of her. She wanted to show him she could fight just as dirty as him.

She pouted and sunk her teeth as hard as she could into his shoulder. Harder than she ever has before. She smirked and let out a laugh, 'You're so tough. I'm so fucking afraid.' She started laughing at him, knowing she would have him exactly as she wanted.

He hissed and pulled out of her, turning her on her stomach and began riding her from behind, mercilessly slamming into her while holding onto her hips to get better leverage..

Mary looked at him over her shoulder and pouted as she whimpered and moaned. She dug her nails into the carpet and hissed, needing something to hold onto as he pounded into her.

She met his gaze directly and pouted, whispering, 'I think I should get spanked for being such a bad girl, huh?'

Jon snarled and dragged his nails down her back and then smacked her ass and drove into her harder. He could feel himself leaking into her and knew he was gonna probably lose it as soon as she came again.

"Tell me when you're close," he commanded. "I'm gonna turn you around 'cause I wanna see the look on your face when I come in you. I'm gonna fill you up, you little bitch."

Mary sat up and grinded herself into him. She let out a guttural groan as she thrust herself against him, mimicking his movements. She was so wet she had to clamp her legs together so she wouldn't slip out of him.

She craned her neck upward to bite his neck and whisper in his ear, 'Fuck yeah. That's it, Mox. Give it to me. Tell I'm the fucking hottest bitch you've ever fucked or you're not getting shit out of me for the rest of the night. Tell me how fucking hot I am.' Her words surprised her and judging by the look upon his face, him as well. She has never spoke so confidentially before. Maybe because in this moment she wasn't herself. She could be or say what she wanted. She could live the fantasy in this moment.

Jon grinned and picked her up, setting her back on the bed. He crawled over her and slid deep inside her, riding her hard.

"You wanna hear how hot you are?" he grunted, spurred by her moans of pleasure. "You're beyond hot, babe. Fuck, as soon as I saw you I knew I had to fuck you. Never saw a girl so fucking sexy in my life. I could tell, baby. I could tell by the look of you that you needed me to fuck you. And I knew you'd be the best fuck of my life. And that's saying something." He licked at her face and groaned. "So damn sexy...god, I love being inside you. So tight and warm...all for me. I'm gonna take you with me and fuck you every night, 'cause I never had it so good and I'm gonna need to ride this pussy every goddamn

night. You're mine now, bitch. All. Fucking. Mine."

Mary's eyes filled with tears at his words. Even though this was a fantasy they were playing out she could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth. Something broke inside of her in that moment. She never felt more desired, beautiful or sexy.

She arched her hips, grinding herself against him as hard as she could. She bit his bottom lip, tasting his blood in her mouth.

She released his lip from in between her teeth to whisper in his ear, 'Damn fucking right this bitch is yours. Just as you're mine. ' She pouted and groaned, 'You can ride this pussy anytime you want.' She yanked his hair to whisper in his ear, 'This cock is mine. No one else gets to ride your cock but me. No one else gets to taste your come. Feel your cock in every part

of me.' She slapped his cheek and gritted her teeth, 'Is that fucking clear?'

"Fuck yes." He grunted and pinned her hands above her head, holding her wrists with one hand, and reached in between their bodies to rub his thumb against her while he kept thrusting into her. "Wanna make you come. Wanna come in you, fill you up...make you mine. You're gonna get filled up, little girl. How do you feel about that, huh?"

Mary whimpered and moaned, 'Fuck yes. I want that. Want your come all in me.' She grinded herself against his cock and shrieked as he pinched her clit. She arched her hips with every thrust. She could feel the tingling sensation at the tip of her toes reaching all the way to the base of her spine. She gasped for breath as she clamped her pussy upon him.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck and screamed, 'Fuck god...I'm coming...ya feel that?' She whimpered and convulsed underneath as her orgasm hit her at full force. She let out a choked sob, 'Shit...coming...so hard for you! God yeah!...fuck. Scream for me, baby. Wanna hear you.'

Jon clawed at the bed and let out a scream as he came in her, gasping at the force of it. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and grunted as his hips shoved forward. Dimly he was aware of his wife moaning and stroking his hair, but he was so exhausted from his second orgasm of the night and the exertion of his earlier match that he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a light slumber.

Later he opened his eyes and rubbed at his face. Mary was sitting up and looking at her phone, a distressed look on her face.

"Hey." Jon crawled over to her and threw his arm around her waist. "Whatcha doin'?"

Mary sighed and put her phone on the nightstand, looking away from him. "Nothing."

Jon laughed softly and kissed her hip. "Lookin' at pictures of Punk?"

She shook her head and lay down, turning her back to him. "No."

He frowned and put his arm around her waist. "You still upset about how my match ended?"

"No...I know they'd never actually hurt you." Mary sighed. "Was looking at pictures of me and Kyle. Just got me thinking..." She shrugged.

"Damn." Jon rested his forehead on the back of her neck. "Baby girl...you can't get yourself upset over this each time you're helping one of your kids."

She scoffed. "My kids..."

"They are. You do more for them than their parents do." Jon kissed her shoulder. "You saved Kyle's life, you know that?"

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'I just investigate the cases. I don't get to interact with them as much afterwards. Well, not as much as I like to anyway.' She smiled softly, 'Kyle was different though. I saw a lot of myself in him. When I first laid eyes on him he was just so frightened of everything. He didn't trust people.' She shook her head as tears filled her eyes, 'He didn't have anybody.' She chuckled, 'Sorry, I'm crying like a girl.'

Jon snorted. "Stop with that. It's okay to cry." He pulled her closer and sighed. "Baby, you made his life so much better. And no matter what you think, you know you're making a difference. You know what Ryan said? He said he wished he had someone like you to rescue him and Clara. Shit, I wish that too."

Mary closed her eyes, reveling in the safeness she felt being in his arms, 'Ya wanna know what Kyle said to me tonight that really got to me?" She smiled through her tears, 'He said that he wished you and I were his parents.' She shook her head sadly, 'I didn't know what to say to that because I wished it too.' She sighed shakily, 'Ya know I tried adopting...him myself? It was when we were separated. They turned me down.' She snorted, 'No surprise there. They said I was too young. It would be a conflict of interest. I didn't make enough money. My home wasn't good enough. They looked for every reason for me not to be deserving of him.'

Jon held her tight. He didn't know what to say to her. It was obvious they wouldn't have kids, and that his career would stand in the way of them adopting. Plus it killed him to know that it wasn't enough for her to just have the two of them.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much, Mary. You're the only one who's ever made me happy."

Mary rubbed his arm and smiled sadly, 'I want so much to be a mom, Jon. I know that it doesn't matter to you, but I want it so much.' She gritted her teeth, 'And I hate myself because of that. I've never felt whole, like a regular woman. I feel like something's missing inside of me.'

"It does matter to me, Mary. You're not the only one who's thought about it." Jon sighed and rubbed her stomach. "You're not empty, baby. What do I gotta do to show you that you're the perfect woman? You're not missing a damn thing."

She smiled sadly and scoffed, 'I'm far from perfect, but thanks for saying it anyway.' She sighed, 'Ya know all the women in work have pictures of their kids on their desks? They're always sitting at lunch and talking about their kids, bringing in pictures they drew and stuff. A couple of the girls are pregnant and they're always rubbing their bellies planning baby showers and bringing in toys and clothes for them.' She wiped the tears from her eyes, 'The girls in work keep asking me when we're gonna have one since we're married.' She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, 'And I'm too embarrassed to tell them I can't. I don't wanna see the pity in their eyes. I don't want them feeling sorry for me.' She gritted her teeth, 'They would be like, 'poor little Mary'. Every time I would walk into a room they would get silent.' She shook her head, 'I don't want them to walk on eggshells around me. I don't want to be treated differently. I wanna be like one of them...normal...not damaged.'

He sighed. "You're not damaged. Maybe you should try to find other women who can't have kids, I mean it could help. In the meantime, tell the girls at work to mind their own damn business."

Mary turned around and narrowed her eyes at him, 'Tell me how you do it. Maybe you can teach me.'

Jon shook his head confusingly, 'What the hell are you talking about?"

She shrugged and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Maybe you can teach me how to be indifferent towards everything.'

He sat up and stared at her. "What? Did you just fucking...why are you pissed at me? I'm not indifferent, but does it help to focus on shit that makes you miserable?"

Mary sighed and shook her head, 'Just forget it, Jon.' She got up from the bed and started picking up her clothes off the floor which were scattered about the room, 'I have to get back to New York anyway. I have work tomorrow morning.'

"Wait, wait." Jon got up and pulled her close. "Baby girl, I'm sorry. You're right, I don't know what it's like for you. I'm an idiot, okay? But don't think it doesn't matter to me, 'cause it does. I just don't want you upset and I wanna make you happy." He rubbed her back. "Baby, please, I don't wanna fight. I love you."

Mary smiled softly and turned around to face him, cupping his face in her hands, 'Stop calling yourself that. You're not an idiot. I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I love you so much and I want to be enough for you. I just want to have a family, ya know? One that we never had. ' She rested her forehead upon his chin and sighed, 'I still gotta get back to New York though. It's gonna be almost three weeks before I see you again.'

Jon frowned. "I thought you were gonna leave early tomorrow. You can't come back to bed, even for a little bit? I promise I'll let you rest."

Mary sighed deeply, looking over at the clock, 'It's almost two in the morning, Jon. You gotta be up in three hours for your flight. If anybody needs rest it's you. I should get going anyway.'

She doesn't understand why she does this, push him away. She honest to God loves him with everything in her, but when things get tough between them she runs away. She would rather escape from the problem then face it head on.

"Okay, so we stay up. I can sleep on the flight. It's either that or listen to David try to convince me to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre with him." Jon kissed her forehead. "I'd suggest fooling around but you've worn me out."

Mary grinned sheepishly and placed her hand upon his chest, 'I should really go, baby. I wanna get the ride over with and get back to New York at a reasonable time to get some sleep before work, ya know?'

"Yeah, I guess." Jon scowled and held her tight, burying his face in her neck. "I'm gonna miss you. You're gonna get a shitload of calls and texts from me. You'll probably tell me to fuck off at some point soon."

Mary had tears forming in her eyes and smiled softly, 'I bet you I won't. I'm gonna watch you on television every time you're on.'

Jon stroked her hair. "Do I at least get to hold you for a little bit? I wanna get as much of you as I can."

She smiled sadly, 'Do ya really want to delay the inevitable, Jon?"

"Yeah. Sue me." He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up so he could kiss her.

Mary moaned into his kiss as he kissed her deeply. She tore away from his lips and sighed into his mouth, grinning, 'What happened with being worn out?"

Jon grinned and ran his fingertips down her back. "Not all of me is worn out. I just remembered I didn't do something for you during our little role-playing, and I wanna keep my promise."

Mary arched her eyebrow and placed her hands upon his chest as she smirked up at him, 'Is that right, Mr. Good? Well, by all means enlighten me.'

He kissed her deeply and led her back to bed. "I seem to remember promising to eat you out from behind. Didn't get a chance to do that 'cause you got me all worked up. You're sexy as fuck, you know that?"

Mary grinned and gently grasped his hips as she fell back onto the bed, 'You trying to kill me, baby?"

He chuckled. "Nah, just wanna give you something to tide you over until I get to see you again." He ran his hands over her chest. "You wanna get on all fours and I'll take care of you?"

Mary smirked and turned around with her back facing him and did as he instructed.

She looked at him over her shoulder and pouted, knowing it drove him crazy, 'What ya waiting for, an invitation?"

Jon chuckled and crawled up behind her and kissed the back of her thighs, then licked around her entrance and nuzzled against her. "Love you, baby girl. Love tasting you. You get so wet for me."

Mary bit her lip and groaned, 'Hmm, love ya too, baby.' She knew he had said he was worn out, but they wouldn't see each other for three weeks and she wanted to give something to hold him off as well, 'My pussy loves your tongue, baby.'

Jon licked at her and slipped his tongue into her, moaning at the taste of both of them. He held onto her hips and brought her closer so he could taste as deep inside of her as he could.

Mary grinded her ass against his mouth. She whimpered and moaned as his tongue deeply explored her. This felt unlike anything he has done to her before, which is saying something. She could feel his tongue so deep inside her. She felt herself overwhelmed with the new sensations.

She looked over her shoulder at him, meeting his gaze as she pouted, 'Fuck yeah, baby. Feels so good. Shit...yes. This turning you on, baby?'

He broke away and licked at her thighs. "Didn't think it was possible, but I'm hard again. Want something besides my tongue in your pussy?"

Mary smirked and shook her head, 'No, you're gonna finish what you started first. You're gonna make me come all over your face and get me nice and wet just like ya like it. Then we can fuck.'

He grinned and licked his fingers, then stuck his tongue deep inside her again. Jon sighed while she moaned, rolling his tongue around in circles while rubbing his wet finger around her clit.

Mary whimpered and moaned as he worked his tongue and fingers inside her, 'Fuck, feels so good, baby. Why don't you put some of those fingers to good use?' She wiggled her ass in front of his face and smirked, hoping he got the hint.

Jon replaced his tongue with a few fingers and sucked at her thighs. "Ask me nicely, baby girl."

Mary pouted, 'Please, baby? '

"That's better." He took his fingers out of her pussy and gently slid them inside her ass, kissing at her lower back. He waited a moment, then stuck his tongue back into her pussy and quickly flicked his tongue around.

Mary shrieked when she felt his fingers penetrate. She grinded herself against his fingers, increasing the pressure and let out a guttural groan.

She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled, 'Touch yourself for me, baby. Wanna see you touch yourself while getting me off.'

Jon used his free hand to grab his hard cock, groaning into her when he squeezed himself to relieve the pressure.

His groan reverberated through her body, making her shiver. She moaned as she watched him stroking himself as he licked and sucked on her. It turned her on even more and she felt her juices gushing out of her, wetting his face.

She licked her lips and groaned, 'Hmm...baby. Gets me so fucking wet watching you do that. Yeah, thats it. Stroke yourself. Get yourself nice and big for me.'

Jon sucked at her wetness and grunted into her as he stroked himself harder. She could always make him hard, even after he came twice. It was incredible. He licked at her faster, circling his fingers inside her ass.

Mary moaned and whimpered as he worked himself on her. She could feel him everywhere. She gasped his name and clutched the bedsheets as she became overcome with the sensations. She let out a choked sob as she whispered raggedly,

'Oh God. So good. You're so good to me, baby. So fucking good. I'm so lucky. Yeah, that's it...Fuck...' She looked down at him and watched him stroking himself, 'Shit, you're so hard for me. Aren't you?'

He nodded, keeping his mouth against her. His tongue explored her inner folds as he kept working his fingers inside her. Jon rubbed his thumb over the tip of his cock and whimpered into her.

Mary could feel her orgasm creeping up on her with every flick of his tongue against her clit. She grinded herself harder against his face as she began whimpering and trembling.

She clutched the bedsheets tighter as she let out a sob and screamed, 'Shit..I'm coming...holy fuck...my God, baby. So good...fuck.'

Jon growled and worked on her more, fucking his fist with one hand. He was drooling into her, the taste of her and the sensation of her ass around his fingers driving him crazy.

Mary whimpered and gasped out, 'Fuck my ass, baby. Need you inside me.'

He pulled away from her and crawled up, sliding his cock in her pussy. "Gotta get wet first," he whispered, and grinded against her. "You're incredible, you know that? The perfect woman."

Mary gasped at the feel of him inside her and chuckled, 'No such thing as perfect.'

"Yes there is," Jon murmured, sliding in and out of her. "And it's you. Always been you, baby girl."

Mary groaned and arched against him, bringing him deeper inside her, 'Ya know, you're pretty damn perfect yourself.'

He chuckled and rode her harder. "Quit talking crazy."

Mary chuckled and moaned, 'I'm not. You're so sexy, baby. So fucking sexy. Always loved your body. Your...eyes...your smile...your voice...'She groaned, 'Fuck, I can come from just your voice alone. You're the only man who's ever turned me on...got me wet...made me come.'

"I'm so fucking lucky." Jon caressed her back and grinned. "I'm goddamn blessed to have you, baby girl."

Mary groaned and nodded, 'Me too baby. Please...need more...always need more. Can't get enough of you.'

Jon grinned and rubbed her hips. "Still want me to fuck your ass?"

Mary looked at him over her shoulder and pouted, 'Fuck...yes.'

He groaned at the sight of her and pulled out, positioning himself against her ass. "God, you know just how to drive me crazy, baby girl." He took a deep breath and pushed inside of her, grasping onto her hips and crying out in pleasure at the sensation.

Mary gasped out in pleasure as he entered her. She grabbed his hands and interlocked their fingers together. They built a deep steady rhythm as she met him thrust for thrust.

She whimpered, 'God. I love you so much, baby. I'm gonna miss you...miss this...so much.'

"Me too," he gasped. "Love you. Love you so much it kills me." He managed a slight laugh. "Not sure if I can come again, though. But I can guarantee you will."

Mary chuckled and gasped, saying a matter of fact tone, 'I guarantee you will.'

Jon chuckled and reached down to fondle her breasts. "I'll take that challenge," he rasped, and moved his hands back to her hips so he could fuck her harder.

Mary groaned and grinded into him as hard as she could and looked over her shoulder at him, making sure to give him her best pout, 'How's my ass treatin ya, sexy?'

Jon gasped out a laugh and grinded against her. "Fucking amazing. Damn, you feel good. I think you're right. I think I'm gonna come." He smirked down at her and reached down to stroke her entrance. "You first."

Mary grinned and moaned as she felt his fingers enter her. She put her hand upon his and gathered some of her wetness on her fingers.

She put her fingers up to his lips, 'Taste that, baby? That's what you do to me.'

"Fuck, you taste good." Jon grunted and ran his hands over her back. "So fucking hot. You have no idea what you do to me, baby girl. Can't stop thinking about you. God, I've loved you forever."

Mary grinded herself against him and grabbed his hands once again to hold them, 'Always thought about you. Always wanted you like this. Only ever wanted you. Shit, I love you so much.'

Jon moaned and squeezed her hands. "God, I love you. It's so fucking intense. Fuck, I'm so glad you love me back. Don't know what I'd do if you didn't feel this with me."

Mary leaned up and turned her head around to nuzzle his neck, 'Always felt this with you. Even before we met. Always knew it was gonna be us. You're everything to me. You're the only person I ever want like this.'

"God yes." Jon lay on top of her, grinding against her as he nuzzled into her neck. "Love you...love you so much. Can't fucking exist without you, baby girl. You're my everything too." He clasped her hands in his and kissed her shoulder.

Mary turned her head to kiss him deeply. She gasped into his mouth, 'Love you so much. God, I can't live without you. I need you. Just need you. Don't care about anything else.'

He rested his forehead on the back of her neck, basking in her words. It was all he wanted, to be enough for her. He ached for it.

"I'm so in love with you," Jon murmured. "Need to make you feel good." He rolled his hips against her. "Need to make you come."

Mary nodded and held his hands tightly. She grinded into him at a furious pace. Her body was flush with sweat and her heart

was racing at lightening speed. She felt herself falling again. She whimpered his name, desperate for him to catch her.

"I love you," Jon whispered, moving faster inside her. "I love you, you're everything, we're everything...feel it, Mary. I'm right here...feel it with me."

His words spurred her on and she found herself convulsing underneath him. She held onto his hands as she fell over, collapsing under the weight of her intense orgasm. It rippled through her, overcoming her in waves.

She whimpered and gasped out, 'Oh God...love you so much...only you...want you forever...fuck...love you...I love you.'

Jon gasped and shuddered, releasing inside her and holding on to her tight as he came. His body collapsed on hers as he released, moaning her name over and over.

Mary closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Jon's body upon hers.

She took a deep breath and chuckled softly, 'On second thought. I think I'll stay.' She smirked, 'You give a convincing argument.'

Jon smiled and rested his cheek on her shoulder. "Awesome." He pulled out of her and sighed. "You've officially fucking drained me. Congratulations. I'm not gonna be able to come anything but air for about a week."

Mary laughed aloud and smiled shyly, 'I'll take that as a compliment. Good thing we won't see each other for three weeks. You'll be plenty filled up then.'

"Now who's trying to kill who?" He smiled and kissed her shoulder, settling next to her. "I'm gonna miss you."

Mary smiled as tears filled her eyes. She rested her head on his chest, 'I'm gonna miss you too, Jon.' She sighed, 'We just got back together and already we have to leave each other. Fucking story of our lives, huh?"

"It's temporary." He smiled and stroked her hair. "So let's enjoy ourselves now. Give your exhausted husband a hug."

Mary wrapped her arms tightly around and sighed in content, 'We should have like a secret signal or something.' She grinned, 'Like when you're on TV you can say hi to me because ya know I'll be watching.'

"Roman said Rikishi used to do that for his kids. When he rubbed his nose he was saying hi to them." Jon kissed the top of her head. "So it's gotta be, you know, tame."

Mary giggled, 'Maybe you can like run your hands through your hair or something.' She shook her head, 'Nah, ya do that enough.'

"I keep thinking of obscene gestures," Jon murmured. "Um, maybe this?" He tapped his index finger against his lips. "Fuck, I don't know. If it's too obvious I'm gonna have to sit through a lecture."

Mary laughed, nuzzling his neck, 'Hmm...maybe ya can tap your hand over your heart.' She patted his chest with her hand, 'Like that.' She smiled sheepishly, 'It's stupid. Sorry, I'm bad at this.'

"No, that could work." He kissed her and grinned. "We'll try different stuff. But for the record, I'm always thinking of you, baby girl. You're in my head all the fucking time."

Mary kissed his chest and smiled, 'So are you. I get so excited when I see ya on TV. I still take my phone off the hook during RAW.'

Jon giggled. "That is awesome. Maybe I'll text you more, though. They keep telling us to tweet all the time, so it's cool to have our phones. Although I've been told to watch myself like a thousand times. Prudes."

Mary chuckled softly, 'Yeah. I noticed that.' She ducked her head shyly, 'Ya know for awhile there I actually fucking followed a twitter account I thought was yours? It said that you had like fucking two kids and a fiance or something like that.' She rolled her eyes, 'I fucking cried for two days until Kat fucking told me it was a roleplay account.' She scoffed, 'I'm such an asshole, but it looked real. It had photos of babies and everything.'

"Jesus!" Jon laughed incredulously. "Please tell me you reported that shit. That is not fucking funny!"

Mary nodded, 'I did.' She scoffed, 'But, Jesus. It scared the shit out of me.'

He shook his head. "You had to know it was fake, though, right? I mean, you didn't think that shit happened and I didn't tell you?"

Mary chuckled, 'How the hell was I supposed to know? We hadn't seen each other in a long time.' She sighed deeply, 'Thought ya finally got sick of my bullshit and moved on.'

Jon frowned. "That's bullshit." He sighed. "There are all kinds of crazy people out there. This one psycho bitch posted on

Facebook that she was engaged to Roman."

Mary laughed and nuzzled his neck, 'Well, you got yourself a lot of fangirls after you too, ya know?"

He shrugged. "All the guys do. Shit, you should see the girls who wait outside for Santino. It's...interesting."

Mary giggled and kissed his neck, 'They love you, baby. They think you're sexy...handsome...They finally see what I knew all these years.'

"As long as you think so, that's all I care about." Jon patted her shoulder. "You know, a lot of the guys think you're the hottest wife. I already knew that, but apparently they've, uh, voted on it." He cringed. "I'm sorry, baby. I know it's kinda shitty but we get fucking bored on the road sometimes."

Mary hid in his neck and laughed, 'You're such a fucking liar.'

"I'm not! I'm fucking serious." Jon chuckled and sat up. "Look, I don't know who came up with it, but it wasn't even close. For the record, I didn't vote 'cause I wasn't there, but the next day they sent a fucking cherry pie to my room. They put a note on it that said I got to eat the pie 'cause I get to...uh...nevermind, they used some really crude language but fuck it, the moral of the story is that I have the hottest wife. I fucking win."

Mary blushed and held his face in her hands, 'I could care less what anyone else thinks. The only opinion I care about is yours. You're the only one I want. You're enough for me. Always have been and always will be.'

"Well, good." He kissed her forehead and nuzzled against her. "But don't worry, they're not gonna say anything to you. You

won't get disrespected, baby girl."

Mary kissed him and smiled, 'I know.' She looked over at the clock and sighed, 'Jon it's five in the morning.' She smiled sadly, 'Time for you to get ready for your flight.'

Jon scowled and kicked at the sheets. "Fuck my flight!" He sighed and got out of bed. "Yeah, I know. You gotta go too. Gotta get yourself all presentable." He pulled back the sheets and grinned at her naked body. "I mean, I think you look awesome, but you can't go to work like that. You'd make all the girls jealous and all the guys pass out."

Mary tried to smile, but she couldn't. Tears filled her eyes and she gritted her teeth. She promised herself she wasn't going to cry. She had to prepare herself for this. He would be leaving more often than staying, but she just got him back and had to let him go.

She cupped his cheek, 'I'm gonna miss you.'

"I'm gonna miss you too. But you're forgetting something important." He cupped her face and grinned at her. "Don't measure the distance, measure my love. And my love for you is neverending, Mary."

Mary groaned and cringed, 'Oh man, that was so fucking cheesy. You should tweet that. I'm sure it will go over real well with your fans.'

He cackled and kissed her forehead. "Well, I'm glad you got our rings engraved. You don't even wanna know what I'd put on yours."

Mary smirked, 'I'm intrigued. What would ya put?'

"Something about how sweet your pie tastes." He wagged his tongue at her and shrieked when she threw a pillow at him. "Hey! You asked!"

Mary playfully smacked him on his shoulder, 'You're such a dumbass.' She scrunched her nose in disgust, 'Can't believe I let

you kiss me with that mouth.'

He snorted. "I did more than kiss you, sweetheart. Or did you forget already?"

Mary shrugged and smirked, 'Sure did. Forgot all about it.'

Jon grunted. "Well, if I had more time I'd remind you. Unless you want a quick reminder?" He grinned and crawled over her, reaching in between her legs to rub her thighs. "You can spare a few minutes, right? I already miss your taste."

Mary grinned and stroked his back, 'Baby, what about your flight?'

"It leaves in like an hour and a half. I think I can spare a few minutes." He kissed her neck and moved down, kissing her chest and her stomach. "I wanna leave here with your taste in my mouth."

Mary wrapped her legs around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, sighing in content, 'If I didn't know any better I would say you're in love with me.'

Jon chuckled and kissed at her, stroking her stomach with the palms of his hands. "Bet I can make you come in less than five minutes. Wanna time me?"

Mary grinned and looked at the clock, 'You're on, buddy. Make it count too.'

Jon smirked and stuck two fingers inside her and began licking at her clit, giving it a few gentle sucks. This was gonna be easy.

Mary arched her back and closed her eyes moaning. She ran her hands through his hair as she laid there, enjoying his tongue and fingers inside her. She could never get enough of him.

"You taste so good," he moaned. "Fuck, I can't get enough of you." Jon rolled his tongue along her hard nub and hummed into her.

Mary tugged at his hair and held his head in place as he sucked upon her. She grinded her pussy against his mouth and let out a long groan, whimpering his name.

She sighed, 'Shit, baby. You're never leaving me. Fucking want this everyday.'

Jon growled into her, bringing his hands to hold her waist while he kept working on her. She was getting wetter by the second. No way she could hold out for much longer.

Mary stretched her body and clutched at the sheets as she moaned and writhed on the bed. He was driving her crazy.

She wrapped her legs tighter around his neck and whimpered, 'Shit...I'm close, baby.'

His tongue rubbed at her mercilessly, eager to feel her orgasm. They didn't have too much longer together, and he wanted to give her as much pleasure as he could before they had to part ways again. Leaving her was agony, but the least he could do was make the most of their time together. Jon moaned against her wetness and pulled her closer.

Mary tightly closed her eyes and clutched at his hair as she felt her orgasm rip through her. She let out a choked sob and grinded herself against his face.

She moaned and thrashed on the bed, gasping out, 'Oh God...Jonny. Shit...' She whimpered, 'Fuck, I love you so much. Come up here and kiss me. Wanna taste myself on you.'

Jon quickly crawled up and kissed her deeply, groaning into her mouth. She purred and writhed against him, making him harden a bit, but he knew there was no way he could give her any more sex. His body was exhausted.

He broke away and gave her a lazy grin. "Told you so."

Mary chuckled and ran her hands through his hair. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I'll never get tired of you saying that," Jon murmured, grinning with pride. _Always leave them wanting more_, he thought, and gave his wife another small kiss. "Maybe next time you can use that sweet mouth where it counts and see if you can make me come in less than five minutes. I'd ask if you could do that now but I'm all tapped out."

Mary chuckled softly, 'I accept your challenge.' She rested her forehead upon his and stroked his face, 'I'm gonna miss you so much.'

Jon tapped his hand over his heart and smiled down at her. "I love my wife," he whispered.

Mary smiles through her tears and kissed him, 'I love my husband.' She looked over at the clock, sighing deeply, 'It's time, Jon.'

"I know." He got up and sighed, getting dressed as quickly as possible. He wanted to get their goodbyes over with as soon as possible. Saying goodbye to her was torture.

Mary sat up and began dressing, wiping at her tears. She sat on the bed to put her shoes on and bowed her head, giving into her tears.

"Hey." Jon sat next to her and pulled her close. "We'll be together again before you know it." He kissed her forehead. "I swear it, baby girl. You can't keep me away from you." He grinned. "You know that."

Mary nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I know. It's just we just got back together and hardly spent any time together. Now we're gonna be apart for three weeks.' She shook her head, chuckling softly, 'I'm being a girl about it.'

He snorted. "Well, you're a fucking girl, so yeah." Jon kissed his wife and rubbed her back. "I'm gonna call you every day."

Mary rested her head upon his shoulder, 'You better.' She smirked, 'Gotta get my kicks somehow.'

She hoped he remembered those were the words he said to her when she left for Boston right after they became a couple. That seemed like such a lifetime ago. Here they were together after all these years...married.

His heart clenched at the words he used on the day he had to let her go. After she'd left he'd cried in their room, feeling helpless. Jon still got choked up when they had to leave each other, but he could handle it better now. They both could.

"Always remember that I love you," he whispered, and held her tight.

Mary kissed his forehead and whispered, 'I love you too. So much. Always loved you.'

Contrary to what the cynics say, distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough.


	30. Chapter 30

The next year and a half has been a whirlwind for Jon and Mary. Jon's career had skyrocketed more than ever. He has been WWE champion for over a year and a half. His reign has surpassed CM Punk's and was considered to be not only one of the most profitable wrestlers in WWE history, he is also the most respected. He has earned respect and praise not only by his peers, but from the WWE universe as well. It is almost surreal in a sense how successful he has become. He has earned respect, recognition and accolades even from the veterans. Men he had looked up to when he was growing up and watched and emulated have considered him to be the future of the company, the man who would carry the company for years to come. Even now after all he has accomplished, he still cannot fathom that this was his life. He has everything he has ever wanted. He has made some incredible friends and has cherished once in a lifetime memories that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

Jon has even started branching into movies as well. At first he was hesitant, but after some convincing from Triple H and Vince, he considered it to be something he might want to try out. Surprisingly, he wasn't terrible at it. His versatile and enigmatic personality was a perfect fit for the movie industry. Many critics and fans alike praised his performances and his movies did considerably well at the box office. Well, as good as a WWE movie can anyway. The company made the most money on DVDs and merchandise. He didn't do many movies, only two, but he actually liked acting. It was fun to step outside of himself and be someone else. The movies he did wouldn't be winning him any awards anytime soon. They were just popcorn action movies, but that was fine. He had a hell of a good time. He adapted surprisingly well. In a sense, he has been grooming himself for movies his entire life. Wrestling was just another form of acting. In the ring he was always playing a character and telling a story without even saying a word.

When he was a kid growing up in poverty, he would lie in his bed in his rundown apartment while his mom was in the next room getting high with her boyfriend of the night. He would close his eyes and pretend he was someone else; like a cowboy robbing a runaway train or a prince saving his princess from dragons. In his imagination he could do anything or be anyone. It was limitless. He was strong and invincible and no one could touch him. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be able to live out his fantasies. Sometimes he would have to pinch himself just to see if this was real and not some cruel dream. He fully expected to wake up and still find himself in his grimy apartment in some rundown project in the slums of Ohio.

Not only has he been very successful in his professional life, but his personal life as well. He and Mary's marriage has been strong as ever. They have found a happy medium balancing their relationship along with their careers. They also never missed a counseling session. They talked to a therapist separately and together. Talking to someone and having an outside unbiased opinion helped them not only understand themselves, but each other as well. They could now finally have productive conversations with each other without arguing or running away.

They still do not live together, but when Jon is away they talk on the phone almost every single day. Whenever he was in town he would take her out on dates and send flowers to her work. It was almost as if they were starting over in a sense. He had even purchased a condo in Brooklyn to be near her. Of course they would have sleepovers, but they still had separate dwellings to give each other space when they needed it. Their relationship has been stronger than ever. After some setbacks, miscommunications and hardships they finally had a healthy relationship based on mutual understanding and trust. Their love was stronger than ever. No matter where they were or who came between them, they always found their way back to one another.

See, that's the thing about second chances. It's two people that are there for each other and support each other and care about each other no matter how much they want to deny it. It's about one person doing everything they can to make sure the other doesn't fall and vice-versa. Second chances are about holding on to that other person's hand no matter how hard they beg to let go. They always knew they were meant to be. They don't belong apart. They tried to be without each other and it killed them. They have seen their lives without one another and they realized it's not just right like that. They are supposed to be together...forever. After what seemed like an eternity of quite not fitting together, they suddenly fit. They realized over the years that they have to appreciate the good times, but don't take the worst for granted because you only get one second chance.

This was theirs...

It was the night before Wrestlemania and Jon was standing outside of Mary's apartment. He was holding a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. He was taking her to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Surprisingly, Punk was being inducted. He had retired no more than six months ago and was already given the prestigious honor. In his opinion no better person deserved it. He was not only one of the hardest working men in the industry, he also considered him to be one of his best friends.

He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he knocked on her door. it was funny, they have been married for almost four years and have been best friends' for over fifteen years and she still has the ability to make him feel as if he is still a kid again. Whenever she looks at him and gives him a shy smile, his palms get sweaty and his heart starts racing at lightening speed. His love for her has become even more powerful and awe consuming. She is still the only woman who has the ability to bring him to his knees. She is his entire world, his everything and always will be.

Taking another deep breath, he knocked upon her door and impatiently awaited for her to open it.

Jon smiled softly when she opened the door. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open when he looked upon her. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Mary was always gorgeous to him...always. But tonight she looked even more so. There was something different about her that he could not put his finger upon. She had a certain glow about her that he had not noticed before. She was wearing a red knee length sleeveless cocktail dress with a black lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was swept to the side, just as she wore it on their wedding day. She was wearing nude heels, which made her legs seem even longer and added a couple inches to her five foot nine height. She would always joke with him that she would always have to wear heels when she was with him because he was so much taller than she was. She said she didn't want to have to strain her neck just to look up at him. She wore minimal makeup, just some eyeshadow and light pink lipstick.

Mary gave him a shy smile, 'Hey you.'

Jon ducked his head shyly and gave her a smile,, 'Hey.' He cleared his throat, shifting nervously back and forth upon his heels, 'You look...uh...nice.' He cringed inwardly.

He was so awkward as fuck around her. This is his wife of four years and that is the best compliment he could give her. Whenever he was in her presence he always felt shy, awkward and nervous; just as he did when he was a lovesick teenager.

She seemed to understand what he was trying to say for she chuckled slightly and nodded, 'So do you.'

Mary took a moment to carefully study him. He was wearing an all black designer suit. He had a dark dress shirt underneath with a black tie. His hair was slicked back and he was clean shaven, which made him look younger than his thirty one years. Still after all this time of being together, he still had the ability to take her breath away. He was the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on. She's also madly in love with him, which might make her somewhat biased in her opinion.

Jon extended his hand outward, which was holding the flowers. His head was bowed as he cleared his throat and said, 'Uh...here...these are for you.'

She smiled and took the flowers, 'They're beautiful. Thank you, baby.'

He shoved his hands into his pocket and curtly nodded his head, 'Yeah...uh...no problem.'

Mary chuckled, 'So, ya gonna come in or are ya gonna stand in my hallway all night?'

Jon shook his head,'No...I mean...yeah...sure.' Fuck, was he ever going to stop acting like an asshole?

She opened the door wider, giving him enough space to enter.

He slowly walked into her apartment and jumped, startled as she closed the door.

Mary laid the flowers he gave her on a table by the door and walked over to him to wrap her arms around him to give him a kiss, which he readily returned.

She pulled away from him momentarily to smile at him, 'I'm excited for tonight.'

Jon lightly grasped her hips and nodded, 'Yeah...me too.'

As he looked at her, he could not help but notice she looked nervous and on edge for some reason. She couldn't look him directly in the eyes and her hands were slightly shaking. He felt a sense of dread washing over him in this moment, wondering what was running through her head. He thought everything was good between them. They were finally at a place where they could finally say without any shadow of a doubt that they were happy.

Mary started fixing his tie and she kept her eyes downward, staring down at the floor below her, 'So, I was thinking...maybe we should start living together.'

He beamed. "I'd love that. Did you wanna move into my place or me to move in here?"

Mary bit back a grin. "Well...I've been wanting to talk to you about that."

Jon took a deep breath. Something was up, he could tell. "Okay...what do you have in mind?"

Mary's hands were shaking as she fidgeted with his tie and she kept her eyes downward.

She sighed shakily and whispered, 'I was thinking maybe a house.' She gave him a small smile, 'Maybe something with more...room.'

He blinked. "Um, sure. You always wanted a farmhouse, right? Just no chickens and goats, remember?" She didn't laugh or smile, which only made him feel more anxious. "Mary...is something wrong?"

Mary shook her head. Tears were falling from her eyes as she kept her head bowed.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath as she whispered, 'No I was thinking we get something with two rooms. I'm...pregnant, Jon.'

Jon swayed on his feet for a second, then shook his head. "Wait...wait. What did you say?"

Mary refused to look at him and took a few steps back away from him. She rocked nervously back and forth upon her heels and twiddled with her thumbs.

She shook her head and sighed, 'I...uh...been feeling really sick lately. I thought it was because of stress. I've been working a lot of hours and didn't think anything of it. I...uh had a regular checkup at the doctor and he then did some blood work.' She chuckled, 'Turns out it wasn't stress at all and I'm three months...pregnant.' Tears were falling from her eyes and she wiped them away, 'I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't do this on purpose or anything. I really didn't.'

Jon stepped forward and took her in his arms, shaking with laughter as tears fell from his eyes. "How...how? Are you okay? I mean...holy shit. Oh my god, I'm gonna be..." He laughed and kissed her, stroking her hair. "I thought...I thought you couldn't...?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders and chuckled slightly, 'Thought I couldn't either, but the doctor said it's not unheard of. A woman's body can heal over time. He said with my...condition it might be tough, but not impossible.' She dared to looked up at him, 'So, you're not...mad?'

Jon cupped her face and gazed at her lovingly. "Why would I be mad? My beautiful wife is pregnant." He giggled and rested his hand over her stomach. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay? You need to rest up or anything?"

Mary rested her hand over his that was on her stomach and smiled through her tears, 'I'm fine. Maybe a little tired and queasy, but that should pass. I might need to rest up a few weeks before the baby comes, but I'm fine for now.' She sighed in relief, 'Oh God, I was so scared you were gonna be mad or something. I knew for two weeks, but didn't wanna tell you when you were on the road. It was killing me not telling you when we talked on the phone.'

He held her tight and gently rocked her, resting his forehead against hers. "When do we find out if we're having a son or daughter?" he whispered, gently stroking her hair.

Mary closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes, 'In a...month.' She laughed nervously, 'Or we can wait to be surprised.'

"No way! I wanna know!" He kissed her neck. "I guess we should talk about names, huh?"

Mary nodded and sighed shakily, 'Yeah...so you're not mad...really? I mean I know it's busy for you right now with your promotional tour for your movie and your wrestling career. I mean if this is something ya think you can't handle right now. I'll completely understand. I'll be...okay.' She shook her head, correcting herself, '_We'll _be okay.'

Jon shook his head. "No, no. It'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He kissed her and grinned. "You're okay, right? You sure you wanna go out tonight? I don't want you feeling stressed out or anything."

Mary's eyes widened incredulously, 'Don't worry about you?' She eased out of his embrace and shook her head, scoffing, 'We're having a _baby,_ Jon. Do you know what that means? We almost got divorced because of a baby. What makes ya think this will be any different?' She snorted, 'We've been married for four years and don't even live together. Do you realize how dysfunctional that is? Do you really think a baby is going to help us any?'

She walked over to the couch and plopped down on it, 'We hardly see each other now. Lets be realistic here.'

He sat next to her and took her hand. "Mary, we almost got divorced because we weren't being honest with each other. Plus I kept you in hotel rooms like you were fucking Rapunzel or some shit. And we've been doing so much better. It's gonna be stressful as fuck, but we can handle this. I know we can." Jon cupped her cheek. "Hey. Look at me. I love you. We can do this." He smiled, but then cleared his throat. "But if you don't want to have it, we can...we can talk about that." Jon looked down, clenching his jaw. He didn't even want to think about the alternative, but if that's what she wanted...

Mary shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No, I want this baby. More than anything.' She sighed, shaking her head, 'I talked to Kasey about it and she offered for me to stay with her and Cody so she could keep an eye on me.' She looked at him wearily, 'I think I might do...that. It's what best for the baby'

Jon nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. He hated the idea of being away from her, especially if she was pregnant. "If that's what you want, sure." He glanced at her. "Does our therapist know about this?"

Mary nodded, 'Yeah, Stan knows. He said that we should talk about it and decide the best option. He said this is entirely up to us.' She sighed, 'With that being said he also suggested that we seriously talk about our marriage and the direction it's heading. It's not just us we have to think about anymore, ya know? A child needs stability and an equal partnership.'

Jon nodded and put his hand on her knee. "I've missed you, baby. I miss living with you. I know things are nuts now, but they're gonna calm down." He took a deep breath. "They're gonna have me drop the title to Seth in a couple of months. He's fucking excited as shit." Jon grinned, but then squeezed Mary's knee. "Plus the movie shit will be done by then. It won't be perfect, but I'll be around more. And I can get time off so I can be there for when our baby is born."

Mary nodded and took a deep breath. She put her face in her hands as her face crumpled into tears, 'I think we should get a...divorce.'

Jon gripped the couch, staring wildly at her. "What...what did you just say?"

Mary sighed shakily, 'I think that we should get a...divorce.' She shook her head, 'This arrangement we're having isn't working out. Since finding out about the baby I realized I have to do what's best for the baby. I had some time to think and I realized you and I. What we have is a misplaced...love. I was living in the past. I need to focus on the future.'

She closed her eyes and heaved a laborious sigh. She hated herself with that she was doing. It was breaking her heart to let him go, but it was for the best. For everyone involved.

He got up and started pacing around the room. "You can't...you can't mean that. You're running away. You're not making sense." Jon shook his head. "You love me, Mary. I know you do. Don't...don't do this."

Mary kept her head held high and gritted her teeth to keep from crying. She shook her head, 'No, I'm not running away. I've never seen things more clearer. This is what I want, Jon. You have to respect that. I don't...love you like ya want me to. I see that...now.'

"That's...that's not true." He stopped pacing and stared her down. "You think I don't see how you look at me? You love me. I know it."

Mary bowed her head and quietly sobbed. She was shaking and her shoulders were heaving up and down. She couldn't look at him. It was true. She could not lie to him. She did love him...very much, which is why she was doing this. She didn't want to hurt him anymore.

She shook her head and whispered pleadingly, 'Stop...please...stop.'

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her break down. They'd known each other too long to bullshit each other. Taking a deep sigh, he walked over to her and kneeled in front of her.

"You love me." He placed his hands on her arms and gently squeezed them. "You love me."

"No I don't," Mary whispered, still looking down.

He smirked. "Oh yeah? So how would you feel if I told you that Paige was hitting on me again and invited me to her hotel room last week?" Jon chuckled when Mary lifted her head and glared at him with pure fury. "That's what I thought. You love me, Mary, and I love you. You can't deny that, baby girl, that shit doesn't work with me."

Mary smiled through her tears and rested her hand upon her stomach, whispering, 'You might have another baby girl. Ya think you can handle two of us?'

He grinned and put his hand over hers. "If she's as much of a smartass as you, I'm gonna have my hands full." Jon leaned up and gently kissed his wife. "You're always gonna be my baby girl, though. You know that."

Mary held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his, whispering, 'I'm gonna be a crazy emotional wreck.' She chuckled, 'More so than usual. Think you're ready for that?"

"I'm up for the challenge." He kissed her hands, then kissed her stomach and nuzzled against her. "I love you, Mary."

Tears were falling from her eyes as she stroked his head, running her fingers through his hair, 'I love you too.' She sighed, 'God, I'm sorry.' She chuckled nervously, 'I'm already acting crazy. Do you really want this, Jon? I mean, do you really want to be a dad?"

"Yeah, I do." He looked up at her and smiled. "I've always wanted to have a baby with you. Used to think about it when I was a kid."

Mary's eyes widened in surprise and she looked at him skeptically, 'Really? When you were a kid?'

Jon looked away, feeling slightly stupid. "Well...yeah. Sometimes. Thought it would be cool." He scowled and rested his head on her leg. "You probably think that's lame."

Mary brushed her fingers through his hair and shook her head, smiling 'No I don't. What did you used to think about?"

He rubbed her hip and shrugged. "Like, me and you in a nice house, a kid or maybe a few of 'em...and we'd have a porch and a backyard and do family shit like barbeques or something...you know."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I want that. I never had a family until you came along, ya know? Never had anybody who gave a shit about me. I was all alone and then you came along and changed everything. You're my family, Jon. This baby, you and I... we're a family. We're a family.'

"We are." He kissed her stomach again and smiled up at her as she stroked his face. "Are we okay now, baby girl? No more talk about divorce?"

Mary smiled and nodded her head, 'No more talk.' She sighed, 'So we going to this shindig or what?'

"You still wanna go? We don't have to, you know."

She scoffed. "Of course I want to go. Don't be ridiculous."

He gave her a knowing smirk. "You wanna see Punk, don't ya?"

Mary ducked her head shyly, 'No, that ship has sailed. Especially since he's a married man now. Amy would kick my ass.' She stroked his face and smiled softly, 'Besides, I only have eyes for one man. The father of my child.'

"Cool." He kissed her and stroked her hair. "You're goddamn beautiful, you know that? I hope our kid looks just like you, boy or girl."

Mary bowed her head to hide her blush and chuckled softly, 'I don't know about that. I hope they look like you.' She lifted head to stroke the side of his face and smiled through her tears, 'I hope he or she has your eyes and your smile.' She ran her thumb over his lips,'Always loved your smile.'

"I love yours," Jon whispered, cupping her cheek. "I love you." He put a protective hand over her stomach. "So you're okay? No troubles with eating or whatever?" He rested his cheek on her stomach and gently patted her. "Be good to your mom, kiddo."

Mary stroked his hair and shook her head, chuckling softly, 'No, I'm good. I mean some mornings I spend in the bathroom over the toilet, but the morning sickness has been getting better. Usually some crackers and ginger ale helps.' She sighed, 'Although, I have to admit my sex drive has increased lately.' She smirked, 'Well, more so than usual. Although when I'm as fat as whale you might not want to go anywhere near me.'

Jon snorted. "Please. I'm gonna be all over you." He leered up at her. "Wanna have some fun before we go to this thing?"

Mary smirked and shook her head, 'I don't know. I don't wanna ruin my fancy dress. I spent a lot of time on my hair too.'

"Well, maybe when we get back." He stood up and held out his hands. "C'mere, beautiful."

Mary stood up and he wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head upon his chest. She blinked away tears as she looked up at him. She stood there, taking him in, She wanted to memorize every single detail of him. For she knew this may very well be the last time she would ever see him. Her heart broke knowing she was going to have to leave him, but it was what she needed to do. But she wasn't going to think about that. Not right now. They had tonight together and she wanted their last night together to be a good one. She wanted them to be happy. It's all she ever wanted. She wanted to give him everything he deserved.

Even if she had to die in the process..

She closed her eyes, breathing him in, 'I love you so much, ya know that? You make me the happiest girl in the world. You're so good to me. Our child is lucky to have such an amazing and good man as their father.'

He kissed her gently and held her tight. "I love you so much, baby girl. I'm gonna take care of you and our baby. I promise."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'I know you are. I have no doubt in my mind about that.' She eased out of his embrace and grabbed his hand, 'Now come on. We better get going or we're gonna be late.'

Jon smirked, 'Yes...mom.'

They both laughed as they made their way out the door. The two of them were starting yet another journey together. The sad part about it is, they both all might not make it out alive and unscathed this time around.

The Hall of Fame ceremony was enjoyable enough. Jon had spent most of the night safeguarding Mary, making sure no one would bump into her. She would playfully slap his shoulder and laugh, telling him to stop being so overprotective. They decided to keep the news of the baby to themselves as long as they could. They still needed to figure out some things before they shared this news with the rest of the world. They had to let the reality of the matter sink in that they were actually going to be parents. This was real and actually happening. They still shared knowing smiles and loving looks throughout the night. Jon was coyly put his hand upon her stomach and discreetly whispered in her ear how much he loved her. She would chuckle and bow her head to hide her blush and they would go on and pretend as if nothing was happening.

After the ceremony they were holding an after party at some nightclub named, 'Lavo', which was really ironic considering Punk was straightedge, but Ryan was adamant on it so Punk agreed. They declined to go. They would much rather be alone and enjoy their new found discovery and revel in the afterglow of Mary's news. Besides, it was not as if Mary could drink on account of being pregnant anyway. Mary had suggested they go back to Jon's place considering they hardly ever went there. They spent the majority of the night making love and discussing baby names. Jon would gently rest his head upon her stomach as he stroked it and talked softly into her stomach as if the baby could hear him already. She would stroke his hair and they would just lie there in silence, enjoying the feeling of being in one another's arms.

They were happy. They were in love. Nothing could go wrong.

Jon woke up the next morning reaching for his wife, but she wasn't there. He remembered her mentioning her morning sickness and rested back on the pillow, closing his eyes and smiling to himself. He was going to be a father. It was a miracle that Mary was pregnant, but she seemed okay. Obviously her hormones were making her a little crazy, and he chalked up her talk of divorce to that. There was no doubt in his mind that she loved him, just like he had no doubt that she'd be an amazing mom.

He got up and walked to the guest bathroom, figuring he could ask if she wanted him to get her some crackers and ginger ale, but she wasn't there. Puzzled, he started looking around each room, but there was no sign of her. Before he could panic, he saw a note on the kitchen table. He sighed in relief and picked it up, figuring she stepped out for a walk...maybe look at baby clothes or something. Jon grinned and began reading.

_Jon -_

_I'm so sorry, but I can't do this. I'm going to have this baby, but not with you._

_I do want a divorce._

_I'll be staying with Kasey and Cody. Please don't call me or visit. My mind is made up._

_Take care of yourself, Jon._

_- Mary_

He read the note several times before stumbling to the couch, staring blankly at the wall. Despair began to set in, but he shook his head. This was all because of her hormones. She just needed to fucking relax and stop jumping to insane conclusions.

Jon went into his bag and dug out his phone, dialing Mary's cell number. She might have been in the airport, or got a ride somewhere, he didn't give a fuck. He needed to talk to his wife.

Mary was sitting in the airport waiting for her flight to board. Her bags were at her feet as she sat there, softly sobbing. She hated doing this. She hated herself, but she knew this is what she had to do. It was the best thing, for everyone involved. She refused to cause him sadness any longer, which was ironic because that is exactly what she is doing. She just hoped that he would understand. Above everything else she loved him and wanted to see him happy. Even if it wasn't with her. All of the sudden she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and sighed when she saw who it was. She thought of ignoring his call, but she couldn't do that. He deserved some kind of explanation.

Against her better judgment, she took a deep breath and answered the phone, 'Hi, Jon.'

He sighed and ran his hands over his face. "Mary, what are you doing? Where are you?"

Mary closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. It killed her to hear the despair in his voice. She loved this man with every fiber of her being and she was killing him.

She gritted her teeth and steeled herself, 'Jon, I'm leaving you. My note explained everything. I don't want to be...with you.'

He shook his head, clenching his jaw. No way in hell was he gonna let this happen. "Look, if you wanna talk, we can do that, and I don't have a problem with you staying with Kasey, but why the hell would you leave me, Mary? This doesn't make sense."

Mary sighed shakily and shook her head sadly, 'Jon, I had some time to think about this and I realized I don't love you the way I should. The way you deserve. The love I have for you is misplaced. It's nothing more than a childish love I was trying to hold onto. I...wanted to leave you after we got married, but when you had that panic attack I felt sorry...for you.'

Tears were falling down her face and she bit her lip to muffle her sobs. It killed her to say those words, but she had to make him leave her alone. She had to push him away.

His jaw dropped and he leaned forward, holding his head. "Mary...that can't be true. It can't. You love me. You're just scared, and that's okay, but we're gonna be fine. You and the baby will be fine, okay? You're scared and upset and you're saying things that don't make sense."

Mary closed her eyes and smiled sadly, 'No, for the first time in a very long time I see things clearly. I don't love you the way you want me. I don't want to raise a family with someone like...you. I don't want to be your wife.'

"With someone like me?" He laughed humorlessly and shook his head. "What the fuck are you talking about, Mary?"

Mary took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves and released it, 'You're never around, Jon. You're quick to anger. I hardly ever see you. My child needs stability, something you can't provide. I never loved you. I...pitied you. Don't you understand that? I felt sorry for you.'

"This is bullshit." He clenched his jaw, fighting off the tears that started to well in his eyes. "This is such bullshit. Why are you doing this? Be honest with me. Stop saying you don't love me, I fucking know you do. I know it. You're my wife. If you're worried about my schedule we can fucking talk about it, Mary! You don't have to run off and talk about ending things."

Mary ran a shaky hand through her hair, 'I don't love you, Jon. Why can't you understand that? I don't love you. I felt sorry for you, obligated to you. I can't be with someone like you. I'm better than...that. Don't you get it? I can't have a family with you. I should have married...David. Not you.'

Tears were falling from eyes, blurring her vision. She was clutching at her stomach as she felt an overwhelming bout of nausea come upon her. This was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

"Mary..." Jon took a deep breath. "Mary, just stop, okay? You're gonna get yourself all worked up. I'm gonna hang up now, but we're gonna talk later. Be safe, okay?" He paused. "I love you, Mary. I love you and our baby." Quickly he hung up before she could say anything horrible again and he took a deep breath.

After a few minutes he called Cody and talked with him, explaining how upset Mary was and that he'd be calling later to talk to her. Cody promised to make sure Mary would get on the phone, knowing she'd probably refuse.

"Are you okay?" Cody asked, his voice low. "Mary called here earlier...she didn't sound too happy."

"Things are fucked right now, but they'll be fine." Jon sighed. "Just...just make sure she's not all stressed out, okay?"

"We'll take care of her." Cody paused. "But you sure you're okay?"

Jon smirked. "I'm fine. Not losing my mind here. This is just a setback. We're fine." He looked down at his wedding ring and cleared his throat. "We're gonna be just fine."

The next few weeks have been trying for Mary. It has been hard living without him. She tried to live her life and pretend as if everything was okay, but it wasn't and it's never going to be. Ever since she left him he has called her every single day, sometimes multiple times a day if he wasn't busy. He would text her repeatedly, saying how much he loved and needed her. How much he loved their baby and wanted to see her, but she ignored his pleas. He would even call Kasey and Cody, begging to speak to her but she would always come up with some excuse of why she didn't want to speak to him or see him. It's difficult watching him on television. She tries not to, but she just can't help herself. She can see how much he is hurting. Sure he is in character and is just seen as the miserable bastard Dean Ambrose is infamously known for, but she can see there is no pretending. The pain in his eyes is real and she is the cause of it. She has always been a glutton for punishment. She just needs that connection with him. Albeit how small it is. She needs something...anything. The funny part about it is that she has no on else to blame but herself. She has pushed him away, thinking this was good for them. Good for him. When in actuality all she is doing is hurting herself.

Jon was at a total loss at what he should do. He kept calling Mary, but she wouldn't talk to him. Once Cody held the phone up to her ear and demanded that she say something, but she refused. It was killing Jon to know that she was pushing him away. It felt like it might be for good this time.

Undeterred, Jon sent her gifts for the baby - clothes, toys, the most expensive crib he could find, a stroller, books, everything. He set up a college fund and sent Mary the paperwork with a note saying that he knew their baby would be as smart as his or her mom.

One night after a taping he was sitting in his hotel room staring glumly at the TV with a beer in hand when his phone rang.

He looked down to see Kasey and Cody's number and quickly answered it. "Mary?"

Mary didn't know why she was calling him. She swore to herself she wasn't going to do it, but she had to. She couldn't take this anymore. She had to push him away. For good this time. It was torture every time she saw his number or received a gift from him. She cried herself to sleep when he sent her the paperwork for the college fund. She laid in bed and clutched the paperwork in her hand. It took all of the insurmountable strength within her not to call him that night. When he answered the phone, she closed her eyes and sighed shakily.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered, 'Jon? It's me.'

"Mary." He took a deep breath and grinned. God, it was good to hear her voice. "Mary, baby, how are you doing? Are you feeling okay? Did you get the stuff I sent? Tell me what you need, baby, I'll take care of it."

Mary smiled sadly and rested the cellphone against her forehead as she took a few deep breaths to gather her thoughts. It felt so good to hear his voice after all his time. She missed him. She needed him. She loved him. She shook her head. No. She couldn't think about that. She had to be strong. For the three of them.

She sighed into the phone, 'I'm okay. We're okay. Look I called to tell you that you need to stop sending me stuff. I can take care of myself...us.'

"Okay, I'll stop, but I'm gonna provide for you and our baby. That's the deal." He paused. "I wanna see you, Mary. I miss you. Plus I wanna find out if I'm gonna be a dad to a boy or girl." Jon grinned. "It's been about a month, so it's time, right?"

Mary smiled through her tears. She could hear the happiness and pride in his voice and it saddened her. It made her feel all the more guilty. She gritted her teeth to muffle her sobs and held the phone away from her to sniff roughly.

She rubbed her stomach and sighed, 'Yeah...it's time. I...went...I know, Jon.' She regretted her words as soon as she said them. God, can she do anything right?

His throat tightened. "You went...without me? And didn't tell me?"

Mary sighed shakily, 'It's not your concern, Jon. I told you. This is my baby. I don't want you...involved. God, why can't you understand that?'

"You don't want me involved? In my baby's life? Are you fucking...you're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna just let you shut me out, Mary. Fuck that." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "When are you due? You never told me that. I'm gonna be there when our baby is born. That's a fucking fact."

Mary shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh, 'It's not your concern, Jon. I don't want you there. If you come I'll have you taken...away.'

Jon gripped the phone tight. "Mary, you can't keep me away from you or our baby. You can't shut me out like this. I know you love me! Why are you doing this?"

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head, letting out a shaky sigh. She rubbed at her growing belly in soothing circles. She knows in her heart she is doing the right thing. She just hoped they understood that. The both of them.

She took a deep breath and released it, 'Jon, just please...stop. You're gonna make him upset.' Her eyes widened and she gasped into the phone, knowing it was already too late. She had said enough.

Jon stopped breathing for a moment. Tears pricked at his eyes and he let out a choked sob.

"'He'? We're gonna have a boy?" Jon ran a shaking hand through his hair and laughed. "Oh god...we're gonna have a son?"

Mary smiled through her tears when she heard the happiness in his tone. She wanted so much to tell him to come to her, that she loved him and wanted to be a family. But she couldn't do that. It would be useless. She refused to hurt him like that, just as she is doing now.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, resting a protective hand on her belly, 'Yeah, Jon. I can't lie about that, but ya gotta stop this. Ya gotta move on.' she took a moment of deliberation to gather her courage, 'I filed the divorce papers and talked to a lawyer.'

"What?" His eyes welled up with tears and he began shaking. "What? No, no...no, you can't be serious."

Mary sighed into the phone, 'I did. It's all taken care of. You should be receiving them soon. It's over , Jon. It's over. Just move on. I don't love you.' She wiped the tears from her cheeks, 'I don't want you.'

"Oh god, no." Jon sobbed and pulled at his hair, tears running down his face. "God...I thought you loved me..."

Mary bit into her fist to stifle her sobs. It was breaking her heart to do this to him, 'I thought I did too. I do love you. Just as a...friend. First and foremost you were always my best friend.'

"Oh, Jesus Christ." Jon slid to the floor, holding his head as his body shook with sobs. Everything was a total lie. She pitied him, that's all it ever was. That's why she slept with him in the first place, why she dated him, fuck, even why she married him. It was never love, just pity. It made him feel sick.

After a few moments he was able to breathe somewhat normally and wiped at his face. "I wanna talk to my son," he mumbled.

Mary sighed and closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes.

She smiled through her tears and whispered, 'Alright' She put the phone up to her stomach and sobbed softly.

Jon breathed deeply, then cleared his throat. "Hey kiddo. It's your dad." He sniffed and rubbed at his face. "You don't have a name yet, but we'll make sure it's a good one. Your mom wanted to name you after me. Don't worry, I won't let that happen." He sighed and hugged himself, leaning against the couch. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you. I'm gonna be here for you no matter what. And even though your mom doesn't love me, I love her. I'm always gonna love her. Forever. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to her, okay? If she ever..." His eyes filled with tears and he sobbed. "If she ever falls in love for real, I'll make sure he's a good guy. I'm gonna make sure he takes care of her and that he's good to you. 'Cause I love you both. So much." Jon exhaled shakily. "I just wanted you to know that."

Mary rested her head into the pillow to muffle her sobs. His words shook her to the core. She had put him on speaker, wanting to hear what he had to say. It killed her knowing that she was doing this. Killing him. She knew this was the right thing to do. She just wished that she could make him understand.

She was about to hang up the phone when she heard him begin to speak again. She took a deep breath and listened closely.

"I hope you end up looking like your mom," Jon whispered, and sniffed. "She's so beautiful. I know you'll be as smart as her, and just as strong. I hope you get as much of her as you can get. Just ignore all the parts of me in you, okay? I'm pathetic. You don't wanna end up like me." Jon shivered and held himself. "I love you so much, son. I love you so damn much. And I'm sorry...I'm sorry I can't be more of a part of your life, but your mom is right...I'm no good. I'll do my best, though, okay? I promise. I love you. Take care of your mom, be good to her. She's the best person I know. I love her so much...I love her." He cringed and hung up the phone, holding his face in his hands as he gave into his agony.

Mary finally released the sobs she has been holding in when he hung up the phone. She dropped the cellphone out of her hand and sobbed into the pillow That was it. She had finally let go of the man she loved. She has finally pushed him away. If this is what she wanted then why did it have to hurt so goddamn bad? Maybe it's because she didn't. This isn't what she wanted. She wanted him. Except she would never have him ever again.

She held her stomach as she stroked it soothingly as she whispered, 'I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. What I'm doing is for what's best. You'll see. You'll understand.' She didn't know who she was trying to convince more. Her child or herself.

"C'mon, man. Open up."

"We need to get a key, Seth. He's not gonna open the door."

"Ryan's getting one from the front desk. This shit's bad, man."

"Both of you shut the fuck up. JON! Open the door. C'mon, dude, it's gonna be fine."

Jon sneered and threw his now empty beer bottle at the wall, laughing hysterically when his friends shouted after hearing the glass break. They pounded their fists against the hotel door but he wasn't getting up. Fuck them. Fuck everybody.

"Has he done this shit before?"

"Fuck no, David. The fuck kind of question is that?"

"I told you fucks to shut up!" Seth hissed. "Jon, listen, man, it's gonna be fine. We're here, okay? Let's talk about this."

"Fuck off," Jon slurred, crawling over to the coffee table and staring at the pictures that Kasey sent him. He'd turned all the lights off but the moonlight shone in through the sliding glass doors, giving him enough light to be able to see the ultrasound of his son. Kasey had also sent pictures of Mary reading in bed and sleeping, her hand resting on her growing stomach. She looked so beautiful that it broke his heart.

That was enough to make him feel like he'd been gutted, but then that fucking weasel had come up to him and served him divorce papers right after a show. Jon shoved the papers away, telling the fucker to tell Mary to have her give him the papers to his fucking face, but he ended up snatching the papers away from the guy anyway. He was gonna burn them, or rip them up and send them back to her. He didn't know yet. He didn't know anything.

"I got it!" Ryan's voice boomed through the hallway and the front door clicked. Footsteps thudded through the room, echoing in his head. He growled and ducked behind the couch.

"Jon! Jesus." Seth cursed and kicked at something. "It's dark as fuck in here."

"I'll get the lights," David announced, and Jon shrieked as the room brightened.

"TURN THOSE FUCKING LIGHTS OFF YOU FUCKING FUCKS!" He grabbed a few bottles and threw them at his friends, who ducked and cursed.

"Jesus! Get the lights, Christ!" The room darkened again and Jon could hear them breathing loudly. "Christ. Okay. Let's be cool." Seth cleared his throat. "Jon, hey. It's cool, the lights are off. I'm gonna use my phone, though, okay? Otherwise I can't see."

"See all you fucking want, you fuck." Jon staggered into his room. "Piece of shit. Asshole. Fucking dipshit."

"That's me, sure." Seth sighed. "Okay, David, Roman? You guys stay in the hallway. Make sure no one comes up here. Ryan, you here?"

"I'm here."

"Okay, I'm gonna need your help, man. I'm gonna need you to make sure he doesn't do anything...rash."

"No problem. We're all cool here, aren't we, Jon?" Ryan's friendly tone filled the room. "Hey, can we come in your room? We wanna hang out."

"Eat shit," Jon snarled, crawling over to a corner of the bedroom.

"Will do. But we're gonna stay right here, though, okay?" Ryan's voice lowered to a whisper. "Seth, who are you calling?"

Seth sighed. "I'm calling his wife."

Mary was lying in bed sleeping when she heard the sound of her phone vibrating. She picked up her phone and her eyes narrowed when she looked at the phone number. She shook her head in bafflement, wondering why Seth would be calling her of all people in the middle of the night. She sat up, staring at her phone, wondering if she should pick up the phone or not. Fear clutched at her heart. Something could be the matter with Jon. That could be the only logical explanation of why he was calling her.

Without giving it another thought, she picked up the phone, 'Hello?'

Seth sighed in relief on the other end, 'Mary? Hey, sorry to bother you so late but...uh...Jon is acting weird. I mean he's really out of it and talking nonsense. We're really worried about him. Look, I know you and him aren't really on good terms right now, but could ya just get on the phone and talk to him...please?'

Mary's widened as she heard glass breaking and the sounds of her husband's screams. She knew exactly what was going on and it was all her fault. She sighed and nodded her head, 'Yeah...put him on.' She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come.

Jon was crouched in the corner, glaring at the wall when Seth and Ryan approached him. He snarled and threw a bottle at them. "Fuck off!"

Ryan lunged forward and grabbed the other empty bottles, batting Jon's hands away. "Sorry, dude. Can't have you around glass right now." He nodded at Seth and left the room, carrying the bottles away.

Seth crouched in front of Jon and held his phone out. "Hey man. I got someone who wants to talk to you."

Jon snorted and turned away. "Told you to fuck off."

"Yeah, I heard you. But I think you should take this call. It's Mary."

Jon stared at Seth for a few moments, narrowing his eyes when Seth calmly returned his gaze and kept his arm out. Jon snatched his phone out of his hand and held it up to his ear.

"Jon?"

His throat tightened at the sound of his wife's voice and he bowed his head, letting his hair fall into his face.

"Jon...it's me." Mary sighed. "Are you okay?"

He gritted his teeth. "How...how can you ask me that?"

Mary sighed shakily. She closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. She was responsible for this. She had done this to him...yet again. It has been over two months since she has talked to him. She was well aware that Kasey and Cody had been speaking to him, keeping him up to date on her and the baby. He had been respectful enough to keep his distance. She still cried for him. She missed him, loved him, and wanted him. What she was doing was in his best interest. She knew serving him the divorce papers would hurt him, but it had to he done. She had to get rid of him once and for all. At least that is what she liked to tell herself anyway. She always had a knack for lying to herself.

She took a deep breath, whispering, 'Seth tells me that you've been scaring them, Jon. What are you doing to yourself?'

Jon threw back his head and laughed hysterically, dropping the phone and kicking it away. He began slamming his head against the wall,still cackling as he shoved Seth away. His laughter turned to screams and he growled and snarled as Seth pushed him to the ground, holding him down. Ryan came in and crouched next to him, trying to talk but

Jon just kept writhing and grunting.

"Jon. Jon, calm down, it's okay." Seth pinned him and held his arms down, his face set in determination as Jon tried to get out from under him. "Shit. Does Mary have any ideas on how to calm him down? I've never seen him like this, man."

Ryan picked up the phone and cleared his throat. "Mary? You there? Um...he's not doing too well...what should we do?"

Mary had tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to the commotion over the phone. She could hear his maniacal screams and wails as she heard him shattering glass against the wall.

She sighed deeply and whispered, 'Ask him if he wants to speak to his son. That might calm him down. He won't want to scare him.

She didn't know if it would work, but she would do anything to help him. She still loved him and wanted to make sure he was alright. This was her fault after all. She had to fix this.

Ryan nodded. "Um, hey, Jon? Mary wants to ask you something."

Jon growled and managed to push Seth off, grabbing at a shard of glass under the bed. He was gonna do it, he was grab that glass and use it 'cause the stuff wasn't working and Slim was gonna kill him anyway and THE LIGHTS and the lights in the parking lot and he was gonna make a cut and let everything fall out so dark so cold -

"Jon. Mary wants to you talk to your son."

He froze. His hand uncurled, letting go of the glass, and he pulled his hand back and looked at it. No blood. And he was on the floor, not in a parking lot. He was...

"Jon?" Seth's voice was low and soothing, and he gently pulled him out from under the bed. "Hey, did you hear that, man? Mary wants you to talk to your son. Maybe he's scared and wants to hear from his dad. Can you talk to him? Make him feel better?"

Jon curled up in the corner and sobbed, humiliation and grief washing over him. He shivered and winced as Seth and Ryan patted him on the back. Ryan tried to hand him the phone, but Jon shook his head. "Can't," he whispered.

"Can't talk now? Why not, Jon?" Ryan asked softly.

"Can't. I'm a fucking joke. She doesn't want me. He's not gonna want me either." Jon pulled at his hair and shuddered. "Can't fucking blame them."

Mary heard his words and she began to sob softly. She wanted to tell him he was wrong. She did want him and so would their son. This was the sole reason why she was doing this. Their son needed him.

She took a deep breath to gather her courage, 'Ryan, tell him that his son needs him. Tell him that Mary said he's gonna need someone to play catch with. Someone to teach him how to fish. Tell him that. If he doesn't listen to you put him on the phone. '

Ryan cleared his throat. "Hey, buddy, that's not true. Mary says your son needs you. She's right, man. The little guy needs to learn how to fish, play catch, all that cool shit. You're the only one who can do that."

"Should've done it." Jon slammed his palms against his head. "Should've fucking done it that night, I fucked up like I fuck

everything else up. Fucking didn't cut deep enough. Need to..." He lunged for the glass under the bed, but Seth grabbed him and threw him against the wall.

"Not on my watch, fucker." Seth sat forward, nose to nose with his friend. "You're not going anywhere, you got that? You're my brother and you're gonna get through this."

Jon felt his eyes grow wide and he grinned at Seth. "Try and fucking stop me," he sang, and snickered loudly.

Seth glared and slapped him hard across the face. "KNOCK THAT SHIT OFF!"

Jon laughed and squirmed as Seth shouted at Ryan to give him his phone and get rid of all the glass in the hotel room. He kept laughing as Seth slapped him again, baring his teeth as his friend pulled at his hair and shoved the phone up to his ear. "Talk to your fucking wife!"

Mary sighed into the phone and rested her hand upon her stomach, rubbing it soothingly, 'Jon? Listen to me. Ya gotta stop this. Our baby needs you. Ya gotta keep it together.' She smiled through her tears, 'Who else is gonna put up with my smartass mouth in the delivery room, huh?'

She doesn't know why she said that. Blame on desperation or love. When you really think about it, what's the difference? She just knew that she had to help him. No matter what.

Jon gritted his teeth and slammed his head against the wall as hard as he could. Seth grabbed the back of his head and glared at him.

"You don't love me. You don't want me." Jon dug his nails into his legs. "You don't want me there. You said that."

Mary chuckled softly, 'I'm pregnant and hormonal. I don't know half the shit I'm saying half the time. Last week I told Kasey I wanted to shave my head because my hair didn't look right. I had the electric shaver in my hand too. I...want...you there. Our baby needs you.'

Jon grunted and stared at the floor. "You said you didn't want me to get involved. You said that. Fucking heard you say that." Tears fell to the ground and he sniffed. "Don't love me, remember? Never loved me. Felt sorry for me. 'Cause I'm a joke."

Mary sighed and shook her head sadly, 'I never said you were a joke. Jon,you're the father of my child. I'm not going to deny your rights. You're my best friend. We're a team remember?'

"Fuck you," Jon hissed in a voice he didn't even recognize. "Fuck you, fuck you. I don't have any friends."

Seth shook his head. "That's not true, man."

"Damn right it's not." Ryan crouched next to Seth. "Hey, hand me the phone. I got an idea."

Seth nodded and handed Ryan his phone, then tried to talk to Jon in a soothing tone while Jon just shook his head.

"Mary? It's Ryan. Hey, he's still kinda out of it. Look, something like this happened to my brother once after he got beat up by some cops. Um, this is gonna sound weird, but Clara and I sang our favorite lullaby to him and that snapped him out of it. He used to sing it to us when we were kids...anyway, it helped him focus. Is there anything like that you can say, or do you guys have a song? Did you have music at your wedding?"

Mary smiled through her tears and nodded her head, 'Yeah...there is. Put him on.'

Ryan put the phone up to his ear and she started singing right away, her voice above a whisper, 'I've been to the Rockies...I've seen Saskatoon...I drive the ninety...Hell I've seen America's best...I've been to Nova Scotia..Syndey to Halifax...I never take any pictures cause I...know I'll be right back...I'm comin home...' She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath as she continued,' But I'd rather wake up beside you..breathing that familiar smell...wake up, Jon...please...'

Jon sobbed and clutched at Seth, who hugged him and patted his back. After a few moments he tried to get to his feet, and both his friends got him into bed. Ryan handed him the phone and Jon took a deep breath, then sighed. "Mary...why are you divorcing me? Do you really not love me? Or is something going on? Don't lie to me...please. I can't take this anymore."

Mary closed her eyes as tear fell down her face. This is it, the moment of truth. She could continue lying to him and keep up this bullshit charade and tell him she doesn't love him. She could hang up the phone and that would be the end. She could do that. But she couldn't live with herself knowing thatshe has done this to him yet again. What would their child think when he grew up? She didn't want her last moments with her child being in anger and lies. He deserved to know that his parents loved each other deeply. She sighed shakily, 'Jon, I do...love you. You know that. I wanna make you understand, but I don't know how.'

Jon took a deep breath and wiped at his tears. "So you love me...but then why...?"

Mary laid back in the bed and yelped in surprise into the phone and chuckled softly 'Your son is kicking me. I think he has your temper.'

Jon closed his eyes and dug his nails into the palm of his hand to keep from bawling. "Maybe he can tell how upset his father is."

Mary nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'Yeah, thats why ya gotta calm down okay? Ya gotta take care of yourself. He's gonna need you to be strong for him when...' She shook her head. No, she couldn't say it. She couldn't do this to him. Not now. She has caused him enough pain.

Jon opened his eyes. "When what?" He sat up, detecting something in the tone of her voice. "Don't hide shit from me." His eyes narrowed. "When what, Mary?"

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Nothing, Jon. I didn't mean anything by it Ya just gotta be strong for him okay?'

Jon gritted his teeth. "Fine. Whatever." He sighed and held his he was hearing things. "My head's fucking killing me and I'm exhausted. Are you done playing games, Mary? 'Cause I sure as shit 're not doing this shit to me anymore. Not to me, not to my son. We can't fucking take it." Jon wiped at his tears and settled back on the bed. "And neither can you, Mary."

Mary sighed into the phone and nodded her head, 'You get some sleep okay? Please...just take care of yourself. Can you do that for our son?'

Jon grunted and closed his eyes. "Trying to kill me," he mumbled, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Ryan and Seth watched him and sighed. Ryan pulled up a chair and gently took the phone from Jon. "I'm thinking we should watch him, you know? Take shifts?"

Seth nodded. "You got the first one? I wanna talk to her." He glared at the phone. "She's still there, right?"

Ryan nodded. "Mary? You there? Seth wants to talk to you...Jon's sleeping, finally." He handed Seth the phone and nodded. "Go for it."

Seth smiled grimly and took the phone, walking into the guest room. "Mary."

"Seth...thanks for calling me. He's okay, right?"

"Well, he's asleep now. As for tomorrow, I don't know. But you and me, we're gonna have a little chat. Now."

Mary heaved a laborious sigh and she nodded reluctantly. She did deserve this after all. Seth was his best friend. 'What do you have to say to me, Seth?'

Seth smirked. "Well, for starters, how about you stop fucking with my friend, dollface? You fucking heard him in there. That's on you, babe. He hasn't been doing great, but he's been working, he's been functioning. And then you fucking serve him divorce papers. Real fucking nice, Mary. Class act."

Mary snorted and rolled her eyes, 'Really? You think you know fuckingeverything, don't you? No offense, honey but you don't have a clue about what's going on.'

Seth gripped the phone tight. "Oh, I don't know shit? I just grabbed apiece of glass from my best friend's hand because he was going to slit his fucking wrists with it!" He started pacing around the room, his fury making his pulse pound. "You know, I never thought it would come to this, Mary. Never thought I'd have to fucking get a group of guys to break into someone's hotel room and hold him down, and then end up having to take shifts to watch him sleep so we make sure he doesn't kill himself. You know what he said? He said, 'Try and stop me'. That's your husband, Mary! That's the father of your kid! I don't know shit? No offense, HONEY, but this is all your fucking fault."

Mary sat up in the bed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She held a hand over her stomach and bit her lip to stifle her groan of pain. The baby was sensing her anxiousness and was starting to become agitated. She took a deep breath and whispered, 'I'm doing this to protect him Seth.'

"Oh, protect him. That's rich. You know what? I met Jon in Tampa. Seemed like a cool guy, really quiet. Talented as fuck, anyone could see that. Anyone could see he was also hurting. So I got to know him, and sure enough, he had his heart broken. Okay, yeah, join the club, we've all had girls stomp on our hearts. But this guy...he told me about you, Mary. He took your picture to the ring with him. No one does that. No one. So I asked him, and he told me how he knew you were

meant to be but you didn't want him. You wanted some other fuck, some doctor. Okay. Fine. I figure he's gonna move on. I try to set him up, no dice. Thought it was kinda weird, you know, he's a decent looking guy, got a lot going for him, but no. Wasn't interested. Then he says he's going to a party you're throwing, and it's your fucking engagement party. You know I tried to talk him out of that? Told him he was only gonna get hurt. He ignores me, he goes. Glutton for punishment. I knew something happened with you guys, 'cause he was acting real fucking different that night. I knew it wasn't just our match either. You texted him and he was over the fucking moon. I thought 'Cool, she's gonna get back together with him'. But no." Seth took a deep breath and continued. "So Jon tells me he's gonna try to move on. Awesome. Paige was cool, Mary. I liked her. Any idiot could see he didn't love her, though. Then, fucking out of the blue, he's back together with you and you're getting married. Roman didn't believe it, but I did. Confused the fuck out of me, but whatever. He was so fucking happy I didn't care. I never saw him that happy before, Mary. Not with matches, not with promos, nothing. You were it for him.

Christ, Mary, I was so glad to see that it was gonna work out. You had some bad times, but I knew you'd work it out. We all did. Then! Fucking, then, you get pregnant, and you fucking ask him for a divorce? Is this some sort of game to you? Do you not fucking see a pattern here, Mary? How the fuck are you gonna protect him? You've fucked with his head enough! I'm tired of seeing him get piss drunk and hiding from the world 'cause you get off on making him miserable!"

Mary sat there and listened to Seth's words. She was sobbing uncontroablly. The burden of her guilt was wearing her down. He was right, about all of couldn't do this to him anymore. To herself. None of it was worth it The pain, anguish and sadness. What did it accomplish? Absolutely nothing She thought by pushing him away she was protecting him, but she was just making things worse. She was killing him.

She let out a shaky sigh, ' You're wrong, ya know? I love Jon. I love him so fucking much. He's the only man I have ever loved. How fucking dare you accuse me of not loving him? He's all I ever wanted and needed. I love him.' She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes, 'Ya wanna know why I left him, Seth? I have this condition. I thought it was impossible to have children. ' She scoffed, 'I'll spare you the fucking details. It's my problem, not yours. They told me if I chose to go through with this pregnancy there's a seventy five percent chance either I or the baby won't make it.' She shook her head sadly, 'I knew he would choose me. I know he would. I left to give our child a chance. I couldn't have him make that choice. I caused him enough pain. Just like I'm doing now.' She covered her mouth and sobbed into the phone, 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Seth. I love him. I love him so much.'

Seth sat on the edge of the guest bed and stared at the wall in shock. "Holy shit. Mary. Mary, you can't...you can't make that decision for him! This is gonna kill him. He won't be able to handle this. You've gotta talk to him. Fuck it, I'm gonna wake him up."

Mary gasped, 'No...please...don't, Seth. Please. You can't do this.'

Seth snorted. "The fuck I can't. I'm not keeping this from my best friend. I'd want to know, Mary, and he deserves to know. This isn't your call."

Mary's heart was pounding in her chest and the baby was kicking wildy, causing her to double over in pain. She clutched at her stomach, coaxing their son to settle down. But as long as she was upset he was going to be. 'Seth, at least wait until tomorrow. He's had enough for one night.' She knew she sounded desperate, but she didn't care. She just didn't want him to know. He was never going to forgive him for this. She would rather he hate her for the wrong reasons than the right ones.

Seth clenched his jaw. "He does need his rest. But I'm telling him, Mary. No more games. No more hurting my friend. It's hurting you too, by the way. I see when you're together how happy you guys are. Don't push Jon away. He loves you." Seth sighed and shook his head. "Look, get some rest too. You've gotta take care of yourself and your baby. Just...no more of this goofy shit. I'll be in touch."

He hung up and shook his head. "Christ."

Mary was right; Jon needed his rest. But Seth also knew Mary tended to make rash decisions and he didn't want her running off before Jon could do something about it. He looked down and his phone and got an idea.

Ryan was still watching Jon when Seth hurried into the room. "Everything okay?"

"No." Seth started grabbing Jon's things - the guy was the messiest guy in the entire fucking locker room and his hotel room was no exception - and started packing his stuff. "It's going to be, though."

Roman and David came in, looking over Jon. "No one's out there. A couple guys heard stuff but we told them we were partying." Roman shrugged, then frowned as he watched Seth throw Jon's toothbrush and razor into a plastic bag. "What are you doing?"

"Packing. He's got a flight to catch." Seth threw his phone to his friend. "Do me a favor and book the earliest flight you can to Ohio. Jon's gonna go to his wife."

David raised an eyebrow. "Is he even aware of this plan?"

"I'll handle that." Seth started going through drawers, pulling out clothes and making piles. "Just make sure he gets some rest."

Jon woke from a deep slumber by being shaken roughly. He blearily opened his eyes to see Seth standing over him, holding his bags. "Time to get up."

"Up?" Jon grunted and looked at the clock. "The fuck. My flight's not til..."

"Fuck that flight, you're taking another one." Seth kicked the bed.

"Get up. Now."

Jon grunted again and got out of bed, wandering into the bathroom.

"Where's my shit?"

"It's packed. I got clothes out for you. Get dressed, we don't have all day."

"What are you, my fucking mom?" Jon snorted. "Like she gave a shit if

I had clothes."

"Whatever, man, just get fucking dressed." Seth pulled out his phone and showed it to Jon. "You got a new flight and we're getting there early so we have plenty of time. Hurry up."

"Do I have time to piss?" Jon snapped. "Or is that not allowed?"

"Take your piss and hurry up."

"You gonna time me?"

"I'm gonna beat the shit out of you if you don't hurry the fuck up."

Jon snorted and slammed the bathroom door shut. "Like you could."

Seth laughed. "Please. You and I both know I'd beat your ass."

Jon cackled. "Hilarious, man. Fucking hilarious."

Seth took a deep breath as his friend got ready. He sounded much better. Mary was right; he needed his rest. And he was gonna need a clear head for what Seth was gonna tell him.

They headed to the airport and Jon was quiet, staring out the window of the car. He asked why his flight was changed but Seth just told him that some things got sorted out. As soon as Jon got checked in, he saw he was going to Ohio. "Okay, what the fuck?"

Seth sighed. "You gotta see Mary, Jon."

Jon glared at his friend. "You know, just 'cause..."

"Mary has something she's gotta tell you."

Jon paused. "What are you saying?"

"I talked to Mary last night." Seth took a deep breath. "Look...I don't know the details, but she never thought she could get pregnant, and obviously she did. The thing is...it's put her in danger. The doctors...they told her she might not be able to...survive the pregnancy."

Jon's eyes grew wide. "What?"

Seth nodded. "Yeah. Apparently she didn't want you to...choose her over the baby. She's making the decision for you, man."

"No. No, no. That can't...no." Jon clenched his jaw. "No fucking way...NO."

"Right. So you gotta talk to her. She didn't want me to tell you, but fuck that. She's your wife, man, and it's your baby. You deserve to know." Seth grabbed Jon's shoulders and squeezed them. "You gotta talk to her."

Jon managed a nod and grabbed his bags. "Jesus...I don't... I can't..."

"Just get on the plane. I called your friend, Cody? He's gonna pick you up. It's all set." Seth grinned. "So go. C'mon."

Jon stared at him. "I'm...you did all this..."

Seth rolled his eyes. "Thank me later, go now!" He pointed at the gate and gave Jon a shove. "I'll talk to you later."

Jon nodded and turned to the gate, blinking back tears. It all made sense now...Mary pushing him away, not wanting him to see her...it all made sense.

She was preparing herself to die.

Mary was sitting on the couch reading yet another baby book that Kasey insisted she read. Kasey had gone to work and Cody said he had to run an errand, leaving her by herself. She was exhausted from the night before. Ever since she got off the phone with Seth all she could do was lie in her bed and cry. She cried not for herself, but for Jon and their son. They were the most precious things in the world for her. She would die for them and just very well might. She understood her decision, but no one else did. Even Cody and Kasey thought she was making a terrible mistake, but they loved and respected her enough to leave her alone. That still didn't stop them from interfering. They were the closest things to parents she ever had and never ceased to remind her of that fact. Deciding to stretch her legs, she slowly got up from the couch and groaned, stretching her back. She was growing bigger everyday. It was getting more and more difficult for her to walk. The doctor said it was due to her condition. The baby was striving to survive and her cervix was not as strong as any other typical woman. It strained her and drained her. But it was all worth it. She wanted her child to have a happy and fulfilling life. She wanted to give their child a chance. Their son deserved it. He didn't ask to brought into this world.

She walked out onto the porch to get some fresh air. She smiled as she saw. Cody's car get closer as he pulled into the driveway. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed he wasn't alone. Her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock when she saw who it was. She shook her head in disbelief. No, it couldn't be. Not here. Not now.

Jon was out of the car before it even came to a full stop. Mary stood there in shock, holding her stomach as he stomped toward her. He was so furious that he knew he was shaking. She hid all this stuff from him and hurt him, trying to push him away like she always did.

Mary cried out in pain and doubled over, and Jon's fury vanished and he ran to her. "Mary!" He held her and rubbed her back. "Mary, what's wrong?"

"Kicking me," she gasped, and winced. "Whenever...I'm upset, he...god, he kicks me so hard..."

Jon got to his knees and put his hand over her stomach. "Hey, hey. Calm down, son. Stop kicking your mom." He smiled and rubbed her belly soothingly. "Daddy's here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. It's okay."

All of the sudden the kicking stopped and they both looked at one another and started crying. She looked down at him and smiled through her tears. She could not believe he was here. He was going to ruin everything. All of it. He couldn't be here. She had to make him leave.

She sighed, 'Jon, why are you here? ' She gritted her teeth, steeling herself, 'I told you to stay away. Stay away.'

Jon looked up at her and shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not pushing me away anymore, Mary." He glanced at Cody, who nodded at him and grabbed his bags out of the trunk. "Let's go inside. We're gonna talk, you and me."

Mary sighed. "Jon, I don't want to do this. You need to go."

"We're going inside. Now. C'mon." He took her arm and led her back into the house, his grip firm but gentle. She led them into the room she was staying in, and he laid her down on the bed. Cody came in and dropped off Jon's bags and gave them a smile, then closed the door. They heard him start his car up and drove off. Jon and Mary were alone.

Jon pulled up a chair and leaned forward, looking at his wife. She looked exhausted, but beautiful. Her stomach had gotten much bigger, and she rested her hand on it, looking at him wearily.

"Seth told me everything. So I know. No more lying to me. I don't play games, Mary. Why did you keep this from me?"

Mary sat up in the bed, resting her back against the headboard. She looked over at him, silently studying him. He had grown a beard, indicating to her he hasn't shaved in a few days. He looked as if he had lost some weight, which meant he wasn't eating as he should. His eyes were bloodshot and he had heavy bags under them. He looked so broken. She had done this to him. She had deduced him to nothing just as she always does.

She shook her head sadly, 'Seth doesn't know what he's talking about, Jon.' She averted her eyes downward to her stomach, reminding herself why she was doing this, 'I told you I don't want you here. I want you to go.'

"No, you wanna die," Jon snapped. "You wanna give your life up for our baby. I'll bet you made this decision a long time ago. Am I right?"

Mary kept looking down at her stomach as tears fell from her eyes. She kept her hands upon her stomach. She couldn't look at him because if she did everything would collapse. She had to be strong. She had made her decision and she was going to stick by it. Even if it killed her...literally.

She looked up at him and gritted her teeth as she stared at him coldly, 'I told you I don't love you. I don't want...you. Get out. GET OUT!'

Jon put his hand over her stomach. "Cut that shit out. You're gonna upset our son." He kept his voice steady as he met her eyes, seeing the fear and love behind her angry gaze. He had to remain calm, for both of them. For all three of them. "I was looking at baby names on the flight. How about Jake, or Nicholas? And maybe his middle name can be William. Regal would love that." He grinned at her. "Better than Roderick, right? Although I still think that'd be a cool name."

Mary smiled through her tears. He was making this increasingly difficult to stay strong. The way he touched her stomach and looked at her with so much love and reverence. She thought she would never have love like this or be a mother.

She sighed shakily, 'Stop this, Jon. Please...' She bowed her head and sobbed softly, 'Just stop. I want you gone. Please...leave.' Her voice wasn't angry and it sounded half-hearted at best, but she still had to try. She had to.

Jon bit back a grin. He was wearing her down, he could tell. Shit, he knew once they were face to face that she wouldn't be able to keep this shit up. It's probably why she pushed him away in the first place.

"I really like those names," he murmured, gently stroking her belly. "They say you should test them out, though. So here goes." He cleared his throat. "'Jacob William Good, you were told to clean your room two days ago!'" Jon chuckled. "If he's as messy as me, we're gonna have to get used to saying that. Okay, how about the other one? 'Nicholas William Good, did you drink the last of the orange juice and put an empty carton back in the fridge?' Ugh, I hate that. He'd better not do that." Jon smiled at Mary and rubbed soothing circles on her. "Of course, we'd call him Jake, or Nick. Which one do you like better, little man?" He bent down and rested his head on her stomach. "You get a say in this. You like Nick, or Jake? Or something else?"

Mary was sobbing softly as she listened to his words. She looked down at his head upon her stomach and smiled sadly. She loved him so damn much. He is all she has ever wanted. Him and this baby. She wished things could be different. She wished she could be normal, that she grew up just like every other girl. Happy and carefree, unused and undamaged. She wished a lot of things.

She tentatively put her hand upon his head, softly stroking him, 'I made my decision, Jon. This is what I want. You're gonna have to let me...go.'

"My little boy," Jon murmured, kissing her stomach. "My baby. My son." He turned his head and smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her. "My beautiful wife. My baby girl. My love."

Mary's face crumpled into tears as he said the words she has been aching to hear from him ever she left him. She felt her defenses crumbling as she stared down at the man she has loved ever since she was a little girl.

She ran shaky hands through his hair, 'You're gonna have to let me go, Jon. You're gonna have to. You need to be strong for our son. He's gonna need you to be when I'm not around.'

Jon crawled up and lay gently on top of her, kissing her forehead. "You're gonna be just fine," he whispered. She began to protest, but he shook his head. "No more worrying. No more assuming the worst. You're gonna be fine." He kissed her neck and nuzzled into her. "I've missed you..."

Mary closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She stroked his back as tears fell from her eyes. He kept lightly kissing her neck as she gently pushed him away.

She shook her head, 'No, stop this. You're making this harder, Jon. It's not supposed to be. You need to get over me.' She took a deep breath, 'You need to find a good woman who will take care of you. Who will love our son the way he's supposed to be loved. I'll even help...you...find...someone.'

Jon shook his head and cupped her face in his hands. "No more talking. We talk later. Right now you kiss me. I've earned it." He grinned, and then gave her a serious look. "I'm the love of your life, and you're the love of mine. You got my baby growing in you. So you kiss me, because you love me and I'm your husband." He leaned close and pressed

his lips against hers, moaning softly at the contact.

Mary whimpered as his lips touched hers. She had been aching for his touch for months. Her raging hormones only intensified the need. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her deeply.

Before things could get out of hand, she put her hands upon his chest and tore her lips from his, gently pushing him away as she whispered, 'Stop. We can't do this, Jon. Not when I'm like...this.'

"We can," he murmured. "Been reading up on that too. I can be gentle, Mary." He rolled his hips against her. "Please, baby girl. We'll talk later, but now...god, I've missed you. We got the house to ourselves. I wanna make you feel good."

Mary shook her head and whimpered as she felt his hands gently rubbing her hips. She tightly closed her eyes as she became overwhelmed with sensations He always had the ability to bring her to her knees and always would.

She whispered raggedly, 'No...we can't. You're making this harder for us. Stop this.' She turned her head against the pillow and sobbed, 'Don't want you to see me like this.'

"You're so beautiful," he whispered. "So perfect." He stroked her hair and her stomach, and began rubbing her thighs. "I can make you feel so good, baby. Let me take care of you. Of us." Jon kissed her neck. "Let me love you." He gently ran his hands over her breasts, massaging her nipples through her shirt. "You're so perfect..." He began unbuttoning her shirt, kissing her skin as it was exposed. "So beautiful, Mary. Don't let yourself feel anything but this." He kissed her and smiled as he looked down at his wife, who was wiping her tears and watching him as he gazed at her. "My god, so beautiful...so perfect."

Mary looked up at him and gasped as she saw the love and adoration in his eyes as she stared down at her. Tears kept falling from her eyes, blurring her vision and she had to keep wiping them away. She felt so vulnerable, so weak and powerless under his scrutinizing gaze. She realized in that moment that it was okay to be that way because she was loved. Above everything else she was loved and he would protect her from everything. Even from herself.

She shook her head and gritted her teeth, 'I don't deserve you. You always say you don't but it's the other way around. I never deserved you. I was so cruel to you. I want you to hate me. It's what I deserve. Our child shouldn't have to die for my mistakes. For my past.'

"You have so much hate for yourself." Jon caressed her cheek and stroked her hair. "It hurts everyone. Me, our baby, our friends...but most importantly, you. It hurts you." He gently rubbed her legs and smiled. "We're gonna work on that, baby. You're gonna see. I swear it." Jon leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Let me love you. I want you to feel how much I love you."

Mary shook her head and gritted her teeth as tears fell from her eyes, 'This is my body...not yours. Mine...I belong to me. Everyone tries to tell me what to do with my body.'

Jon nodded and sat back. "You're right. I shouldn't try to rush this. I missed you, though." He smiled and covered her up with the bedsheet. "You're damn beautiful. Those pictures didn't do you justice. I got some pictures I wanna show you too. As you know I've been really fucked up, but one night Seth and Punk barged into my room and basically forced me to hang out with them. We watched RoadHouse and those guys tried to reenact the scene where he ripped that dude's throat out. It was hilarious. Jon reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his pictures. "Take a look. The sick thing was that the two of them kept yelling that fucked up line, 'I used to fuck guys like you in prison', over and over, and in all these weird voices, and, uh, we got noise complaints." Jon giggled and showed her a picture of Punk grabbing at Seth's throat. "It was stupid as shit, but it was funny."

Mary looked at the pictures, small smile forming on her face despite herself. She still couldn't believe he was here. After everything she had said and done to she could not believe he has not given up on her. It would have been what she deserved. She knew right then and there that he loved her.

She rested her hand upon her belly and sighed, 'Why are you here, Jon?' She shook her head, 'The things I said and did. Why?'

He sighed and set the phone down, laying on his side so he could look her in the eye. "You know, for a while there, I really thought you didn't love me. That you never did. But I remembered all those times you pushed me away, and all the times you proved that you loved me. So I stopped believing it, 'cause I realized that you tend to get full of shit when you're scared and upset." Jon laughed at her irritated scowl. "It's true, baby girl. And when Seth told me..." Jon took a deep breath. "It all made sense. You're not pushing me away. Not anymore. We can talk now if you want, but I think you need to relax." He smiled and stroked her hair. "You wanna get some sleep?"

Mary narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest, 'Seth had no right to tell you that, Jon. It was my decision.' She sighed, 'But since you're here we mine as well talk. But after that you're staying in another room. I want my space and you're gonna have to accept that.'

"That's fine. For the record, Kasey has your wallet. They're locking up their wallets and mine as well as their car keys, so you can't go around calling a cab and flying to who knows where." Jon shrugged at her incredulous look. "They're just as tired as I am, Mary. We're gonna handle this together. And you know Seth was just doing the right thing. I'd do the same for him." He shook his head and frowned. "I hated facing him after last night. Felt like a fucking idiot. Never wanted him to see me like that."

Mary could not believe what they were doing. They were treating her as if she were a child. She was sick and tired of it all.

She slowly got up from the bed, which was considerably harder than it used to be and looked at him, scoffing, 'I'm not a child, Jon. I told you to stay away. You can't do this to me. You can't. I'll just walk out of here right now. I'm sorry that your friends had to see you like that, but ya gotta stop that shit. When I say I don't want you I mean it. What are ya gonna do when I die, huh? Are you gonna let our son see you like that?'

Jon sighed. "Ever consider that you've been _acting _like a child? Running away like this? Also, you're so convinced you're gonna die. Guess what? We're gonna take you to the best doctors on the planet. We're gonna make sure the both of you will be okay."

Mary shook her head and said in an adamant tone, 'No, I've been to the best' She bowed her head, 'David had me meet with some of his colleagues. Some of the best doctors in the world and they all said the same thing, Jon. Why are you doing this? Just sign the divorce papers and go back to fucking your rats.' She knew by the look in his eyes she hit a nerve, 'What? It's the truth, isn't it? As soon as I leave you have your dick in some skank before the dust even settles. We've been apart for almost three months. How many women did you fuck in that time, huh?'

Jon stood up and walked up to her, lowering his head to stare in her eyes. "None. I haven't done anything with anybody, Mary."

Mary gritted her teeth and looked up at him with tears in her eyes, 'Liar. You're a liar. That's what you do. That's what you always do. '

He shook his head. "No. Not lying. Haven't been with anyone since that night we were together after Hall of Fame." Jon smirked at her look of disbelief. "I can go a few months without sex, Mary."

Mary took a few steps back from him and shook her head, 'Stop. You're lying It's different for guys. You said that. I know you fucked other women. That's what you do.'

She didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself at this point. She was looking for any reason to hate him. Any reason to push him away, but he was making it increasingly difficult.

"Those other times when we were broken up, yeah. But not this time. I wasn't gonna fuck around when my wife was pregnant with my baby." He crossed his arms and stared her her down. "I've been avoiding everybody. I wasn't kidding when I said my friends had to force me to spend time with them."

Mary ran her hands through her hair and sighed, 'Ya gotta stop this, Jon. This...obsession has gotta stop. You have to stop thinking you're gonna die without me. I'm not...Olivia, Jon.'

He glared at her. "I know that! Jesus. And I'm not obsessed with you, I'm in love with you. Stop trying to make me into the bad guy here."

Mary sighed and scoffed, 'I'm not making you into the bad guy, Jon. Ya want the truth so I'm giving it to you. Ya have to stop falling apart if I leave you. Have you even tried to love someone else. Have you?'

"Sure. Didn't go over very well." He snorted. "I could ask you the same thing."

Mary snorted, putting her hands on her hips, 'We're not talking about me, Jon. Seth told me everything. About him trying to set you up with women and ya wouldn't do it. About Paige. How the hell can ya try to love someone if you avoid them?' She scoffed, 'And for the record, I did love David.'

Jon rolled his eyes. "I didn't avoid her the whole time. We had some fun. Plus you can't force anything, which is why I wasn't interested in being set up. And sure, you loved David, but you weren't in love with him." He smirked. "I could tell that at your engagement party, baby girl."

Mary took a step back from him and bowed her head, 'You don't know that, Jon. I was engaged to him. Ya don't know that.'

"Please. The way you looked at him...I could tell you cared about him. That you loved him. But when you were with me in that garden, the way you looked at me..." Jon grinned. "I knew, baby."

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'I was caught up in the past. I was scared. That's all it was, Jon. I was grasping onto that love I had for you when I was a...kid.'

He scoffed. He could see exactly what she was doing. "So you were holding onto that love that night when you came to my room and took off your engagement ring?"

Mary closed her eyes and sighed shakily. She couldn't do this anymore. He was wearing her down little by little. She could feel the walls crumbling and she hated herself for it. He was ruining everything.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, 'I just wanted to give you something to remember us by. That's all it was. It didn't mean...anything.' She didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself at this point.

Jon nodded, pretending to consider this. "So when you called me to tell me that you broke off your engagement and my girlfriend answered the phone, you were fine with that?"

Mary kept her head bowed, refusing to look at him or he would see the tears in her eyes. He would look into her eyes and see the love she still had for him, would always have. She placed her hands upon her stomch and rubbed it soothingly, reminding herself why she was doing this, 'If it made you happy...yes. Ya should have stuck it out with her, Jon. I met her backstage. She was nice and really good with Kyle. She would be a great...mom. She would be good to you both'

"Uh huh. Tell that to Wade. They've been together since she and I broke up. They're already talking about places to go for honeymoon. No plans for kids." Jon crossed his arms and sighed. "And yeah, I had fun with her, but I wasn't in love. You know that." He raised an eyebrow. "So...how about when I took you home from the airport, after I fucked up and showed up way late? You remember that night? You wore my shirt to bed." He grinned. "It let me know how much you loved me."

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'I was just having fun. Ya gave that shirt to me when we were young. I thought you would get a kick out of it. Remembering the old days.' She let out an exasperated sigh, 'That's all it ever was, Jon. I was living in a fantasy.'

His lips quirked up. "Was proposing to me part of the fantasy? And giving me our rings?"

Mary lifted up her head and her lips quivered as she shook her head, 'Stop..just...stop.' She gasped as their baby kicked inside of her and she clutched her stomach, 'Just get out of here. Leave me alone.'

"If I leave, he's not gonna stop kicking you," Jon stated, pointing at her stomach. "He's telling you something, Mary. And I'm not done. Our wedding. Our vows. All those times we made love and you told me how much you loved me. I could feel it. I still can."

Mary shook her head and took a few steps back from him, ' You're crazy, Jon Just leave. I don't want you here. Get that through your head.' She gritted her teeth and walked over to him and grasped his shoulders to shake him, 'Get it through your head. I don't love you! I don't love you!'

Jon gritted his teeth. It was obvious she was cracking, but apparently she wasn't going to be reasonable. So if he had to get her to open her eyes in an unpleasant way, so be it. It was cruel, but shit, Mary had been cruel enough to him, so it was time for her to realize that she was trying to destroy them both. Hell, all three of them.

He narrowed his eyes at her and gave her a wicked smile. "So I guess you won't mind if I tell you about the fun I had with Paige, huh? I mean, sure, we'd watch movies, hang out with friends...but we fell into bed pretty quickly. She loved to ride me, you know that? She liked being in control. Although she did accuse me of fucking too hard. She couldn't handle me. Not like you. But yeah, she liked to fuck, and she liked being held afterwards. Paige wasn't like the rats. She actually cared about me. Didn't love me, but she cared about me. And she loved having me inside her."

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped. She closed her eyes upon hearing his words. She couldn't bear the thought of him with anyone else.

Her face crumpled and every single one of her defenses crumbled at that moment. She clutched at his shirt and rested her head in the crook of his neck as she sobbed softly, 'Stop. I don't wanna hear that. Please stop. I love you so much. So much. God, I'm sorry. Just please stop. Please.'

He held her tight, burying his face in her hair. "I love you too. God, I love you. Love you forever. I'm sorry, baby girl, but you had to see." Jon sighed shakily as his wife cried. "Shh, now. It's okay. We're gonna be okay, baby, I promise. I love you so much. It's you and me, baby girl. Jon and Mary. Forever. Always."

Mary clutched at his shirt tighter and nuzzled his neck as she sobbed, 'I'm so sorry. I love you. I do. I lied about all of it. Please. Don't tell me about her. I love you. Please believe that. I'm sorry.'

"I know. I know it, Mary." Jon sighed and stroked her back. "Come back to bed. I want you to rest, baby. I'll take my stuff out of your room, but I wanna hold you for a while. Is that okay?"

Mary nodded her head, 'Yeah, Jon. Ya can take me to bed, but I don't wanna rest. I need you. It's been so long. I missed you...please.' She nuzzled into his neck and lightly kissed his pulse point, 'Please..'

He cupped her face in his hands. "Are you sure? We don't have to...I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you don't wanna do."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I want you. Need you...always. If you don't want to I understand...I do.'

Jon silenced her by kissing her deeply, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm always going to want you," he whispered. "Always. I love you so much, Mary."

Mary moaned into his kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, 'Make love to me, Jon. Please, God just touch me. Need you so bad.'

"Need you too." Jon led her to bed and gently laid her down. "Missed you, baby." He started undressing and smiled at her. "You're so beautiful, you know that? It's incredible how goddamn beautiful you are."

Mary ducked her head shyly and scoffed, 'Don't think so at the moment, but I appreciate you saying that.'

"It's the truth. I'm no liar, baby girl." Jon crawled into bed and lay next to her, reaching up to caress her face. "So beautiful. You never needed makeup or anything like that. You're gorgeous. You always were. Always will be." He reached down and pushed away her shirt, which was still unbuttoned from earlier. "I'm gonna take care of you."

He finished undressing her and got on top of her, resting himself on his arms and gazing down at her. Mary took a deep breath and took one of his hands and laid it on her stomach. Jon nuzzled at her neck and smiled into her skin.

"He's not kicking," Mary whispered. "But you might feel him move...hope that doesn't bother you."

Jon chuckled and rubbed her stomach. "Not at all. Told you I read up on this, remember?" He paused. "And your doctor said it was okay?"

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears, 'Yeah, the doctor said it was fine.' She wrapped her arms around his neck and trailed kisses along his neck and jaw and whispered in his ear, 'Although I read it's more comfortable if I'm on top. Are you okay with that? Will you let me love you, baby?'

"Of course." He grinned, stroking her hair. "I love you so much." Jon leaned close and kissed her, stroking her hair, then laid down and pulled her on top of him, gazing up at her lovingly. "My beautiful wife."

Mary stroked the sides of his face and returned his smile, 'I love you too. Now let me so you how much.' She slowly crawled down his body and quickly unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. His lifted his hips up and helped her pull his jeans down along with his boxers. She was so desperate to feel him she didn't even finish undressing him.

She took him in her hands and slowly began to stroke him. He was soft in her hands, but the more she moved her hands, the harder he became. She looked up at him and tears formed within her eyes as he gazed down at her adoringly. She never took her eyes off him as she put her mouth upon and lovingly kissed the tip of him.

She released him from her mouth and smiled, 'That feel good, my baby?'

"God yes." He moaned as she licked and sucked at him, shivering at the feel of her tongue on him. "Love that mouth of yours, baby girl."

Mary continued working her mouth on him. She slowly swirled her tongue around him and stroked him gently, wanting to savor the taste of him. She reached her hands up and grabbed his own, interlocking their fingers together as she moved her head up and down. She kept her eyes upon and smiled around him as she watched his head thrash from side to side. He moaned her name over and over like a prayer. She realized in that moment this was love. This was real. She was a fool to think she could walk away from this. Away from him.

"God...Mary...Mary..." Jon shivered as she sucked him down. "God, I love you...please, baby girl...I wanna touch you. Been so long..."

Mary reluctantly released him from her mouth and crawled up to sit on top of him. She reached under his shirt and touched his skin, moaning at the feel of him. She always loved the feel of his skin. He was also so hot to the touch, scorching her up and burning her alive.

She leaned down and gave him open mouth kisses upon his neck as she whispered raggedly, 'Please, honey. Touch me. I want that. Love you so much. Please.'

Jon reached down and slipped his hand between her legs, caressing her entrance. She was already wet, and he carefully slipped two fingers inside her, groaning at the sensation. "So perfect. Missed touching you, baby. You're so damn perfect."

Mary groaned softly as she felt his fingers penetrate her. She closed her eyes and slowly moved herself upon his fingers. She was extra sensitive due to her pregnancy and she was overwhelmed with the sensations.

She gasped when she felt their baby move inside her. She took his hand and placed it upon her stomach as she smiled through her tears, 'Feel that? That's our love, baby.'

Jon rubbed her stomach and smiled, tears forming in his eyes. "He is."

Mary smiled and then gasped when Jon inserted another finger, stroking her inner walls carefully. "That feels so good, baby."

Jon gazed up at her and kept moving his fingers inside her. "Let me know when you're ready for me, baby girl. You got me so hard. I've missed you...missed us."

Mary bit her lip and gasped as she felt his fingers move inside her.

She held his face in her hands and nodded, smiling, 'I'm ready. Please. I love you so much. I need you now.'

Jon pulled his hand away and held onto her hips. "I'm so in love with you, Mary. I want you. Wanna feel you."

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears. She gently grasped his cock and ever so slowly she inched herself down upon him. They both softly groaned at the feel of each other. She placed her hands upon his chest and slowly grinded herself upon him.

She whimpered and tugged at his shirt, 'Take this off. Wanna feel my husband's beautiful skin on mine.'

Jon pulled his shirt off and threw it aside, reaching up to gingerly run his fingertips over her breasts. He knew she would be sensitive from her pregnancy and he couldn't suck at them like he was used to, but he wanted to show her that he still saw her as sexy. Plus she always loved it when he touched and licked at her breasts during sex.

"Is this okay?" he whispered. "You feel so good...so wet for me."

Mary ran her hands down his chest, caressing and stroking him. She nodded and smiled, 'Yeah, it's fine. Just a little sensitive. Come on up here, baby. I wanna hold you. Wanna love you.'

Jon grinned and sat up, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder. "You feel amazing. You're so beautiful." He shivered as she grinded against him. "I love you, Mary."

Mary held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his as she slowly grinded herself against. She moved upon him slowly, wanting to revel in the feeling of having him inside her again.

She gasped aloud as she felt their child stir inside her once again. She took his hands and placed them upon her stomach, 'Feel that sweetheart. That's your son. He loves you so much already. Just like I do. I told him all about you. How wonderful. How amazing you are and how much you love him.' Tears filled her eyes as she smiled, 'I love you so much. I am so honored to be the mother of your child.'

Jon covered her face in kisses, tears welling up in his eyes. "I love you both so much. I'm gonna take care of the both of you." He stroked her hair as she continued to move on top of him and sighed in her hair. "I hope you've been telling our baby how amazing you are. How you inspire me to be a better man."

Mary kissed him as tears fell from her eyes. She stroked his face and smiled through her tears, 'You are a good man, baby. You are. You always have been. You're gonna take such good care of us. I know you are. Cause I love you. ' She kissed his face as she whispered, 'I love you. I love you.' She kept repeating the words over and over again until he wrapped his arms around her and was softly sobbing into her neck.

She continued to slowly move on top of him as she stroked his back and hair as she whispered soothingly, 'It's okay, baby. Don't cry. I'm here. I'm not running anymore. I swear to you.'

"Not gonna let you run away," he whispered. "I love you so much...I need you, Mary." Jon nuzzled against her shoulder and moaned. "Need you and love you."

Mary whimpered and moaned as she held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his own, 'I'm not gonna run away. Never again. I need you in my life. I'm lost without you. Love you so much. So much, darling.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'You're so beautiful. So strong. Such a good man. Our baby has such a good man as his father.'

"I love you so much." He kissed her deeply and sighed into her mouth, then gently broke away and caressed her face. "You feeling okay, baby? I'm loving being inside you...missed being inside you."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'I'm okay, baby. I love the feel of you. You feel so good.' She gasped and chuckled softly, 'I think your son wants to make his presence known.' She took his hand and rested upon her belly once again, 'Feel that, sweetheart. We make such beautiful love you and I.'

"We do," he murmured, rubbing her stomach. "He's gonna be so beautiful, Mary. God, I hope he looks like you." Jon chuckled and kissed her neck. "He's gonna have to get used to the sound of me loving you." Jon placed a hand on Mary's lower back, steadying her. "Might not last too long, baby. I've been thinking about this for so long. Missed you so much."

Mary nodded and cupped the back of his head, 'Me too. God, I missed you. Missed this.' She kissed him deeply and whimpered into his mouth as she felt her orgasm slowly creeping upon her. Her movements became erratic and less organized as she began shaking, 'I coming, Jon. Oh God, feels so good...so good.'

Jon whimpered into her shoulder and began shaking as he climaxed with her, gasping out her name as he spilled into her. He held onto her and tried to regain his breath as they recovered, whispering each other's names.

"I've missed you," he murmured. "Love you so much, Mary."

Mary ran her hands through his head and nuzzled into his neck, 'I missed you too. So much. I love you, Jon. I really really do and I'm sorry if I hurt you.' She wrapped her arms tightly around him, 'I'm sorry. I won't ever run away from you again. I know I said that in the past, but I won't. I want us to be a family, like we always wanted. Jon and Mary and...'She grinned, whispering, 'Nicholas...forever.'

Jon grinned and placed his hand on her stomach. "Nicholas, huh? It's official?" He rubbed his hand in soothing circles and rested his head on her shoulder, looking down at her belly. "That okay with you, little man?"

Mary laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes when she felt him move against his hand, 'I think he likes the name.' She placed her hand over his that was upon her stomach and smiled through her tears, 'Nicholas William Good.'

"I love it." Jon kissed her neck. "I love him. I love you." He gently lifted her up and laid her down on the bed, draping his arm protectively over her stomach. "When's your due date, baby girl?"

Mary placed her hand over her belly and rubbed it soothingly, 'October first.' She grinned, 'He was conceived on New Years Eve. Remember that night on the roof of my apartment building?'

"Of course." Jon leaned down and kissed her belly. "So we're gonna make sure Halloween's extra fun for you, little guy. Maybe we'll make it like a second birthday." He cuddled closer to his wife and sighed as she stroked his hair. "You sure it's okay if I stay in the same room as you? I don't want you to feel...uncomfortable."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'No, it's okay. I want you here. I'm tired of sleeping alone.'She continued stroking his hair as she sighed and blinked away tears, 'Now that you're here, Jon. I want you to promise me something, okay?'

He smiled and nodded, stroking her face, 'Anything, baby girl.'

She kept her eyes on her stomach as she said, 'If it comes down to choosing him or me. I want you to choose him. Promise me that, okay?'

Jon sighed. "I don't want to hear you talking like that, Mary. It's only gonna get all of us upset. I'm not taking David's word on this, okay? We're gonna find more doctors. It's not over."

Mary nodded. He was right. It would only get them upset. Besides, she was too tired to fight it too. Right now here in this moment she just wanted to be happy with her family. Just as she always dreamed.

'I had another ultrasound yesterday. You can see his face. Ya wanna see the pictures?'

Jon sat up and stared at her, blinking back tears. "His face? We can see our son's face?" He laughed and held his hand to his forehead. "My god...yes! Does he...does he look like you?"

Mary reached over her nightstand and picked up a manila envelope. She took out the photos and handed them to him. She ducked her head shyly, 'Kasey was telling me he looks a lot like you.' She smiled through her tears, 'I agree.' She stroked the side of his face, 'Our son is gonna be so handsome. Just like his father.'

Jon stared at the photos in shock, his hands shaking slightly as he looked at the pictures of their baby. The ultrasound picture he got was grainy and you couldn't see much, but this was so much different. He could see his son's face like it was a real picture. As far as looking like him, Jon wasn't sure, but he was beautiful. So beautiful.

He clasped his hand over his mouth and began sobbing. Never in his life did he really think they'd get to have a baby. Once he realized she couldn't get pregnant, Jon had hoped that adoption would work out, but they were turned down, rejected. The story of their lives. But then this miracle happened, and they were going to have a son. A family. He was going to be the father he never got to have for himself.

Mary started sobbing softly as she watched him look at the photos of their son. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her chest. She soothingly stroked his hair and back, letting him cry.

She kissed his head, whispering, 'He's so beautiful, isn't he? Just like his father.'

Jon couldn't speak. He held onto her and let her soothe him, the stress of the night before and the exhaustion of lovemaking taking its toll. He shivered slightly as she pulled the sheets over them, still holding him close.

"Promise you, Mary," he murmured before succumbing to sleep. "Promise you I'll take care of you both. Gonna give him a good life. Gonna make sure you're happy...every day..." Jon closed his eyes and dozed off, his palm on his wife's stomach, feeling his son nudge against his hand.

As Mary lie there holding her husband. She smiled softly, looking down at him. His arm was resting protectively on her stomach and his head was upon her chest. He had such a small smile upon his face. He looked so content. So happy. Before he came here, she felt so sad and scared and alone. They he showed up and forced her to confront her fears and made her realize what she had in her life. She had family, friends and most importantly love. For the first time since she discovered she was pregnant she truly believed everything might work out alright. She laid her head upon his and tightly wrapped her

arms around. Feeling safe, loved and most importantly...worthy.

Jon woke up a few hours later, still wrapped up around his wife. He smiled and stroked her hair, then moved his hand down to rub her stomach. She'd been so worked up, so convinced that their miracle would end in tragedy, and as always, had pushed him away out of fear. She was always so damn stubborn.

Mary sighed in her sleep and Jon kissed her forehead, gently smoothing a few locks of hair out of her face. What she needed was rest and peace. Hell, they both did. If he hadn't been able to make it here...

He got out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake her, and peeked through the blinds. Cody's car was in the driveway, and so was Kasey's. They must have gotten in and made sure not to disturb the two of them. Jon shook his head. How the hell did he get such great friends? Between Cody, and Kasey, and Seth...

Jon winced as he realized that he never called his friend back to thank him for setting all this up. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and snuck into the bathroom, closing the door behind him so his wife could continue sleeping. Sure enough, he had a ton of voicemails and text messages from a number of people, but most were from his best friend. He grinned and texted Seth, asking if he could talk, and got a call almost immediately.

"Hey, man. I guess you made it there okay? How is everything?"

Jon beamed and sat on the edge of the tub. "Everything's great. She's doing a lot better...so am I." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know, I can't thank you enough."

Seth scoffed. "You'd do the same for me. Don't worry about it."

"I just..." Jon stared at the floor, remembering all the things his friends went through with him last night in the hotel room. "I wanna apologize for the way I acted last night...I know that wasn't easy for you guys...for you."

He could almost hear Seth shrug. "We all have our bad days, man."

"How did you find out about Mary, though?"

Seth paused. "I talked with her after you went to sleep. She told me everything." He cleared his throat. "So she's doing okay?"

"Yeah. She'll be fine." Jon peeked his head out of the bathroom and laughed when he saw Mary staring at him with a puzzled look. "Actually, she's up now."

"Who is that?" Mary asked, sitting up and yawning.

"Seth. He wants to know if you're okay."

She smiled lazily. "I'm better...now." Mary gave her husband an almost sheepish grin. "Can I talk to him?"

"Mary wants to talk to you." Jon walked back into the bedroom and crawled into bed. "Is that okay?"

"Um..." Seth seemed oddly hesitant. "You know what? Sure. Yeah. Is she, uh, mad?"

Jon chuckled. "Why would she be mad? No, she's fine. Hold on a sec." He handed his wife the phone and kissed her forehead, settling next to her and rubbing her stomach.

Mary took a few deep breaths, gathering her courage before she spoke to him She knew what he must think about her. He must think she is the scum of the Earth and she didn't blame him. She had hurt his best friend after all. 'Seth, hi...how are you?' She took a deep breath, bracing herself for his answer.

Seth took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm...fine, Mary. How are you? You're the one everyone's been worrying about. Well, you and your husband. But he sounds good. How are you doing?"

Mary sighed shakily, 'Look, I wanna apologize to you for the way I acted.' She took Jon's hand and smiled softly at him, 'To Jon especially. It was selfish of me to put you through all that.'

Seth closed his eyes and shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble, especially since she and Jon seemed a lot calmer and happier than they had even just hours before, but he was still uneasy with the whole thing. Mary was content to keep Jon away, even though she was pregnant with his baby and thought she was going to die

from it. It had almost killed Jon...literally. That night was one of the worst of Seth's life.

"Seth?" Mary sounded scared. "Are you still there?"

He wanted so badly to describe what had happened to Mary. She had heard, but didn't see. She didn't see how he lunged for something to cut himself open with, how he'd hurt himself and had to be pinned so he wouldn't keep throwing himself around the room. If Seth hadn't been there...

"Seth?" Mary's voice was a whisper. "Did you hang up?"

"Please put Jon back on, Mary," Seth muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm glad you're feeling better. It's good for you and Jon and the baby. Congratulations." His free hand balled into a fist as he waited to talk to his friend again.

Seth sighed into the phone and forced a smile on his face, 'Hey, man. How ya feeling?

"Doing great. Thanks to you." Jon bowed his head and smiled shyly. "I fucking owe you one."

"No problem." Seth's tone shifted, sounding more serious. "So, Jon, I'm glad you're there. Maybe you and I can talk in a couple of days? When things calm down, I mean."

"Sure, yeah, I'll keep you updated." Jon beamed. "We picked a name. Nicholas William Good."

"William? After Regal? Holy shit, he's gonna love that." Seth chuckled. "Congratulations, man."

"It's fucking amazing, you know? And yeah. Mary showed me pictures...you can see his face." Jon coughed, not wanting to get all choked up again. "He's beautiful."

"I'll bet. But, uh, yeah, let's talk later. Just rest up now, okay? The two of you. All three of you. Take it easy."

"Definitely. Thanks again, man." Jon hung up and set the phone down with a grin. He was gonna have to find a way to make it up to Seth. But he was right, first they needed to rest up. All of that could wait.

Jon snuggled up to his wife and kissed her, laughing at her somewhat worried expression. "What's wrong, baby? Was I not supposed to tell him about the name? Couldn't help it. I'm fucking excited, you know?"

Mary cupped his cheek and smiled softly, 'I know, baby. So am I. But I'm just worried about...Seth.'She scoffed, 'I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm some evil manipulative bitch.'

Jon snorted. "Why would he think that? Stop being paranoid." He kissed her and pulled her close. "No worrying, remember? Seth says we should rest up and I agree. We can start planning stuff tomorrow." He paused and rubbed her arm. "You hungry? I can get you something from the kitchen."

Mary shook her head, a small smile forming on her face, 'No, thank you.' Wanting change the subject, she asked him, 'How did you get time off anyway?'

She sat there and could not help but feel guilty about what she had done. She could hear the tension and weariness in Seth's voice. He didn't trust her and for good reason. It was not as if she had given him many reasons to trust her. He had already witnessed firsthand the pain and anguish she had caused his best friend.

"I'd already asked for time off...I wasn't doing too well. I shot a few promos saying that I wasn't being treated well as a champion and I was taking time off until I got the respect I deserved. They're gonna start showing them next week." Jon patted her leg. "I can come back whenever, but I wanna have some time with you and Nick before I do that." He paused. "That's okay, right?"

Mary nodded, a small smile forming on her face, 'That's fine, Of course.' She sighed, shaking her head, 'Jon, I wanna say sorry for everything I put you through these last three months. Trying to keep you from our son.' She winced, feeling embarrassed, 'That was really a shitty thing for me to do.'

He sat up and sighed deeply. These past few months had been hell on earth for him. The divorce papers and the ultrasound had really set him over the edge.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Jon murmured.

Mary heaved a laborious sigh and shook her head sadly, 'Cause I was scared that you would tell me to get rid of...him.' She placed her hands protectively on her belly,'I knew you would choose me and I didn't want to lose him.'

Jon crossed his arms. "We could have gone over all this together. I had no idea you were in danger. I could have helped you." He clenched his jaw. "I never would have found out if Seth hadn't told me, would I?"

Mary bowed her head and sighed deeply, 'Honestly...no.' She covered her face with her hands in shame, 'God, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have told you. If something happened I didn't want you to see me like...that. I wanted you to remember me the way I was. Not...' She shook her head.

She couldn't even continue she was so ashamed and guilt ridden. Her selfishness and self-hatred has cause so much irreparable damage. Her foolish actions have caused so much anguish and strife not just on them, but everyone around them.

Jon got up and looked out the window. He was so furious he couldn't even speak.

Just then his phone buzzed and he looked at it and sighed. "Seth just texted me. He wants to talk, says he can't wait anymore." Jon noticed the look on his wife's face and narrowed his eyes. "What's going on with the two of you? What else did you talk about when I was sleeping?"

Mary cringed just thinking about their conversation, 'He told me what happened to you in the hotel room. That you tried to...kill yourself because of me. He said that all I do is cause you pain.' She sighed shakily, 'He told me how you would get drunk all the time and how...miserable I made you.' She scoffed and wiped the tears from his eyes, 'Shit. He's right. All I've ever done in our relationship is cause you pain. If Seth wasn't there that night you would have...you would..' She shook her head. She couldn't even say it.

"Christ. What a fucking mess." Jon wiped at his face and groaned. "Well, shit. You've seen me like that before, so you know how I'm not exactly in my right mind, and...fuck, why am I even getting into this shit? Fuck." Jon sat on the bed and stared down at his phone. "So now my wife and my best friend hate each other and you both think I'm a total fucking nutjob." He shook his head. "No. You know, it hasn't all been shit, Mary. You gotta stop focusing on the negative crap. So do I. Fuck it." Jon turned to his wife and held out his phone. "Maybe I'll call him and have you talk to him. I don't want shit between you two."

Mary shook her head, 'I don't think you're a nutjob, Jon. But I do know that he's right about all of it. If I just behaved like an irrational adult and come to you and talked about it none of this would have happened. I hurt you deliberately and it isn't fair to you.' She scoffed, 'I really don't know how you put up with me all these years. I really don't. You should have dropped me a long fucking time ago. He thinks I don't deserve you and deep down you know that I'm right.'

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Jon groaned and shook his head. "Fuck this. Guess what? I'm gonna call him and put him on speaker. I'm over all this self-pitying shit and talking behind people's backs and all that other shit. We're getting this shit out now 'cause I'm not going over all this again ever."

Jon listened as Seth's phone rang and settled next to Mary, putting an arm around her. He didn't want her to feel ganged up on, but he didn't want her thinking this shit was just gonna go away.

Seth picked up and Jon sighed. "Hey, man. We gotta talk."

"Yeah." Seth cleared his throat. "Look...I know things are rough, but uh, I talked to Mary last night and it got kinda ugly."

"I know. She told me."

Seth got quiet. "So you're calling to tell me to go fuck myself, is that it, Jon?"

Jon smiled grimly. "No, I'm calling to get all this out and settle this shit. I got you on speaker."

"Sneaky bastard." Seth sounded almost amused, then sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll say it. I told her...Mary, I told you that I was tired of seeing you fuck with my friend and I stand by that. Yell all you want."

Tears filled Mary's eyes at the anger in Seth's words, but she was understanding of it. He had every right to be angry. If someone was hurting Kat she would react in the same way. She didn't blame him for hating her. She hated herself for all the pain she put all them through.

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'I'm not going to yell, Seth. You have every right to be angry. Every right. What I did to Jon was wrong and I'm sorry. So sorry for all the shit I put you all through. I really want you to know that. I feel so fucking guilty for what I've done. I really do.'

She kept her eyes downward, she was so ashamed of herself she could barely look at Jon. Shit, she had a difficult time looking at herself anymore.

Jon raised an eyebrow at the phone. "Seth? You there?"

"I'm here. Just not sure what to say." His tone was even and removed. "It wasn't just last night, even though that was fucking horrible. You've been miserable since I met you, Jon. I'm not gonna be an asshole and say you two shouldn't be together, but you keep goddamn hurting each other and it's really fucked up."

Jon gripped the phone tight and narrowed his eyes. "'Fucked up', huh? Is that what you just fucking said?"

"That's what I said. What would you call it, man? You finally get married after all that shit and break up, which made no sense to anybody by the way, but none of my business, right? I can fucking tell you wanna say that. Well that shit becomes my business when I see how goddamn miserable my friend is, and how it's obvious he's not gonna be able to move on. I told Ryan you weren't gonna go for Clara, but he didn't listen 'cause he never does, and Roman said if you didn't go for that you were gay, but I fucking know you."

"No shit." Jon laughed despite himself. "Yeah, well..."

"Yeah, you're in love with your wife. Duh. You guys were happy as hell when you got your shit together. I gotta tell you, Mary, when I found out you were leaving Jon I was pissed as shit. I knew you loved him but you fed him a bunch of bullshit. Mary, did it help to cut him out of your life? You gotta cut this shit out. What happens when you have another fight, you gonna take his kid and leave the country or some shit?"

Mary glared at the phone and scoffed, 'Ya won't have to worry about that, Seth. One of us might be fucking dead in two months anyway.'

All of the sudden it felt as if all the air was sucked out of the room. It was so eerily quiet you could hear a pin drop. Not even Seth's breath could be heard on the other line.

After a while Seth laughed incredulously. "Holy shit, Mary..."

Jon shook his head and set the phone down, burying his hands in his hair. "Mary, when you say shit like that...I can't..."

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Am I the only fucking one who's facing the reality of the situation? I have spent months and hour upon hours reading up on my condition and talked to countless doctors from all over the world and they've all told me the same thing. Only about one in five women survive the childbirth. Don't believe me, I'll explain it to you, Seth. My cervix can't carry the weight of a child, not like normal women anyway. Each month that goes by it wears and tears on my cervix.' She scoffed, 'The pain hurts so much to walk at times that I can't even fucking move. Do you know the doctors told me to get an abortion? They told me there is absolutely no way both of us are going to survive this. I'm just that fucking damaged.' She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed,' They fucking told me.'

Jon took deep breaths, not wanting to hear what his wife was saying. If he lost her...

"Look, I don't know anything about that stuff, but stress can't be helping you," Seth stated. "Stay in bed. Get a C-section. Wouldn't that help? Shit, I don't know, but fuck those doctors."

"He's right," Jon whispered, wiping away tears before Mary could notice. "Fuck them. We've been told our whole lives that we'd never make it and that we'd never be anything. Or that we wouldn't end up together. So let's keep proving them wrong, Mary. And yeah, we'll do something for your pain. If that means you stay in bed, you deal with it. No matter what happens. I'm not letting you go, baby girl."

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed shakily, 'C-section could work...but I'm...anemic it would cause...hemorrhaging.' She scoffed, 'Pretty much have the odds stacked against me.' She held her face in her hands and sobbed, 'I'm so sorry for everything that I've done.' She looked up at Jon with tears in her eyes, 'To you. To Seth. Kasey and Cody. Everybody. I've hurt so many people that have done nothing but be good to me. I fucking hate myself for what I've done. I'm through with running. I'm sick and tired of not facing my problems. I swear I'm not running anymore.'

Jon pulled her close and gritted his teeth together, unable to stop tears from falling down his cheeks. He gently rocked her back and forth, sniffing as she cried into his chest.

"Look, it's gonna be okay. Don't worry about apologizing to me, just stop running." Seth sighed into the phone. "I'm gonna let you guys talk. I'll call in a few days. Just...shit, try to keep it together, okay?" He paused. "Things are gonna work out, no matter what happens. I'll do whatever I can to help. If you wanna take out your shit on me instead of each other, I'm game. You guys are part of my family."

Seth hung up the phone before they had a chance to do so, wanting to give the couple time to themselves. They obviously needed it. It has been a long time coming.

Mary buried his face in his neck and sobbed, 'I'm so scared. I'm so scared, Jon. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna leave our baby and you alone.'

"You're not gonna die," Jon swore, and sighed shakily. "You're not, Mary. Neither is Nick. Just be positive for me, baby."

Mary held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his, 'I won't speak of this again if you promise me one thing. If it comes down to choosing Nick or me. You choose him. Just promise me that...please.'

Jon cringed and sobbed. He would never do that, never. As much as he loved Nick and desperately wanted his son to be okay, he would never choose anyone over Mary. Never.

But she couldn't know that.

"I promise," he whispered. "I swear it. We never talk about this again, you got that?"

Mary nodded, sighing, 'I promise. I swear it. We'll never talk about this again.' She kissed his neck as she whispered, 'I love you more than anything. I really really do. I know I haven't made you think that, but I do. I honestly wouldn't have survived all these years without you, ya know that?'

"You think I'd still be around if it wasn't for you." He kissed the top of her head and sighed. "Okay. Moving on. We're good, right? Or do we need to talk about anything else? Now's the time, Mary."

Mary shook her head and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes, 'No, just I'm sorry. I really am.' She sighed deeply, 'I know I have to earn your trust again and I will. I promise you that.'

"Just tell me you love me," Jon whispered. "I need to hear it. I can't hear it enough from you."

Mary held his face in her hands and crawled into his lap. She rested her forehead upon his, whispering, 'I love you, Jon. So much. I love you. I love you.'

"Love you too," he murmured. "We're gonna be okay."

The next month and a half went by quicker than expected. Jon was given some time off from WWE to take care of Mary. He had dropped the title to Seth anyway during a PPV event so it was not as if he had any immediate obligations. When he had told the brass of his circumstances, they were very understanding. He was not their first employee to have to leave and take care of family obligations and he would definitely not be the last. His time off screen was explained fairly simply. While he was in Ohio he had cut a promo as Dean Ambrose saying that he was leaving the company for being treated unfairly as a WWE champion. Not only did it give him some time off, but also gave him some heat as a heel and added to the allure and charisma of his character. 'You always leave them with wanting more' is what Regal told him when he first started out in FCW. He could not agree more.

The first few weeks were difficult and trying. They had spent almost three months apart and had to get used to one another again. Of course, they fought and bickered just as every married couples do. Mary's out of whack hormones tended to make her a little crazy. She was as happy as can be one minute and the next she was throwing stuff at him and cursing like a sailor. He would just stand there and smirk, ignoring her tantrums. For he knew in just a matter if moments she would be crying saying how much she loved and needed him. Mary being pregnant was not all that bad though. It definitely had some definite perks for him. Her raging hormones gave her a ravenous sex drive There would be days and nights when she would be all over him. She would bite her lip and give him that look he knew all too well and she would pounce on him. Shit, there were even times she wore him out, which was saying a lot considering his past. In this past month and a half he has realized that women being pregnant was just another way to drive men crazy. He wouldn't have it any other way though. He was married to the woman of his dreams and they were going to have a family. He was happy. What could go wrong?

October 1st came and went, but Mary didn't go into labor. Jon took it in stride, but Mary became upset and cried

hysterically. She was convinced that it was a sign that something was wrong, but Kasey reminded her that it would be far

worse for the baby to be born before he was ready.

Mary was one week late into her pregnancy. The doctor ordered her on bedrest prior to her delivery. The pain in her hips was making it increasingly difficult to walk. Besides the pain, she was. She considered herself lucky given her condition. She and Jon were lying in bed watching RAW. Even though he had time off he still liked to watch it and keep up with the storylines and see what his friends were up to. He also liked to keep an eye on the new talent whom he considered to be competition. You can take the man out of wrestling, but you can't take wrestling out of the man.

Mary smiled down at Jon. He had a wistful smile on his face as he watched the show. His head was in her lap and he was rubbing soothing circles on her stomach. She stroked his hair and asked him softly, 'Ya miss wrestling don't ya, baby?'

"Yeah. It's a part of my life, you know?" He chuckled. "Plus I'm tired of having to come up with tweets talking about how the company is lost without me." He kissed her stomach. "But when I'm there I wanna be here, with you."

Mary stroked his back and smiled, ' You should start a twitter war with someone. Get some heat.' She frowned, 'Just not Mick Foley...please.'

He snorted. "Duh. Maybe Ryan. He's doing fucking great." Jon rubbed her stomach and smiled when he felt a nudge. "Nick seems to like the idea."

Mary sighed and groaned, 'He's been extra fussy tonight.' She put her hand on her lower back, 'My back's been killing me too.'

Jon frowned and sat up, rubbing her shoulder. "Want me to do anything? Or do you need to lie down?"

Mary shook her head and smiled, 'No.' She sighed, 'Gotta pee though for the hundredth time.' Jon held her hand and helped her get up out of the bed.

' Ya need any help, baby girl?' He asked her.

She shook her head and chuckled, 'No, I think I can figure that part out on my own.'

She winked at him and laughed when she heard him calling her a 'smartass'. She got into the bathroom and closed the door. She rested her back against it and sighed shakily. The pain in her back was getting more intense and severe. All of the sudden she felt sharp pains in her stomach. The pain ripped through her, making her feel as if she was being ripped apart from the inside out. She clutched the sink and groaned aloud in pain. The pain was so severe it brought her down to her knees. She felt a gush of wetness in between her legs and looked down. Her eyes widened in horror and she gasped as tears fell from her eyes. Blood was soaking through her dress.

She shook her head in disbelief and started sobbing, 'No. Please God...No. JON! JON! HELP!' She dropped to the floor and

clutched her stomach, hoping that one of them made this through alive. Hopefully it was the life of her baby.

He jumped out of the bed and flung the door open, catching Mary in his arms. "Mary! I'm here. It's okay, I'm..." Jon looked down at her and saw the blood and let out a cry. "Oh Jesus...baby, it's okay...CODY! GET THE CAR!" Jon gently lifted her and winced when she screamed in pain. "Mary, hold on, hold on, okay? It's gonna be okay..."

Mary wrapped her arms around him, clutching his neck. The pain was so bad she could hardly think straight. She was falling in and out if consciousness. Tears fell down her cheeks as she buried her face in his neck. Jon carried her into Cody's car and sat in the back with her on his lap. Cody called for Kasey and she came running out, jumping into the passenger seat. They both said not a word as they looked at one another. They knew something like this was going to happen, but they always prayed for the best. They looked at Jon and Mary in the backseat with tears in their eyes. The two of them had enough tragedy to last an entire lifetime. They didn't deserve anymore. Haven't they suffered enough?

She screamed in pain and clutched at his shirt, saying to him, 'Remember...what...you...promised...choose...him.' Her words were coming out in a ragged whisper, almost as if she were gasping for breath.

"Don't talk, baby girl," Jon muttered, staring straight ahead. "Gotta preserve your strength."

By the time they got to the hospital Mary was incoherent, her body shaking and her eyes rolling uncontrollably. Jon could feel tears running down his face but ignored them as hospital staff got her in a stretcher. They hurried to the private room he'd booked months ago and he watched helplessly as the doctors started to prep her.

"We're going to try to stop the bleeding, but we're going to have to do an emergency C-section," one of them explained.

Jon just nodded, holding onto Mary's hand. "Just do whatever you have to."

Mary pawed at him. "Promised...you promised..."

He clenched his jaw and squeezed her hand. "Baby, it'll be okay..."

"No...I wanna die..."

Jon glanced at the doctor, who shook his head. "Women say all sorts of things during childbirth," he stated in a soothing tone. "But I think it'll be best if you step outside, sir."

"I'm not leaving my wife!" Jon glared at him. "You're gonna need your entire fucking security staff to get me to leave her!"

The doctor looked over at one of the nurse's and gave her a knowing look. She curtly nodded her head and scurried off down the long corridor.

Jon stared helplessly at Mary as he stood there clutching her hand. She stared up at him with glassy eyes. Her skin was so pale she was almost translucent. Her lips were almost purple on account of all the blood she lost. Regardless of how she looked. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world to him and always would be. Tears were streaming down his face as he stared down at her. Her lips were moving and she seemed to be saying something.

Jon leaned down and listened carefully. She was gasping for breath as she whispered faintly, 'Have...to..let...me...go...promised.'

Jon cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. "You have to fight. You have to. You've never given up before, Mary, and you can't stop now. I won't let you. I won't let you, Mary."

Mary took gasping breaths and grabbed his hand, clutching it with as much strength as she had left within her, 'Take...care of...him...tell...him...about...us.'

"It's you and me," Jon insisted, his body starting to shake. "It's you and me, it's Jon and Mary, it's always gonna be you and me...I can't...I can't...I won't fucking do it, Mary..."

Mary smiled weakly and placed her hand upon his heart, 'Always...please...promised...me...love him...always...with...you.'

He sobbed and held her hand tightly. "You're staying here with me. You have to. I can't do this without you. I can't fucking breathe without you. I'm dead without you."

Mary lifted her hand weakly as tears fell down her cheeks. She cupped his cheek, 'Stay...strong...for...Nick...needs...you...you made me...so...happy.'

"No, no." Jon buried his face in her neck and sobbed. "Mary, no, please, please..."

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and began pulling at him, and before he knew it she was taken from him and he was on the floor, staring up at the bright lights, surrounded by alien voices, surrounded and alone.

Cody and Kasey came up to him and both fell down upon their knees upon him. They wrapped their arms around him as he buried his face in Cody's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably. Nurses and doctors passed by them as they hurried into Mary's room.

Jon sat in the hallway next to where Mary was being held. Cody and Kasey asked him to go in the waiting room, but he refused to leave her. If he couldn't go into her room he at least wanted to be as close to her as possible. Cody and Kasey never left his side. They sat close by him, too afraid to leave him alone. He sat there numb to all feeling. Tears fell down his face as he clutched his head in his hands. He couldn't lose her. Not not. Not after everything they have been through. They have passed through so many insurmountable obstacles to be together. They had broken every single rule given to them. He could not live without her. She was absolutely detrimental to his survival. If she died, so did he.

Cody and Kasey both jumped up startled when they saw two doctors coming out of her room. Their scrubs were completely covered in blood and their faces were covered in sweat. They looked as if they had been through battle. Maybe in a way they had been. A battle to save not only one life, but the life of a person who had not yet had a chance to fully live. They both had grave looks upon their faces. It was the somber look in their eyes which gave them away. Their shoulders were hunched in defeat, their faces weary. They knew whatever news they were bringing was not going to be good.

"Please," Jon reached up to them, his eyes wide. "Please, please."

The doctor stepped forward and gave him a tired smile. "Mr. Good, your son is healthy. He's going to be just fine."

Jon nodded, somehow getting to his feet. "And Mary? Is she okay?"

"We're still working on her," the other doctor stated. "She's lost a lot of blood."

The head doctor cleared his throat and stepped forward, 'She lost almost half of her blood volume. We tried giving her enough to substantiate it, but her body is weak. It put a lot of strain on her...heart. We have her on a respirator to help her along for the time being.' He sighed deeply, 'I would like to tell you your wife will be fine, but we honestly don't know at this point. You knew of her condition that this was a possibility. Do you happen to know of her...wishes?'

Jon clasped his hands in front of his face and stared at the doctor wide-eyed. He knew the doctor heard her in the delivery room, but there was no way in hell Jon was letting her go. Not ever.

"She wants to live. She has to live. She's gotta see her son grow up and she's gotta grow old with me. Do whatever you have to do." Jon wiped at his face. "I don't know if I have the same blood type as her but I'll cut my fucking arms off if it means she gets through this."

The doctor smiled sadly and looked at Cody and Kasey. Cody had his arms wrapped around his wife and they both were sobbing. This was always the hardest part of his job.

The doctor heaved a laborious sigh, 'We wish it was that easy. You see when she went into labor she started hemorrhaging, which is why you saw so much blood. We can't seem to stop the bleeding.' He shook his head, 'We can't keep giving her more blood if she keeps losing it.' He bowed his head, putting his hand on Jon's shoulder, 'There's not much we can do, Mr. Good. I'm..very sorry.'

Jon shook his head. "No, fuck that. You do what you have to, you hear me? I've gone through enough shit in my life, I'm not losing her. You got that? Do whatever you have to do. Anything."

The doctor looked at Cody and Kasey and shook his head, 'Sir, with all due respect. We have done everything we can.' He sighed deeply, 'We're sorry. There's not much else for us to do. Would you like to see your son?'

"NO!" Jon slammed his fists against the wall and kicked at it. "I WANT MY WIFE! I WANT MARY!"

Cody and Kasey hurried over to him, placing their hands upon his back.

Kasey wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned down, whispering soothingly in his ear, 'Don't ya wanna go see Nick? Mary wouldn't want him to be alone' She sighed shakily, 'She would want his dad there to keep him safe, make sure he's not upset.'

Jon sobbed and shook his head. No way in hell could he live without Mary, let alone raise a baby without her. Nick would be better off with another family.

"I'm dead," he moaned, pressing his head against the wall. "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm gonna fucking end it, fuck this..."

Cody sighed and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, 'Don't say that, man. Mary wouldn't want ya talking like that. She would want you to take care of the baby.' He took a deep breath, 'Look, Mary talked to us about this and she made us promise that we would help you out if it came to this.' He sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes, 'Anything you need. We'll help you take care of him.'

Jon shook his head and fell to the floor. They couldn't see it, no one could. There was no life without her. There was nothing. He was nothing. He was dead.

He gagged and moaned, and the next thing he knew Cody was dragging him to the bathroom and holding his hair so he could be sick. Jon shivered against the stall while Cody wiped at his face with toilet paper, trying to soothe him. Jon wanted to tell him not to bother. He was already dead, as far as he was concerned. A rotting corpse.

Cody held his face in his hands and stared directly in his eyes, 'Look at me, Jon. Look at me. Ya gotta snap out of this. Mary wouldn't want you to fucking just give up and die. Do you want your son to fucking end up like you? With no parents? Do you?'

Jon managed to look him in the eye. "He's better off without me," he slurred. "I'm a piece of shit. You know that."

Cody scoffed, 'You think that? After all this fucking time? Do you think a girl like Mary would have married and had a child with a piece of shit?' He smiled through his tears, 'You know our girl better than that. She was...' He shook his head, quickly correcting himself, 'She is such a good woman. She wouldn't have married just anybody, ya know?'

Jon shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "How can I raise a baby? I can't. I can't, I won't. He can't...he can't know anything about me." He sobbed and clutched at Cody. "Tell him I died. Tell him I got her pregnant and died. I was just some guy. Please, I don't want him ruined by me. Please."

Cody had tears falling from his eyes and shook his head, 'I can't do that, Jon. I promised Mary. I can't go back on my word.' He chuckled in spite of himself, 'Ya know how stubborn Mary can be. That boy, he's your love, man. He's both of you. Ya gotta take care of him, like she wanted. Would you really wanna let her down?'

"I already have. I let her..." Jon sobbed, unable to complete the thought. It was all his fault. He never should have gotten her pregnant, or even touched her in the first place. She should have ended up with David. At least then she could have adopted. She'd be okay. She'd be alive. "I killed her, Cody. I fucking killed my wife."

Cody shook his head, looking at him incredulously, 'What? No you didn't. Stop fucking talking like that. None of this is your fault. Not yours , not Nick's and especially not Mary's. You can't do this to yourself.' He sighed and reached into his pocket, 'Look, I probably shouldn't be given you this now, but as I was helping Mary out of the car she asked me to give you this. It's your...wedding ring. She said she wanted you to keep it so no matter where she is, she'll always be there. She said

you would know what that meant.'

Jon took the ring and stared at it, then squeezed it in his fist. "I want to see her."

Cody nodded and sighed, 'Yeah...sure. Okay. The doctor asked if you wanted to see her.' He stood up and extended his hand out toward him, helping him up off the floor.

Cody kept his arm around Jon's shoulders as they made their way out of the bathroom. They walked down the corridor where Kasey was standing outside of Mary's room. She had a look of concern on her face when she saw Jon and Cody.

Kasey walked up to them both and wrapped her arm around Jon, 'How are you feeling?'

Cody gave Kasey a knowing look, 'He wants to see her.'

Kasey smiled through her tears and nodded, 'Yeah, sure. The doctor asked if we wanted...to...before...they.' She shook her head and clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her sob.

'Do ya want us to come in with you?" Cody asked him.

Jon shook his head, 'No, I wanna see her myself.'

Cody nodded, a small smile forming upon his face, 'Yeah sure.' He patted his back, 'We'll be here if you need us.'

Jon nodded numbly and just headed to Mary's room. He had to see her and talk to her. He couldn't let her give up so easily. Not after everything they been through. He had to make her see, to understand.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for one of the most hardest things he ever had to do in his life.


	31. Chapter 31

When he saw her he almost stumbled onto the floor, but Cody was there to catch him. She was deathly pale and hooked up to machines, her head turned to the side, her eyes closed. He couldn't even pretend that she was sleeping.

She looked dead.

Jon gripped her ring tight and walked to her side, collapsing into a chair. He heard the door close and knew he was alone with her.

There was nothing he could say. He'd begged her to be strong, but she'd willingly given herself up for their baby. She'd left him for the last time. It was over.

Jon took her hand in his, pressing her ring against her palm and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her in.

"Stay with me," he whispered. "Stay with me, Mary. You have to."

His wife lay motionless and didn't respond.

He took a deep breath and kissed her neck. He wasn't going to say goodbye. He couldn't. There was no way...

"Mary." Jon sighed shakily and clasped her hand in both of his, bringing it to his chest. "Mary, you can hear me, I know you can." He tried to smile. "Stop ignoring me, smartass." He kissed her fingers. "You gotta wake up. Gotta come home with me. You are my home." After a moment Jon shivered, realizing that this might be the last time he'd ever get to talk to her. What the hell else could he say? He smiled and kissed her shoulder. "Baby girl. You always found a way to bring me back. So I'm gonna try to do that for you, okay? Listen up."

Jon rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. "I've been down to Georgia...I've seen the streets in the West...I've driven down the 90..." He sobbed and put his arm around her, hugging her close. "But...I'm comin' home..."

Cody and Kasey quietly walked into the room and held each other as they both stood in the corner, watching him. He was so lost in his grief he didn't even notice they were there. They had tears in their eyes and running down their cheeks. It was the most heartbreaking thing they ever had to witness. Jon and Mary were like their brother and sister. Shit, in a lot of ways they were like their children. They have certainly did more for them in these past years than their own parents did. It was breaking their hearts to witness this. This should not be happening to them. They deserved a happy ending. They have been through so much in their lives, they deserved happiness.

Cody gave Kasey a knowing look and they both nodded their heads. They felt like they were intruding on a private moment. They couldn't bear to stay here and watch Jon say goodbye to the only woman he's ever loved since he was a kid.

Jon lay with Mary for a while until exhaustion took over. He sat back and wiped his face, staring miserably at his wife.

How the fuck did it end up like this?

"It should be me. You know that. I should be the one dying." Jon managed a small smile. "You're probably pissed as hell hearing that, but it's true. You'd be fine without me. You'd find a guy. Nick would be okay. You'd be okay." He rested his head on her stomach. "If you could arrange that, that would be great. Get someone to break in here and slit my throat. Throw me out the window. Anything." He gritted his teeth and sat back, rage festering inside of him. "I want that. I want to fucking die, Mary. I'm okay with it. Don't fucking tell me I'm not scum, I know I am. So let me die. I die, you live. That's the new fucking deal. Fucking take it, Mary. Take my life. It's shit without you, so take it. Take it! Let me be the one who fucking dies!"

Jon was thwarted from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. He jumped up from the bed, wiping at his face. His eyes widened when he saw that it was a nurse. She was wheeling in what appeared to be a crib.

He sighed shakily. It was their son. Hope clutched at his heart and a small smile formed upon his face. If there was anyone that could make Mary come out of this it was Nick. She would hear him in some way and know that she had to wake up for him. To take care of him and love him. Fuck, love them both.

The nurse smiled softly, whispering, 'Your friends asked if I could bring him in here. They thought maybe her being in the room with him might...stir something.'

Jon watched as the nurse wheeled the crib next to Mary's bed and stared at his son in shock. He was, besides Mary, the most beautiful thing Jon had ever seen.

"Do you want to hold him?" the nurse asked softly.

"I don't know if I can." Jon shivered and hugged himself. "I've never held a baby."

She smiled. "You can do it, though. Trust me. All the new dads are nervous, but you'll be fine." She gently picked him up and handed him to Jon. "Make sure to support his head. He won't be able to do that for himself for a while."

Jon nodded and stared at Nick, who was squirming a bit and making small noises.

"You'll be fine," the nurse repeated. "I'm right outside, so if you need anything, just push the call button." She patted his arm and left.

Nick settled in Jon's arms and nuzzled at his father's chest. Jon stroked his cheek with his thumb, awestruck.

"Mary...he's so beautiful. You have to see him." Jon stood next to her bed and smiled at his wife. "You gotta meet our son."

Mary's eyes were closed and she could faintly hear what appeared to be Jon's voice. She would recognize his distinctive voice anywhere. She tried opening her eyes, but every time she did she felt as if they weighed a ton. Her entire body ached and exhaustion seeped down into her bones.

She groaned softly and choked out, 'Jon?"

Jon's head snapped up and he looked at his wife, who stirred and opened her eyes. "Mary?"

She groaned and winced. "...hurts."

Jon gently set his son down and pushed the call button, then ran into the hallway. "I need a doctor! A nurse!" He ran back in and caressed Mary's face. "Oh god, baby girl, please...please stay with me."

Mary groggily opened her eyes and groaned softly. She tried lifting her head up, but it hurt to even move. Her vision was cloudy and her mind was hazy. The last thing she remembered was going to the bathroom and seeing blood.

After that everything else was unclear. She blinked her eyes rapidly trying to make out the shapes in front of her.

She saw a towering figure leaning over her bed. She was frightened for a second, but relaxed when she heard the voice, sighing in relief. It was Jon. She was okay. Her eyes widened in shock. If she was alive that meant her baby was dead. They both couldn't survive. The doctor told her that.

Mary groaned as tears fell from her eyes and she gasped out, 'Baby...want...my baby.'

"He's here." Jon carefully picked up their son and held him in front of her. "He's here, Mary. He's okay." Jon smiled as Nick began fidgeting in his arms. "He's beautiful, Mary."

Mary weakly touched him and gasped, 'I'm...dead?'

She was disoriented and couldn't discern her surroundings. She felt as if she were in a dream state. Nothing made sense. She was supposed to be dead. She wasn't supposed to survive this. She had to be dead. This couldn't be real.

Jon grinned. "No, baby girl. You're here with me. With us."

The doctors hurried in and Jon stepped back, letting them examine his wife. Nick squirmed and began crying, and Jon caressed his cheek.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay, little man." Jon sighed and sat down, holding his son close. "Your mommy's awake."

Mary had no semblance of time. The doctors kept poking and prodding her as she laid there. Her eyes darted back and forth. Her heart raced. Everything hurt. It hurt to speak, to breathe, to live. She shouldn't be here. He had promised her. He promised her that he would choose their. They both weren't supposed to live. She didn't expect to see him. She didn't expect to wake up. She was still convinced this was all a dream.

She shook her head and gasped out, 'My...baby...my...'

Jon got up from the chair with Nick in his arms and held him in front of her once again, 'Baby, he's here. You both are here. You're alive.'

Mary shook her head and gritted her teeth, 'No! You promised...you promised me.'

He shook his head in bafflement and stared at the doctor helplessly.

The doctor sighed deeply, 'This happens sometimes. When people go through anemic shock they sometimes have difficulty with perceptions. She doesn't know what she's saying. She just needs some time to process things.'

Tears filled his eyes as he stared down at her with Nick in his arms. It was almost as if she didn't even notice Nick there. All she could see was him and herself. The way she looked at him, with so much contempt and hate. This isn't what he imagined. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. She was alive and so was their son. They were supposed to have their

happily ever after.

"You lied," Mary spat at him. "You fucking bastard. I knew you were lying, I knew you'd let him die. I hate you! I hate you!"

Jon gritted his teeth as Nick began to wail. "Mary..."

"Go away." She closed her eyes and began sobbing. "Go away, I never want to see you again."

The doctor patted Jon's shoulder. "Give her some time. She still needs to recover."

Jon nodded and placed a protective hand on Nick's cheek, which calmed him down a bit. "I'm gonna step out for a sec," he mumbled.

"That might be best." The doctor walked him to the hallway where Kasey and Cody were waiting. "She's recovering well, which is good. Right now she's still weak and needs rest. We're going to keep her here overnight, and she should be okay in the morning, but we'll make sure of that before she leaves." He paused and sighed. "While your son is perfectly healthy, and your wife will regain her health in time, she will not be able to have any more children. Even if she were able to become pregnant again, she would not be able to carry the child to term."

Jon stood there in shock in the hallway. He cradled his son protectively against his chest and kissed the top of his head. Tears fell from his eyes, but he ignored them. Everything was falling apart. Mary hated him and thought he had lied to her. To top it all off she couldn't have anymore children. He knew this would devastate her. He couldn't even imagine how she would take the news. Hell, she might not even want to see him again.

Kasey noticed his distress and walked over to him, extending her arms out, 'Give Nick to me. I'll bring him back to the nursery.'

Jon nodded without saying a word. He handed his son over to Kasey and watched as she carried him away. He bowed his head, pulling at his hair. He wondered if he was cut out for this, being a father. Fuck, he wasn't even a good husband. His wife hated his guts. All he ever does is cause her pain. If it wasn't for him she would have never been in this predicament in the first place. He should have left her alone. He should have never went to her engagement party that night. She would have married David, maybe adopted a few children and would be happy. She would be safe. All he ever does is cause destruction. His mother is right. He's a fuckup and always will be.

He slid to the floor and held his head in his hands as he sobbed.

Cody shook his head, sighing and sat down next to him. He patted him upon the back, 'It's gonna be alright, man. Ya gotta fuck get it together. Now's now the time for fucking crying now. You're a husband and now a father. Ya gotta be strong for them. Ya gotta be a man.'

Jon shook his head, sneering in disgust, 'Not man. I'm fucking piece of shit. Mary hates me, Cody. I should just fucking leave here and get as far away from her as possible. She's better off without me. I should've signed the divorce papers.'

Cody scoffed, 'And what? Be a fucking deadbeat dad?' He shook his head, 'Not on my fucking watch.' He sighed, 'Look, I know things are tough now, but ya gotta fucking roll with the of it like a wrestling match. No matter how many fucking times someone comes at you, ya come at them even harder. You don't admit defeat. You keep going. That's what makes you a champ. That's why people respect you. Ya gotta man the fuck up and take responsibility. They're depending on you.' He nodded towards Mary's door, 'Now get the hell in there.'

Jon shook his head, 'No, I'll just upset her. She told me she never wants to see me again.' He cringed, 'She told me she hates me.'

Cody snorted, 'If I had a fucking dime every time Kasey told me that I would have retired a rich fucking man a long time ago. Now get the hell in there and be with your wife. She needs you.' He grabbed his shirt, pulling him up, 'Go.'

Jon grumbled and walked in the room, squaring his shoulders when he saw his wife glaring at him. The doctors finished examining her and left them alone, and Jon pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

"You're an asshole," Mary hissed, her eyes filled with pure hatred.

"No shit," Jon snorted. "This is the first time you've realized this?"

"You killed our son!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

Jon sighed. "Mary, you saw Nick. He's fine. You gotta get your rest or your stress is gonna fuck you up again."

Mary gritted her teeth and glared at him, 'I wish you never put your hands on me.'

He shrugged and looked away. He knew she was still out of it, and that she was going to recover, but her words still hurt. "Do you even want to see our son, Mary? Nick hasn't been held by his mother yet."

Mary narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head in disbelief, 'Why are you so cruel to me? Don't say that shit.'

His hands balled into fists. "Mary, he's alive. Our son is alive and healthy. Get that through your head."

Mary sat there looking at him incredulously. Her drug addled mind couldn't make sense of things. She was still in pain, which clouded her judgment. She wondered if he was telling the truth or if all this was some figment of her imagination.

She shook her head, 'Be honest with me. You were always going to choose me weren't you? You lied to me that day.'

He sighed and ducked his head. Even if he lied, she'd be able to see through it.

"Yeah," Jon muttered, looking up at her. "Yeah, I did."

Mary's eyes widened as tears fell from her eyes, 'You...lied?' She shook her head, 'Why would you do that?' She snorted in disgust, 'I should have known. You never wanted him anyway. You didn't wanna be a father. That's why you didn't care when we got turned down for adoption. You were probably relieved. '

"Fuck you." Jon glared at her. "If I didn't want to be a dad, I would have said so! Of course I cared." He shook his head and got up. "Know what? I'm not doing this. You're so fucking negative, Mary. I thought I'd lost you! I thought you were going to die. Now I know you're going to be okay and so is our son, but that's not good enough for you, is it?"

Mary's face crumpled into tears, 'I just want my baby. I want my baby.' She covered her face in her hands as she sobbed softly, 'My baby.'

"Nick is fine. I swear it, Mary. If you don't believe me I'll bring him back in here. Or you can ask Kasey, or Cody." Jon sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Mary, you gotta snap out of this. You can't get upset again, Nick and I need you healthy."

Mary looked at him skeptically, 'Nick's...here?'

Jon grinned. "You wanna see him? I'll bring him back in here." He looked into her eyes. "I wouldn't lie about that, Mary."

Mary nodded her head eagerly with tears welling up in her eyes, 'Yes. I wanna see him. Please, Jon. Please.'

"You got it." Jon ran out and grabbed Cody, asking him to get his son from the nursery. A few minutes later Kasey handed Nick back to Jon, who carefully took him in his arms and brought him to his mother.

"Wanna say hi to Mommy?" Jon asked softly, and stood next to the bed and smiled. "Mommy wants to meet you..."

Nick squirmed and fussed a bit as Jon leaned closer to the bed.

"Say hi to Mommy, Nick." Jon grinned and turned to his wife. "See? He's fine. Healthy, happy...beautiful."

Mary stared up at him in amazement. Tears fell down her face as she looked at him awestruck. He was so beautiful. He was healthy. She couldn't believe it. He was alive. She had lived. Everything had worked out. This wasn't some cruel dream. This was reality. She had her son and her husband. She had all she has ever wanted. She had a family.

Jon gingerly set him in her arms. She cradled him against her chest and kissed his head. She kept kissing him upon his head and sobbed. She was so overcome with emotion she couldn't speak.

Jon kissed his wife on the top of her head and smiled down at the two of them. His beautiful wife and son were healthy. He'd gotten more than he ever thought he would.

Nick fussed and began writhing against his mother, scrunching up his face. He let out a small wail and began kicking his legs against the blanket he was swaddled in.

"Hey now," Jon soothed, and cupped his son's face. "No crying. Show Mommy you can behave."

Nick turned in the direction of Jon's voice and let out a small sigh, settling against his mother. He reached out and touched his mother's neck, gurgling slightly.

"There you go, little man." Jon grinned and stroked his wife's hair. "Talk to him, baby."

Mary looked down down at him and stroked his face, smiling through his tears, 'Hi, baby. It's your mommy.' She laughed, 'It's your mommy.'

She looked up at Jon and smiled as tears fell down her cheeks, 'We did it. We made it, Jon. We're a family.'

"We're a family," Jon whispered, and kissed her forehead.

They stood there for a while, watching Nick fuss, cry, and sleep, and were joined by Kasey and Cody after a while. Jon took out his phone and got a few pictures to send to his friends. His phone was buzzing constantly with calls that he let go to voicemail, but he looked at the texts and read them to Mary. Seth, Roman, Ryan, and David sent their congratulations along with a ton of the other guys in the back, including all the divas and a few of the suits and backstage workers. One text in particular made Jon laugh.

"Regal says 'Congratulations to the world's newest rapscallion. May he be nothing like his namesake or his father, for

we are wicked men'." Jon cackled. "That is awesome!"

Mary laughed and shook her head, 'God, no! The world doesn't need three of you.' All of the sudden she looked down at her hand and frowned, 'Where's my wedding ring? Did they take it off in the delivery room?'

Cody and Jon both looked at one another, sharing a knowing look. All of the sudden the room became silent and somber.

"I have it." Jon stepped forward and took her ring out of his pocket. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes and he slipped her ring back on her finger. "You never give me to this again, do you understand?"

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Never again.' She turned to Cody and Kasey, 'May I have some time alone with Jon, please?'

Kasey smiled and nodded, 'Sure. Want the nurse to come and get Nick?' '

Mary cradled him to her chest, 'No, that's fine.' She smiled down at him, stroking his cheek, 'He's fine where he is.'

Kasey smiled, 'Not a problem. He seems content where he is anyway. We'll be out in the hall if you need us.' She took Cody's hand and he waved them a silent goodbye as his wife led him out of the room.

When they were left alone, Mary turned to Jon and said, 'I owe you an apology, Jon.'

Jon reached down and took his son's hand, holding it between his thumb and index finger. He was so tiny. Nick's fingers curled a bit, making Jon smile. The little guy was smart.

"Jon?" Mary was frowning at him. "Did you hear me."

"I heard you," Jon replied. "Just don't know what to say."

Mary sighed, 'I'm sorry for everything I did. I don't remember anything after being in the bathroom. What...happened, Jon?'

He closed his eyes. This was probably what it felt like when he came out of his panic attacks and had a vague or nonexistent memory of what had happened just minutes before. "You were bleeding. We got you here as fast as we could." Jon felt the sting of tears and stepped away, trying to breathe normally. "You gave up, Mary. You just fucking gave up like it was nothing. You said goodbye to me. Do you know what that felt like? I know I've done some shitty things to you but I never...I never did anything like that to you. Never."

Mary's eyes widened as tears fell from her eyes. She cradled her son against her chest, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She had no recollection of what transpired. She only had fragmented images in her mind, almost like a puzzle. Except none of them fit together.

She shook her head, 'I didn't know what was going on, Jon. I don't remember any of it.' She closed her eyes in shame, 'I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say.'

Jon crossed his arms and stared his wife down. "Do you want to die, Mary? I know you weren't in your right mind, but if I ever...if I came home and found out that you..." He stared out the window, unable to finish the thought.

Mary shook her head, 'No, Jon. God...no.' She stared down at their son, 'I have far too much to live for. I don't wanna leave Nick or...you.' She smiled through her tears, 'I love you both so much. I could never...'She sighed deeply, 'This has made me realize how selfish I've been. Not just to others, but towards myself as well. I always focused on the bad and never took the time to appreciate the good things in my life.' She snorted, 'I still don't understand why you put up with me after all these years.'

He shrugged again and kept looking out the window. "I think I might go downstairs for a while. Clear my head."

Mary nodded and scoffed, 'I ruined everything didn't I?'

Jon snorted. "You're real fucking negative, you know that? It's exhausting." He turned to her and felt his irritation dissolve when he saw his wife holding their son.

He had a family. Cody was right - he couldn't just walk away because he was upset. He had to do things right.

Jon walked up to them and put his hand on his wife's cheek, turning her so she'd look at him. "I thought I lost you today, Mary. I was a fucking wreck. And the worst part was that you didn't seem to give a shit. You were just ready to die. You made that decision a long time ago, without me. I'm never gonna be okay with that. I can't lose you, Mary. You're everything to me, and to Nick. You gotta stop making yourself so...expendable."

Tears filled her eyes and she kissed her son's head and nodded, 'I know. I'm sorry. I really am. I just didn't want Nick to have

to pay for what happened to me.'

"Yeah, well, you're taking it out on yourself and me. You can't do that shit, Mary." Jon sighed. "Look, you gotta rest up. We're going home tomorrow, and we'll have to start looking for houses." He smiled and stroked her cheek. "That'll be fun,

right?"

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Yeah, sure. We might want to get one with a lot of rooms.' She looked down at Nick and kissed his head, 'We're gonna need them considering I wanna give our little man a brother or sister.'

Jon exhaled. "Mary...the doctor hasn't talked to you about this yet, has he?"

She shook her head in bafflement, 'Talked to me about what?' She looked at him warily, 'Why? What's going on, Jon?'

He cringed and rubbed at his neck. "Look, just fucking stay positive, okay? You're gonna be fine, Nick is fine, everybody's happy." Jon looked down at the floor and cleared his throat. "But...the doctor told me that you can't have any more babies. If you got pregnant...the baby wouldn't last long." He sighed and stroked Nick's head. "We'll try adoption again. It'll probably be a cinch now that we already have a baby. They'll see that we're responsible."

Mary closed her eyes and sighed shakily. She heard his words, but didn't want to believe them. It seemed as if when everything is going well in her life something has to happen to remind her that no matter what she'll always be broken. Her past would always haunt her and punish her just for the sake of being born.

She cradled their son's head against her chest and closed her eyes as tears fell down her face, 'Can you leave, please? I need

to be left alone for a little bit.'

"Fuck you." Jon squeezed her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, and you're not throwing a tantrum that's gonna upset our son. We're gonna get through this. We're a team, Mary. No more running away. You promised."

Mary scoffed, looking up at Jon, 'Don't use that language in front of our son, Jon. I don't want his first words to be a curse word.'

He snorted. "He's a few fucking hours old! I don't think it's gonna affect him."

Nick gurgled and squirmed, reaching his tiny fists up.

"See?" Jon pointed at him and grinned. "He's saying he doesn't care."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'He already has your temper. Looks just like you too.'

"You think so?" Jon took one of Nick's fists in his hand. "I think he kinda looks like you. I can't wait 'til he opens his eyes."

Jon kissed Mary's forehead. "I hope he has your eyes. Always loved your eyes, baby girl."

She smiled and stroked his cheek lovingly, 'So, you like this whole dad thing so far?'

"I love it," he murmured. "And I love you." He leaned in and kissed her, stroking her cheek. "Thank you."

Mary laughed. "For what?"

"For staying with me." He kissed her again. "For our son. For everything."

She smiled and reached up to cup his cheek, 'No, thank you. For staying with _me._ ' She scoffed, 'I know I haven't been fun these past few months. Thank you for sticking through it.' She looked down at Nick and asked him, 'Wanna hold him, honey? I think he wants his daddy.'

"Sure!" Jon reached down and carefully picked up his son. "Do you want me to let you sleep, baby girl? Today has been..."

He shook his head. "You must be fucking exhausted."

Mary ducked her head, shyly, 'Can you and Nick maybe sit here with me for a little bit?' She gently scooted over, wincing as she felt the stitches in her stomach pull. She patted the side of the bed, 'Maybe you can sit here with me? I don't wanna be alone right now. I want my...family.'

"You got it." Jon sat next to her and held their son, who was starting to fall asleep as well. "Sleep well, baby girl."

Mary was lying in bed at Cody and Kasey's house. Her doctors had given her clearance to go home as long as she stayed on bedrest for the next week. Nick was sleeping peacefully in the crib after just being fed. Thankfully, he has been really good so far. Well, it was only his first day home. Give him some time.

She was sitting in her bed, looking at pictures of homes on her laptop. She and Jon decided to live in Upstate New York. Not only was it close to her job and friends, but it also kept them away from the chaotic hustle and bustle of the city. They wanted to live someplace quiet, serene and secluded. They have spent far too much of their lives living in tenement housing projects, rundown apartment buildings and hotel rooms. They wanted to have a home, someplace to call their own. They wanted a home for their son they never had as children. A large backyard for him to run and play around in. They wanted him to have his own room. A space he could call his own.

They wanted him to have it all.

Mary's eyes widened when she came upon a photo of one particular home in the Catskills. It was a large brick stone colonial three story home. It had a large patio and a backyard. She could just imagine having barbeques on the patio in the Summer and chasing Nick around in the yard. She could imagine playing catch with him and showing him wrestling moves.

She clicked through the rest of the pictures, awestruck. The home was situated on over twenty acres of land. It was tucked away in the trees, hidden away from the rest of the world. The kitchen was spacious and homey. She could just see herself cooking dinners for three of them, feeding Nick in his highchair and making love with Jon on the countertop in the middle of the night when Nick was asleep.

Mary knew just by looking at it this had to be her home. It's what she always pictured having when she was a little girl. This was her dream home.

Jon came walking out of the bathroom after getting a shower. A towel was wrapped around his waist and he smiled when he saw her, 'Hey, you. What ya doing?'

She nodded to her laptop, smiling, 'Just looking at homes.' She had a beaming smile on her face, 'I think I found the one.'

"Awesome!" He leaned over her shoulder and looked at the pictures. "Holy shit. It's fucking gorgeous. We could have our

own upstairs suite, that's fucking awesome. Plenty of privacy..." He kissed her neck and nuzzled against her. "Let's get it."

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'It's so much money, Jon. That's not in our budget. We can't spend all that money.'

He rolled his eyes. "We can so afford that. So we go over budget, big deal. We'll get a mortgage or some shit like that."

Mary looked at the pictures and smiled, 'I could see us living there, sharing our lives there.'

"Me too." He patted her shoulder. "We'll make some calls tomorrow, we'll make it happen. But right now you need your rest."

Mary chuckled and shook her head, 'Look at us, Jon. We're married, have a son and we're going to make calls to buy a home. We're even talking about mortgages. We're so grown up. What do you think our younger selves would say if they saw now?'

"They'd say we're fucking awesome." He rubbed her shoulder. "I'm gonna get you that house, babe. You can fucking bet on that shit."

Mary playfully slapped his shoulder, 'You're gonna have to tone down the language, ya know? You're a father now. Ya gotta be a good role model.' She smirked, letting him know she was kidding.

He cackled. "Fuck that shit! I'm gonna be the best dad ever. If those other douchebag parents don't like it, they can suck my

dick. I'll fucking tell them that at their pussy ass PTA meetings and shit. Fuck them."

Mary shook her head and cringed, 'How about I just attend parent teacher meetings myself?"

"Fine, enjoy your tea and crumpets. But if any kid or teacher or parent gives Nick shit, I'm gonna bust 'em open. You can quote me on that shit." He giggled at his wife's look of exasperation. "What? C'mon. I can play nice. That house has a sweet patio, we can invite some of those pansy ass parents over for a barbeque. And if they annoy me, I can bury them in that nice backyard and no one has to know."

Mary laughed and nodded, 'I'll help you dig the graves.' She scrunched her nose, 'Ugh, I don't think I'm cut out for all that bullshit, ya know? I tend to say the wrong thing when I'm nervous and ya know how awkward as fuck I can be in large crowds. Can you really see me as a fucking soccer mom or some shit?'

Jon shuddered. "Soccer? Fuck. Oh god. What if he's into all that shit? Like...like a fucking boy scout?" He gagged. "Oh shit. I'd fucking puke. Where is he? I need to talk to him. Stop laughing, Mary, I'm serious! I'm gonna get some sense into Nick while they're still time. No son of mine is going door to door selling cookies or some shit, what do they make them do?

Oh fuck. Gross."

Mary rolled her eyes, laughing, 'Who the hell cares what he ends up as? As long as he's happy it's all that matters. Who knows he might end up wanting to be a wrestler like his father.'

Jon grunted. "Don't joke about that. But yeah, whatever, if he wants to be the next Kenny G I'll still love him. I'll go to his fucking concerts. I'll just make sure to get wasted as fuck beforehand so I can stand it." He cringed. "Oh fuck, Kenny G. My son as Kenny G." He grabbed his bag and started rummaging through it. "Where's my iPod? I'm gonna start playing music for him. Good shit. Stop it before it starts, you know?"

Mary shook her head in amusement, 'Oh my God. No. You can't let a newborn listen to heavy metal, Jon. Jesus Christ. You're acting paranoid.' She grinned, 'Besides, I already let him listen to classical music when he was in my belly. I read it helped soothe the baby. He might already have the bug.'

Jon shook a finger at her. "If you fucking...if he ends up like that fucking guy, with the goddamn hair and the fucking flute...and I wasn't gonna put buds in his little ears and blast away! Fuck. You and your classical shit...fucking...why couldn't you play something cool?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Will you calm down?"

"You'd love it if he ended up like Kenny G, wouldn't you? Holy fuck. I'll bet you've already enrolled him in some pansy ass

flute classes or some shit. And synchronized swimming classes. Oh god." Jon gagged. "I'm gonna fucking puke."

Mary nodded and chuckled, 'Oh yes to all that. I also enrolled him in 'mommy and son' ballet classes.' She covered her mouth to hide her smirk. Fucking with him was too much fun.

"Jesus Christ! They have those?" Jon put his hand over his heart and staggered a bit. "You're gonna make him wear a tutu,

aren't you?" He staggered to the bed and pretended to pass out in shock.

Mary giggled and playfully kicked him, 'If people only knew what a fucking goddamn dork you are.'

He giggled and crawled up to kiss her legs. "I'm your dork, baby girl. And you had my baby, so he's gonna have some of my

dorkiness. Learn how to deal!"

Mary stroked his face and smiled, 'I did have your baby, didn't I?'

"You did." Jon grinned up at her. "How are you feeling, baby girl? I know you've gotta be hurting, still."

Mary ran her hands through his hair, smiling, 'I'm okay. I have my son and my husband. I'm happy.' She frowned, 'Except the doctor told me some really bad news before I left the hospital today.'

Jon's eyes widened in concern and he sat up in the bed, 'What? What is it, Mary?"

She sighed, 'We can't have sex for six weeks.'

He sighed and collapsed back on the bed. "Don't fucking scare me like that! Jesus!"

"You're not upset?" Mary patted his stomach.

"I'll live." Jon turned and grinned at her. "So I jerk off for a while. It's fine. When you're ready I'll be here." He kissed her stomach. "But now, you rest. Got a big day tomorrow. We're gonna get a house for our family."

Mary beamed, 'We sure are.' She grinned, 'And if it makes you feel any better. He said we couldn't have sex. He said we

couldn't have _some _fun. When I'm healed, of course.'

"You're such a pervert." He tapped her forehead and smirked. "You gonna tell those uptight fucks at the PTA meetings how much you love fucking me?"

Mary rolled her eyes, 'Yeah, sure. I'm the pervert.' She grinned, 'Fuck yeah, I am. Maybe I'll even give some of the ladies pointers and explain to them that anal sex is actually quite enjoyable.'

Jon giggled. "See, this is why we need that house. That master suite is perfect for privacy." He kissed her cheek. "I'm

excited, baby girl."

She smiled, stroking his back, 'Me too. I'm happy, you know? I'm so happy.'

He laid his head in her lap and smiled, 'Me too, baby girl. Me too.'


	32. Chapter 32

Mary was sitting on the porch holding Nick in her arms. It was hard to believe he was already three months old. He was getting so big. Maybe it's because all he does is eat. It felt good to sit on the porch and get some fresh air. She has been far too cooped up in the home. Cody and Kasey's home was nice enough, but it was starting to become too crowded. They needed their own space, their own home, just as they always dreamed about.

There was only one home she wanted though. It was the home she had seen when they first brought Nick home from the hospital. Ever since she laid eyes on it she knew this should be their home. It was her dream home. She could just imagine seeing Nick running around their land kicking a ball around while Jon chased him. She could sit on the porch and watch them, just enjoying the peace and serenity. Maybe they could have barbeques and invite some of their friends. They could even get a pool and have pool parties for Nick and all his friends. Having a home of her own was all she ever wanted. She had spent far too much of her life in tenement housing projects and crack houses. All she wanted was a home of her own where she felt safe, protected and love. A place she could share with her husband and child.

She knew a beautiful home like that would not stay on the market for long. If they wanted the home they were going to have to put a bid on it fast. She needed to get the ball rolling or else the home would be lost to her forever. As soon as she laid her eyes on it she knew it needed to be hers. It was as simple as that. It was her dream home.

After putting Nick down for a nap, she walked into the living room and dialed the number of the realtor for the property.

It rang a few moments before a woman answered the phone, 'Thank you for calling Fox and Chase Realtors. How may I help you?"

Mary smiled, 'Yes, I was calling to inquire about the property on 212 Long Lane in Catskills, New York. I was calling to put in a bid.'

The woman on the other end sighed, 'I am very sorry, dear. But that property has just been sold last week.'

Her eyes widened and she sat down on the couch as tears welled up in her eyes. It was all over. She should have known. When something is too good to be true it usually is, especially in her life.

Mary cleared her throat, forcing a smile on her face, 'That's fine. Thank you very much.'

She hung up the phone abruptly, not being in the mood to talk to anyone.

Mary was sitting there on the couch sulking when she saw Jon walking into the living room. She narrowed her eyes and wiped the tears from her eyes when she saw he was carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder.

'Hey, going someplace?' She asked him.

"Yeah, something just came up. They need me to fly to New York. It won't be long, I promise." He turned and frowned. "You okay?"

Mary took a deep breath. "I have some bad news."

Jon paled. "What is it? Are you okay? Nick's okay?"

"We're fine, but the house...it's been sold."

"Oh." Jon nodded and turned back to his bag, rummaging through it.

"Oh?" Mary glared at him. "I really wanted that house, Jon."

"Yeah, I know, but it's not like there aren't other houses." He shrugged and zipped up his bag. "We'll find another one, no big deal. Hey, uh, I need to get going. You're gonna be okay, right?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him suspiciously, 'I thought ya weren't due to go back until two weeks? What's going on in New York?'

"They want us to do promotional shit, stuff like that. A bunch of us are going. Last minute shit. Whatever, right?" He gave her a quick grin and then looked around. "I think I have everything..."

She widened her eyes incredulously, 'Did you even say goodbye to your newborn son?'

Jon sighed. "I'm not leaving right this second! Fuck, I wanna make sure I have my shit!" His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, frowning at it. "Christ. How goddamn complicated is she gonna make this?"

Mary narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

"Oh, uh, this new bitch in charge of booking our flights, she's fucking annoying as fuck. You know."

Mary cleared her throat. "What's her name?"

"Uh, Stacy. Stacy something." Jon blinked at her. "Why?"

She shook her head, 'No reason. Just asking.'

Mary couldn't help but feel a twinge of self doubt when she saw the look on his face. He was acted very odd, which made her suspicious. He couldn't even look her in the eye. It was as if he were guilty of something

'What's going on, Jon?" Mary asked him

"Nothing! Relax. Look, maybe I should go." Jon turned off his phone and shoved it in his pocket, tapping his fingers against his legs. "Where's our baby? I wanna say goodbye to him."

Mary glared at him, 'He's in the next room sleeping, Jon. I just put him down for a nap. I don't wanna wake him up.'

"I'll be quiet." Jon walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, giving her a big smile. "I love you, you know that?"

She nodded and bowed her head, giving him a small smile, 'Love you too.'

He gave her a quick kiss. "I won't be gone long, baby. Don't worry about anything, okay?" Jon winked at her and stood up, holding out his hand. "C'mere."

Mary got up from the couch and took his hand, staring up at him confusingly.

Jon pulled her close and hugged her, breathing her in. "I'm sorry. I'm being a pain in the ass, but trust me, everything's gonna be awesome." He kissed her neck and sighed. "Love you so much."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed. She couldn't but feel as if he were hiding something. She may just be acting paranoid and hormonal, but she couldn't help but feel as if something was up.

All of the sudden Nick wailing in the next room got her full attention.

She laughed, 'Well, that nap was longer than yesterday's.'

Mary gave him a small smile and walked into the next room, picking up Nick in his bassinet.

She cradled his head against her shoulder as he cried and slightly bounced him up and down in her arms, whispering, 'It's okay, baby. Mommy's here.' She kissed him atop of his head, stroking his back soothingly, 'Mommy's here. It's alright.'

Nick seemed to calm automatically by the sound of his mother's voice and touch. She smiled when he buried his face in her neck and pawed at her chest with his tiny fists.

Jon stood in the doorway and watched them. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world." He walked over and kissed the top of Nick's head, then gave Mary a quick kiss as well. "I'm gonna miss you both."

Mary smiled and gently grabbed Nick's hand, waving it in the air, 'Say bye bye to Daddy.'

Jon giggled and took his son's hand in his fingers. "He's so damn tiny. I can't believe we made him, you know?"

She laughed and nodded, 'We did though. He's ours.' She smiled up at him, 'You're really good at this whole dad thing, ya know that? Who knew you could be such a softie?"

He smirked. "I have my moments." He stroked Nick's cheek and gave Mary another kiss. "I'm gonna head out. I'll try to call later."

Mary nodded and watched as he hurried out of the house. It was almost as if he couldn't wait to get the hell away from them. She didn't like how he sounded. He acted as if calling her was an obligation. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch as she cradled Nick to her chest, wondering what in the hell was going on with her husband.

The next few days have been chaotic for Mary. She has been so busy with late night feedings, changing of diapers and cleaning up baby vomit that she had hardly had enough time for herself. She has only heard form Jon once since he has been gone. Even then their conversation had been brief. His sentences were clipped and he sounded distracted, almost as if he couldn't be bothered. He was talking to her like she was nothing more than something he had to check off his list of things to do. She could chalk it up to being hormonal, but she knew it was so much more than that. She knew her husband better than anyone. There was something he was keeping from her.

She had just put Nick down for a nap and was happy to get some time to herself. Maybe she could actually get a full thirty minutes of sleep for a change. She was just about to lie down on the couch when she heard her phone buzzing on the coffee table.

Thinking it might be Jon, she picked it up and frowned when she saw it was only Kat.

Mary answered it with a sleepy, 'Hey.'

Kat chuckled on the other hand, 'Holy crap you sound exhausted.'

She snorted and laid down on the couch, sighing when her head hit the pillow, 'Yeah well you try taking care of a newborn who doesn't understand the concept of sleep.'

Kat laughed,'Well, better you than me.'

Mary rolled her eyes, 'Yeah...so...what's up?"

Kat took a moment of deliberation and sighed deeply over the phone, 'I called you because I wanted to talk to you about something.'

Mary narrowed her eyes, knowing by the tone of her voice it wasn't good news. She took a deep breath, bracing herself, 'What is it?'

Kat sighed again, 'Look, I wanna let you know that I'm telling you this because you're my best friend. I love you and would never want to hurt you deliberately, but this is something you deserve to know.'

Mary scoffed, 'Just spit it out, Kat.'

There was momentary silence on the other end until she took a deep breath, 'I was in Manhattan having coffee with a client at Starbucks when I saw...Jon with some...woman. At first I thought they were just friends, but she put her hand on his shoulder and they were talking really intimate. They kept laughing and joking. He seemed really...into her.'

Mary's sat there stunned. She was rendered speechless by her words. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gritted her teeth in anger. Realization dawned upon her of why he had been acting so shady.

Mary sighed, 'I'll call you back, Kat. Thanks for letting me know.'

Kat sighed, 'Now, Mary...-'

Mary shook her head, cutting her off, 'No, it's fine. We'll talk later.'

She abruptly ended the conversation and dialed Ryan's number.

He answered after a few rings, 'Mary. Hey girly. How's the baby?"

Mary narrowed her eyes, 'Nick's fine. Look, I've been meaning to ask you. I can't get ahold of Jon. I think he may have lost his phone or something. Is he there with you?"

Ryan chuckled, 'I hope not. I'm in Hawaii on vacation with my girlfriend. Why, what's up?"

Mary shook her head, 'Nothing. It's just Jon's in New York doing some promotional work and I haven't heard from him.'

There was silence on his end for a few moments, 'What do ya mean promotional work? I haven't heard anything about that.'

She scoffed and nodded her head, 'So there's no reason Jon should be in New York right now?'

Ryan sighed, 'No, not that I know of. Believe me, I would know.' His voice sounded concerned, 'Why, is there something the matter?'

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath, 'Do you happen to know a Stacy that books your flight by any chance?"

Ryan laughed, 'No, I don't. The guy who books our flights is named Adam.'

Mary snorted and nodded, 'Thanks, Ryan. Thanks a lot. '

'Hey, is there something going on I should know about?'

She smiled, 'No, nothing at all. I'll talk to you soon.'

Mary quickly hung up the phone and threw her cellphone onto the table. She buried her face in her hands and cried. She fucking knew it. She knew that he was doing something, but she never expected this. Not after they just had a child together. One thing's for certain though. He was due home tomorrow and they would get this straightened out once and for all.

The next day Mary was sitting in the living room with Nick on her lap. Cody and Kasey were at work, leaving the two of them alone together. She was exhausted from the night before. Not only did Nick keep her up most of the night, but she had spent the entire night crying. Jon had tried calling and texting her, but she ignored him. She didn't feel like talking to him over the phone. She wanted to talk to him in person.

Her eyes widened as she heard the door opening. He was home. It was time to find out the truth.

"Hey." Jon hurried up to her and hugged her tight. "God, I missed you." He kissed her neck but frowned when she pulled away. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Mary forced a smile on her face and shrugged, 'Nothing's wrong. Just tired.' She held Nick's tiny hands in hers and smiled down at him, 'Your son doesn't understand when it's bedtime for mommy.'

Jon chuckled and stroked his head. "I missed you guys so much." He sighed and sat next to her, putting his arm around her and kissing her neck. "So good to be home, baby girl. Home sweet home." He bit back a smile and looked away. "So he must've kept you busy. I tried calling you and texting you but didn't hear from ya."

She sighed and stroked Nick's tummy, 'Sorry, I was too busy taking care of your son while you were gone.'

"Aww." Jon kissed her cheek. "Want me to take over? You must be exhausted."

Mary shook her head, 'No, I'm fine. He's going to have to get used to just me anyway.'

Jon frowned and nodded. "Right, yeah. Travelling and shit." He stood up and sighed. "Hey, I'm gonna unpack. You need me to do anything, baby girl?"

She smiled and shook her head, 'No, you did enough, Jon.'

"Okay. Let me know if I can do anything. I love you!" He grinned and bounded into their room, humming to himself.

Later on that night Mary put Nick to bed and walked into she and Jon's bedroom. She frowned when she saw Jon lying in bed, smiling up at her when she saw her.

She gave him a weary smile, 'I think I'm gonna sleep in the other spare bedroom tonight.'

"Oh." Jon picked at the sheet and cleared his throat. "I just, you know. I've missed you. But I guess you're tired?"

Mary snorted and shook her head, 'That's an understatement. Besides, you don't wanna see what I have underneath these clothes, Jon.'

He sat up. "Of course I do. I love you and you're beautiful." He gave her a wicked grin. "Been missing you, baby girl."

Mary blinked away tears and shook her head, 'I look like a fucking science experiment, Jon.' She sighed, 'Have a good night.'

She walked out of their room and into the spare bedroom, making sure to close the door behind her. Her face crumpled into tears as she sat there on the bed in the dark...alone. She didn't even hear the door creaking open.

"Mary?" Jon sat on the bed and rubbed her back. "Baby, what's wrong? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Mary sniffed and laughed humorlessly, 'No, Jon. Nothing at all.' She laid down on the bed with her back facing him, 'Can you leave me alone, please? I'm exhausted and Nick's probably gonna be up pretty soon.'

Jon sighed and patted her arm. "Do you want me to call the doctor tomorrow?"

She glared at him over her shoulder, 'There's nothing wrong with _me_, Jon. I'm not sick. I feel perfectly fine. I just haven't been out of this house in a month. I haven't had a good night's sleep since then and I'm fucking disgusting, but other than that I'm great. I feel super duper.'

Jon held his hands up. "Okay, you're right. Actually..." He took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about that. I want to take you somewhere. In New York. It's very important." He bit back a grin.

Mary sat up in bed and stared at him wearily, 'Nick can't fly yet, Jon.'

"I meant just you and me." He cleared his throat. "Nick wouldn't understand anyway. Not yet." Jon covered his mouth to keep from smiling, and schooled his features. "Look, um, something happened in New York and I wanna...I wanna show you. You need to see for yourself." He bit his tongue and looked intently at her.

Mary sighed and looked away. This was it. He was probably taking her to New York to meet his new girlfriend or something. Maybe he wanted to rub it in her face. This could finally be his revenge of her getting engaged to another man.

She crossed her arms over her chest, wiping the tears from her eyes, 'I don't think I should leave Nick while he's so young. You just go to New York, Jon. We'll be fine here without you.'

Jon shook his head. "You gotta come with me. It's important." He cleared his throat. "It'll be quick, I swear. I need you to be there."

Mary nodded, 'Okay, I'll go. But only one day and then we come back. I wanna be with my baby.'

She figured she would go and play along. Maybe she could see this girl for herself. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do once she faced her. She might beat the living shit out of her or them both.

"It'll only take a day. I swear it." Jon got up and cleared his throat. "I'll let you get your rest. I'm thinking we should do this as soon as possible, so I'll book the flights tonight. That okay with you, or do you want more time?"

Mary shrugged, 'You're gonna do what you want anyway, Jon.'

'Well, I do have a tendency to do that." He looked away before she could see him smirk. "So, yeah. Okay, we'll get it all figured out. Get your rest!" He smiled at her, then left, closing the door behind him.

The next day, Mary was standing in the airport with Jon, waiting to board their flight to New York. He booked the earliest flight he could find, which was twelve in the afternoon. She sat there with her carry on at her feet as she glared at him while he checked them in. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she willed them away. She wasn't about to break down and cry in front of him. Not anymore. She was a mother for Christ's Sakes. She had to keep some dignity.

Mary glared at him as she watched him walking over to her.

"Hey." He rubbed her arm and smiled at her. "Not too much longer, I promise."

She tapped her foot impatiently, 'Maybe I should call Kasey again to see if Nick's alright.'

"If you want." His phone buzzed and he looked down at it. "Oh, I gotta take this. Work shit. Be right back." He got up and jogged to the other end of the room, answering the call with a huge grin.

Mary sat there and watched him walk away to talk to someone on the phone. Tears filled her eyes as she wondered who he was talking to. What can't he talk about in front of her?'

"Sorry! That should be the last time, I swear." Jon sighed and put his phone away. "Don't worry, we board soon." He sat back down and stretched. "Flight won't take long, and then the drive won't take long either."

Mary looked at him suspiciously, 'Who do you keep talking to on the phone, Jon?'

"Oh, you know. Fucking suits. Everything's such a big fucking deal, they can't relax." He shrugged. "How are you feeling, by the way?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, 'I'm...fine. Just want to get this the hell over with and get back with my son.'

"Of course." He gave her a quick grin. "You, uh, homesick?"

She shook her head, 'My home's with Nick.'

He beamed and nodded. "That's true."

After what felt like forever they were able to board, and Jon looked over at her and smiled. "Hey. We're almost there." He rubbed her knee. "You want me to get you a blanket and a pillow?"

Mary glared at him and shook her head, gritting her teeth, 'I don't want you to get me anything, Jon.'

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Once they got off the plane, Jon got them into a rental car and they headed to their destination. Mary kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She had no idea why Jon was making her do this, but it would all be over soon. She still had Nick in her life, and she'd find a way to give him a good life herself.

They pulled up to an office and Jon leaned forward, grinning when a pretty young brunette stepped out and waved at him.

"I want you to meet someone." Jon grinned at Mary and patted her arm. "This'll be quick, I promise."

Mary gathered her strength and got out of the car, staring at the woman. She was definitely prettier than Mary had imagined, and was tall, thin, and shapely. She stepped forward and beamed at Mary. "Hi, I'm Becca. It's great to finally meet you!"

Mary just stared at her. Her hands balled up into fists at her sides and she felt herself begin to shake. This was the woman who was taking Jon away from her, and she seemed happy about it. Gleeful.

Jon stepped forward and grinned at her. "We're ready to, you know. Go to the place."

Becca's eyes widened. "Oh my god. She doesn't know yet?"

"I know plenty," Mary hissed, but neither of them seemed to hear her.

Becca clapped her hands and jumped. "This is so exciting!" She turned to Mary and grinned. "By the way, congratulations on your baby."

Mary stared at her in shock. The audacity of this woman was unbelievable. She balled her right hand into a fist and was about to deck her, but Becca continued.

"My wife and I are trying to adopt, but we're still dealing with paperwork and bigots." Becca rolled her eyes. "God forbid two lesbians try to raise a kid, right?"

"Lesbians?" Mary blinked. "You're married?"

"For five years now." Becca proudly showed off her ring. "My wife's a fan of your husband, by the way. I gotta admit, I don't watch much sports. I'm more of a teen soap fan myself." She chuckled. "She makes fun of me all the time!"

Mary turned to Jon in utter confusion. "What's going on?"

"I won't keep you." Becca handed Jon an envelope and winked at him. "Now it's just you two. Well, you three. Oh, I'll shut up now. Have fun and call me if you have any questions!"

"Thanks for everything." Jon grinned at her, then patted Mary on the shoulder. "C'mon. I gotta show you something."

Baffled, Mary got back in the car and stared at her husband as they pulled away and headed down the road. Jon pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and kept glancing at it. "What are you looking at?" she asked him.

"Directions." He gave her a sheepish smile. "I don't wanna get us lost." He turned and began bouncing in his seat. "This is the street! We're almost there!" Jon giggled and began tapping on the steering wheel. "Holy shit. This is fucking great."

Mary looked out the window and watched the trees pass them by as they made their way down the dirt road. She shook her head in bafflement as he turned down another private dirt road that enclosed.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest when she noticed a large house obscured by tall oak trees. She recognized this house. Even the land surrounding it looked familiar. She had spent many hours looking at this very house.

Mary was trembling as she covered her mouth. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Jon in bewilderment, 'Baby? This is...' She shook her head, too stunned to finish her sentence.

Jon grinned and parked the car, then ran to her side and opened her door. "Welcome home, baby girl."

She got out and stared at the house, then looked at him in shock. "How...?"

"I bought it awhile ago. Wanted to surprise you. I flew up here to do all the paperwork, and holy shit, there was like a shitload of it but it was worth it. Becca's the realtor, and she got it all going." He rocked on his heels and rubbed his neck. "This is okay, right? I mean, you didn't change your mind?"

Mary looked up at the house and shook her head in disbelief. Tears fell down her face and guilt weighed heavy in her heart. She had thought he was cheating on her. She always expected the worst, never daring to believe she could have anything this good, this wonderful.

She leaned back against the car and buried her face in her hands and began sobbing in happiness and relief.

"Baby, baby." Jon laughed softly and pulled her into his arms. "Aw, don't cry. I love you so much. You fell in love with this house and I wanted you to have it. I want you to have everything. You're the love of my life." He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. "My beautiful wife. Mother of my baby. My everything."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck, 'I love you so much. You make me so happy. No one in my life has ever treated me as good as you do, you know that? God, I love you so much. You're such a good man, Jon.'

"I'm in love with you," he murmured, and pulled back to grin at her. "You wanna see our house, baby girl?"

Mary nodded and laughed, wiping at her tears. "Yes! Definitely."

He giggled and took her hand leading her inside. "Hope you don't mind, but I got some furniture put in. Not like, major stuff, but like beds and stuff." Jon pulled the envelope that Becca gave him from his pocket and took out two keys. He handed one to her with a grin, and used the other one to open the front door. He took her hand and led her inside. "This here's the living room...obviously...and the kitchen's right there. Those are new countertops but if you want different ones we'll get 'em put in."

Mary stood in the kitchen, running her hands along the smooth marble countertops. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she stared around in awe, unable to believe this was their home. For the first time in her life she had a real place to call home. She had a family. Never did she think she would have any of this. The happiness she felt overwhelmed her.

She gripped the countertop to steady herself and looked at him wearily, 'This is really ours...right?'

He nodded. "All ours, baby girl. I got 'em to knock the price down. Okay, Becca did. So yeah, it's ours, no mortgage needed. Cool, huh? I did go a bit into some savings, but nothing bad. We're still way ahead of the curve." Jon giggled and hugged her. "It's amazing, isn't it? We have our own home. You and me. I've always wanted this, Mary."

Mary placed her hands over his and smiled through her tears, 'Me too. Every time ya would drop me off at that...house I always wished I was just going home with you. This house is amazing, baby. But we could be living in a van down by the river and it would still feel like home. Wherever you and Nick are. That's home to me.'

"Damn right." He kissed her neck and nuzzled against her. "Did I surprise ya?"

She chuckled and nodded, 'You sure fucking did, baby.' She turned around, smirking up at him, 'Can I see our bedroom?'

"Of course." He kissed her nose. "I got a bed. Hope you don't mind. I've missed you, baby girl."

Mary smiled and shook her head, 'I missed you too. It's been a long time. Kinda been down on myself, ya know? I don't want you to see me like this.'

Jon burst out laughing. "Like how? Beautiful and sexy?" He kissed her cheek. "You've never been anything but beautiful to me, baby girl." He took her hand and squeezed it. "Wanna see Nick's room first? I put in some stuff for him."

She smiled and nodded, 'I'm not kidding, Jon. My scar is...makes me look like Frankenstein and I haven't been medically cleared to work out yet.' She looked down at herself in disgust, 'I look like a beached whale.'

"Hey." He glared at her and squeezed her arms. "Stop talking about my wife like that. You're fucking gorgeous. Plus you just had my baby, so what's not beautiful about that?"

Mary pouted and held his face in her hands, 'You're so good to me, you know that? Why have I done to deserve you?'

"Nah, I'm the lucky one." Jon grabbed her hand and kissed it, then led her upstairs to their son's room. "I got people to paint it and stuff. That crib turns into a bed, isn't that cool? And when he gets older we'll get another bed. Maybe he'll be tall, I don't know. But yeah, and got some books and stuff. I'm sure you can think of other ones he might like. We can always get more bookshelves."

She stood in the room looking around and her face crumbled into tears as she started sobbing again.

"Baby." Jon held her tight, rubbing her back. "Baby, you're happy, right? Everything's okay?"

Mary hid her face in her hands and nodded, 'Yes, everything's perfect. I'm crying because I'm happy. I'm so happy, Jon. This is all I ever wanted.'

Jon kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mary." He smiled and gently pulled her hands away from her face, then kissed her. "I'm so in love with you." He squeezed her hands. "We got our own master suite. It's real private."

Mary laughed and nodded. "Yes, definitely."

He brought her up the stairs to their room and pointed. "This here's gonna be our room. And we got a jacuzzi in the bathroom. Just like you always wanted." He winked and rubbed her back. "If you want anything changed you just let me know, baby girl."

Mary shook her head in disbelief and laughed, 'My God, this is gorgeous, Jon. It's a far cry from our apartment that's for damn sure.' She smirked, 'The bed's really big too. Much bigger than our last one. Remember you were so tall your feet were hanging off the bed?'

He chuckled. "Yeah, but this one's nice and big. It's comfy, too." He rubbed her hips and nuzzled against her neck. "Wanna test it out?"

She sighed and leaned back against him, resting her hands over his, 'I think we should christen it. It's the right thing to do.'

"It's a damn good idea." Jon kissed her cheek and breathed her in. "You kinda scared me for a while there, you know. Kept pushing me away. I figured you were tired and stressed, but I was scared you were gonna tell me you didn't want me anymore."

Mary turned around and scoffed, holding his face in her hands, 'God no, Jon.' She shrugged, 'I just...after I had Nick I kinda felt down on myself, ya know? Didn't feel sexy. Especially since my surgery. I wanted ya to see me how you remembered me.'

She made sure to leave out the part that she thought he had been cheating on her. She didn't think it would be wise to bring it up, especially now. She wasn't going to believe Kat anymore that was for damn sure.

"You're nutty, you know that?" He tickled her sides. "Like I'd ever not want you. My beautiful wife." He kissed her and hugged her close. "We're gonna have so many damn good memories in here. Not just the bedroom, although I'm planning on making a lot of good memories here. Starting today."

She grinned as a slight blush flushed her cheeks, 'Is that so? What did ya have in mind, hmm?'

He responded by holding her face in his hands and kissing her deeply, sighing into her mouth and stroking her hair.

Mary took off his baseball cap and ran her hands through his hair, whimpering into his mouth as he kissed her. She licked into his mouth and nipped at his lips hungrily. She reached under his shirt and began stroking his abdomen as she trailed her fingers along the edge of his boxers.

She broke away from the kiss and whispered raggedly in his ear, 'Ya want my mouth on you, baby? It's been a long time since you've had that isn't it?'

He chuckled. "You gotta ask? 'Course I want it." He licked at her neck and growled. "Been thinking about you, baby."

Mary bowed her head shyly, 'Been thinking about it too. I've been thinking about you too. Miss your mouth and hands on me.'

"Love you so much." Jon slowly began undressing her, letting her undress him as well. Once she was naked he fell to his knees and kissed her stomach. "So beautiful. So perfect." He ran his hands over her skin and sighed. "I can't believe you tried to hide yourself from me. I'm always gonna want you, baby girl. Always gonna want my wife." He stood up and led her into bed, pulling the covers over them and kissing her. "This is our bed. Our home. Our life." Jon grinned at her. "You happy, baby?"

She looked up at him and smiled through her tears, stroking his hair, 'I am. I love you so much. I'm so happy, Jon. Are you happy?

He grinned and caressed her cheek. "Happier than I ever thought I'd be." He kissed her and nuzzled against her neck. "You like the bed, baby girl?"

Mary nuzzled her neck, breathing him in, 'I love it, but I love who's in it with me more.'

Mary bit at his neck and arched against trailed her hand down his neck down to his abdomen. She ran her hand through the hair at his groin, teasing him a bit.

She licked around his ear, whispering, 'So, I've been thinking. I've been neglecting my wifely duties.'

He shivered at her touch and stroked her hair. "You gonna make up for lost time?"

Mary bit the pulse point on his neck and gently grasped his cock, 'Want my mouth on you, baby?'

"Definitely," he breathed, and licked at her ear. "Been dying for that, baby girl."

Mary squeezed his cock and smirked when he let out a groan, 'You thought I didn't hear you jerking off in the bathroom, but I did. I heard you say my name, baby.'

He managed a small laugh. "Damn. Told ya, I can't control myself when I think of you. You drive me crazy, baby."

She licked the side of his face and stroked the tip of his cock, wanting to tease him a bit further, 'Did you look at pictures or did you watch me when you thought I was sleeping?'

Jon hummed in pleasure at her touch. "I'm not some creepy teenage vampire, babe. Didn't jerk off to you while you slept." He grinned. "But I did look at some of your Facebook pictures. The ones with you in that little bikini...damn. I'm a lucky guy."

Mary laughed aloud, 'Holy fucking Christ I should hope not. ' She sighed, 'Won't see me in bikinis for awhile, baby.'

He looked down at her body and raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You look sexy as fuck." Gently he stroked her arm and smiled. "Whatever makes you comfortable, baby. Just know that I love you and want you." He chuckled and thrust his hips up. "Obviously."

She smiled and stroked him from top to bottom, 'How much do you want me? Wanna hear you say it.'

"Can't stop thinking about you. You get me so hard without even doing anything. I drive myself crazy remembering your taste and how it feels being inside you." Jon sighed at her touch. "Just being near you...god, I've been wanting you. Want to touch you and love you and make you feel good."

Mary grinned and kissed his neck, 'Good answer.'

She gave him a soft smile as she crawled down his body, trailing kisses along the way. She kissed the insides of his thighs as she gently stroked and squeezed him. Ever so slowly she took him inside her mouth and sucked him down as far as he could go.

"Oh _fuck..._" He let his head fall back on the pillow and stroked her hair, moaning as she worked on him. "Damn...god, that's good. Fuck yeah...missed you, baby..."

Mary smirked around his cock and watched as he trashed and moaned on the bed. His cock hit the back of her throat, making her gag. She spit up on his cock and came back for more. She wanted to please him and make him feel good. He earned it.

"Holy shit." Jon breathed deeply as she licked and sucked at him, making his head dizzy with pleasure. "Jesus...fuck, that's good. Oh _god..._fuck yeah, just like that...oh, Mary, baby...god, you're good."

She sucked him harder into her mouth and squeezed and stroked him. He was oozing with precum and she used as lubrication, making her strokes slick.

Mary rubbed her pussy against his leg and released him from her mouth as she continued to stroke him, 'Feel how soaked I am, baby?'

He nodded helplessly and thrust his hips up, eager to feel her mouth on him again. He whimpered and writhed when she licked at his tip, teasing him. "Please...more. Please."

Mary spit onto his cock and sucked him down again. She bobbed her head up and down in a furious pace as she cupped and massaged his balls. She hummed around his cock, wanting to intensify his pleasure.

"Oh, fuck yeah. Fuck, that's good. Shit!" He began panting, losing himself in the sensations, then whined loudly when she pulled away.

Mary released him from her mouth and smirked as she crawled up his body. She rubbed her pussy against his cock, making him hiss.

She stroked the sides of his face, 'Want your mouth on me. Been fucking aching for it, baby.'

He hummed and rubbed her back. "Me too, baby girl. Missed you so damn much. Missed the way you taste."

Mary kissed his neck and squeezed him again,'How about we taste each other at the same time? Missed doing that.'

"You have the best ideas." Jon lay down and let her settle on top of him, groaning as she lowered her mouth on him. "Damn...fuck yeah." He wrapped his arms around her and licked at her entrance while slipping a couple of fingers inside of her.

She grinded against his face and released him from her mouth, letting out a cry,'Fuck, baby. I'm so fucking sensitive down there. Shit I can feel everything.' She stroked him, taking a few deep breaths and once again began licking at his tip, teasing him.

She moaned around his cock as she writhed against him. She sucked the tip of his cock, licking the precum on her tongue and moaning at the taste of him. She stroked him as fast as she could as she continued to suck on the tip of him, knowing it drove him crazy.

Jon leaned his head back and gasped for air as she sucked at his tip. "Oh fuck..." He sunk his nails into her ass and gently bit at her, then soothed her with slow licks.

She whimpered and suck on his tip harder, sucking down the precum that was oozing out of him.

His body started to tremble and he slipped a few fingers inside of her, curling them so his fingertips could rub against her slick walls. He kept licking at her hard nub and rubbing his tongue against it, his saliva coating her.

"Wanna make you come," he moaned, and began sucking on her clit, humming at her taste and sending vibrations into her skin as he moved his fingers inside her.

Mary released him from her mouth as she felt her orgasm ripping through her. She continued to stroke him and lightly lick at his tip as she started convulsing on top of him. She rolled her hips, bringing her pussy as close to his face as she could get. She was so turned on she squirted onto his face.

She grinded her pussy against him as her juices gushed onto his face and trickled in between her thighs.

Mary moaned and whimpered,'Holy fuck. Shit, baby. Oh god feels so good. Haven't come in so long! Oh fuck yeah! Feel

how fucking wet I am? I saved it all for you baby. Shit yeah.' She was trembling and her juices were spilling out of her.

Jon whimpered and lapped at her, thrusting his hips up. He was so fucking turned on by the strength of her orgasm he almost came, but he wanted and needed more.

After taking a few moments to gather her bearings she sucked him down once again, wanting to give him just as much pleasure as he gave her. She moaned around his cock as he began moving his tongue in and out of her. She started massaging his balls and released his cock from her mouth as she began sucking on his ball sac.

"Oh shit." Jon gasped and let his head loll against the bed while she licked at him. "God, I'm close." He managed to finger her while she took his cock back into her mouth, running her tongue around him. Jon groaned and pulled his fingers out of her, grasping onto her waist while his orgasm approached. He whimpered and moaned her name, shuddering helplessly until he shouted in bliss and came so hard his toes curled.

Mary crawled up his body and laid her head on his chest as she murmured soothingly to him, kissing his neck,'You okay, baby?'

After he was able to breathe somewhat normally he laughed softly and put his arm around her. "Fucking great. I should buy you a house more often. Pretty awesome perks."

Mary giggled and buried her face in his neck,'You know we're not even close to being done right?'

Jon grinned. "Was hoping you'd say that." He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're happy, baby girl."

She kissed his neck, sighing in content,'I am. This house is so beautiful. Thank you, baby.'

He stroked her hair and gazed at her. "I love you so much. Always wanted to get a house with you. Dreamed of this when we were kids."

Mary snuggled closer to him and smiled,'Me too. Used to dream of marrying ya when we were young.'

Jon cuddled close, resting his head on her chest. "Love you so much, baby girl. Wanna give you everything."

She grinned and threw her leg over his,'Everything, huh?'

He kissed her neck and beamed up at her. "Everything. And then some."

Mary arched against him and kissed his neck, stroking his chest,'You're really sexy, ya know that?'

Jon chuckled and licked at her ear. "Was gonna say the same thing to you."

She sighed and frowned,'Not right now, but as soon as I'm clear I'm gonna start working out again. Where's your shirt? I wanna put it on.'

He grunted. "You're sexy as hell. Stop talking about yourself like you're a beached whale. It's ridiculous and insulting." He kissed her shoulder. "And I don't want you to get dressed. I wanna hold you."

Mary placed her hand over her c section scar,'I hate having this. Makes me feel like Frankenstein.'

"You're not Frankenstein, shit." Jon scooted down and kissed her scar. "It's beautiful. Besides, you never talk about my scars and they make up half my skin."

Mary ran her hands over his scars,'Cause yours are beautiful too. You got them doing what you love. What you're passionate about.'

He nuzzled against her. "And yours is from our baby." Jon kissed her skin and sighed. "You know, I was scared as shit for a while. Thought you'd changed your mind about the house. We're gonna be so happy here."

Mary bit and licked at his neck,'I would never change my mind about l l living with you.' She chuckled nervously,'Ya know I thought you were cheating on me of something? You were acting all shady.'

Jon drew back slightly. "Whoa! Cheating on you? We just had a baby." He shook his head, then groaned. "Oh, man. I guess I was acting shady. Fuck. So, uh, there is no Stacy. Our flights get booked by a guy and he's cool."

She giggled and wrap her arm around his midsection,'Yeah, you're not the best liar in the world. I also called Ryan and asked him. Ya know I thought you were bringing me to New York to meet your new girlfriend?'

Jon winced. "God. Well, that explains why you seemed so pissed. I thought you were just being hormonal or something." He frowned and shook his head. "You thought I'd do that to ya?"

She shook her head as she blushed,'I hoped not. I didn't wanna lose you. Not again.'

"Well, no, and you won't." Jon rubbed her stomach. "What made you think I was cheating on you, though? Was it 'cause of Becca calling me about the house? Shit, I'm glad she mentioned that she was a lesbian, you probably were about to pop her in the jaw."

Mary nodded,'Yeah, every time she called you would go in another room.' She sighed shakily,'Also, Kat told me she saw ya were a girl in a coffee house.'

Jon's eyes narrowed. "Huh. Interesting." He sniffed. "That was Becca, by the way. Becca the married lesbian who helped me find a house for my wife, who I'm madly in love with and who just had my baby. So yeah."

Mary sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around him, kissing his neck,'I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it.' She chuckled softly,'and for the record I'm madly in love with you too.'

"Well, good." Jon kissed her and rubbed her hip. "I'm never gonna mess around on you, baby. Love you too damn much."

She smiled and caressed his abdomen,'I love you too, baby.' She grinned, biting his ear,'I think it's time I showed you just how much.'

"Oh yeah?" He raised his eyebrows. "How are you gonna go about doing that?"

Mary giggled and licked his neck,'Well, we christened the bed. There's plenty of other places to christen.'

Jon narrowed his eyes and rested himself on top of her. "We haven't had sex in this bed yet, though."

Mary held his face in her hands and smirked, 'Wanna break this in first, huh?'

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled over so he could like on top of her.

Jon smiled down at her, stroking her face, 'I love you, ya know that?"

She smirked and nodded, 'Good thing because I love you too.'

He bent down and kissed her. They were done talking. It was time for them to begin their new lives in their new home. They finally had everything they wanted. Jon, Mary and Nick were a family.

Just as it should be.


	33. Chapter 33

"What do you have planned? It'd better be good."

Jon grinned at David and shrugged. Four guys got called up from FCW and were gonna start working house shows next week. As champion, Jon got to decide their initiation, and he finally thought of something. "It's good."

"No way it's worse than what Punk did to us." David shuddered. "That was fucking nasty, dude."

"Oh shit, it was hilarious."

"To you, sure! I was pissed as fuck, man."

"You were almost crying." Jon widened his eyes and launching into his impression of David. "'They came on my bags! Why? Why would they do that? You don't come on another man's bag!' Holy shit." Jon laughed hysterically. "That was classic."

David rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm just glad it was yogurt. Although I can't eat that shit anymore." He shuddered again. "So, can I help?"

"Maybe." Jon got up and started pulling out his ring gear. "You know anything about these guys?"

"Yeah, I know 'em. Alex is cool, he's a fucking beast, they're gonna push him hard. Steve's quiet, but he's a decent guy. Jason's funny, he kind of reminds me of Ryan. And uh, Derek..."

Jon looked at his friend, who was glaring at the floor. "Yeah?"

"Derek is an asshole." David sighed. "He was a dick to pretty much everybody in the locker room. Everyone keeps saying it's just 'cause he's cocky, but he's a fucking ass. Plus he got on Marilyn's case before I set him straight."

Jon frowned. "Didn't Marilyn tell the suits that he was bothering her? Was he harassing the other divas or just her?"

"I don't know. It wasn't, you know, extreme, but he was saying rude shit to her and asking her to go to his hotel room to practice moves." David snorted and got up from the bench, stomping over to his locker. "I had a little talk with him about it and he knocked it off, but I don't know, man. He might be trouble."

"We'll see." Jon pulled out his belt and stared down at it. "You know his days are numbered if he doesn't react well to initiations, right?"

"No shit. So this needs to be good." David grinned. "I want in."

One week later and the new guys arrived. Most of them kept their heads down and their mouths shut, but one guy stared every veteran down like they were beneath him. Not surprisingly, this was Derek. The four of them had a match against the Usos, Roman, and Daniel Bryan. While they were working, Jon got Seth, David, and Ryan to help him with his plan. They got into the new guys's bags and pulled out their shampoo, emptying the contents down the drain, and filling the bottles with vinegar.

"You sure you don't wanna use piss?" Seth asked with a smirk.

"Maybe next week, if they give us shit," Jon replied.

They set everything back and waited until after the show, then went into the locker room with the other veterans and waited for the newbies to start their showers. After a few moments, the guys started yelling out in disgust.

"Fuck! This is...oh shit, I'm gonna puke."

"What is that smell? Holy fuck, it's in my hair!"

"Oh dude, I knew they were gonna fuck with our shit."

"MOTHERFUCKERS!"

One voice sounded angrier than the others and the veterans exchanged a look. The showers stopped and three guys came out with scowls, feeling at their hair, but nodded at the veterans to let them know they were okay.

"WHO FUCKING DID THIS SHIT?" The furious voice filled the locker room and the newbies shared a look and then scurried away. "I WANT A FUCKING NAME!"

"I did, fucker." Jon called out. "Got a problem?"

"YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, MAN!"

Jon narrowed his eyes and glanced at Seth, who nodded at him. "You wanna settle this the old fashioned way?" Jon asked. "I'll even let you get dressed."

The shower shut off and a guy stomped out, a towel wrapped around his waist. He stared Jon down and sneered. "You're a lot smaller in person, buddy."

Seth and Ryan stepped forward, as did Roman and a few other guys. Jon just smirked at him. "You're Derek, huh? Heard you were a piece of shit. Guess I heard right."

"You gonna be a problem, _Derek_?" Seth demanded.

Derek snorted and glared at him. "Depends. You gonna keep fucking with my shit, bitch?"

"I'll show you 'bitch', bitch," Seth growled, and lunged at him.

Ryan and Roman grabbed onto him, pulling him back while Jon shoved Derek back. "Better go wash up. You smell like shit."

Derek snickered and took a few steps back. "This shit's not over."

Jon grinned. "Damn right it's not." He turned to the locker room and nodded. "Let's get out of here." He patted Seth on the back, who was still glaring in Derek's direction. "I got my eye on you, Derek," Jon taunted, and flipped him off before turning to leave.

Mary was sitting in Nick's nursery feeding him, when she heard the sound of her cellular phone vibrating on the table. Not wanting to disturb the baby, she craned her neck upward to read the caller id. She beamed when she saw who it was. There was no way she was missing this call.

She gingerly moved her other arm as not to disturb Nick and picked up her phone, answering it, 'Hey, baby.'

"Hey, baby girl. How's our baby boy?" Jon settled against the pillows and sighed. "I miss you guys."

Mary chuckled into the phone, 'We miss you too. He's been fussy today. But I had RAW on and when you came on his eyes lit up and he had a big smile on his face. I swore he recognized you and your voice, but Kat said it was just gas. But I think he knew it was his daddy.'

Jon giggled. "Oh man, that makes my day. I needed that."

Mary chuckled softly, 'Why? Bad day?' Nick started fussing and she smiled, 'Wait a minute. Hold that thought. I need to put Nick down. Wanna say goodnight to him before I put him to bed?'

"Of course." Jon waited until he heard his son gurgling and humming and sat up, grinning. "Hey son. You giving Mommy a hard time? You miss your dad? I'm gonna see you soon, baby boy. Get some sleep. I love you, Nick."

Mary put the phone up to her ear and smiled, 'Ya should have seen his face when he heard your voice. His loves his daddy.' She laid him down in the crib and gave him a kiss. He was out like a light. Thankfully his crankiness wore him out, giving her the rest of the evening to relax...hopefully.

She walked out of the nursery and into her bedroom, 'Okay. I'm back. So...how was your day?'

"Not great." Jon lay on the bed and picked at the pillow next to him, wishing she was there. "Did initiations today and one guy gave me shit. He got in my face."

Mary laid down on the bed and looked over at the side where he usually sleeps and frowned. She always hated when he was away. She didn't like sleeping alone.

She laughed, 'Well, I'm sure you showed him not to fuck with you right?'

"I gave him a warning. I got a bad feeling about him." Jon sighed and pulled the pillow up to him, laying his head on it and trying to pretend he was resting on her chest. "Seth almost kicked his ass."

Mary cuddled next to his side of the bed and laid her head upon his pillow. She could see smell his distinct scent on the sheets. She closed her eyes, imagining he was there beside her. 'I'm sure Seth put the fear of God in him. What about you, Mr. Champion? Ya gonna request a match with him? Fuck with him a bit?'

Jon chuckled. "Funny you should ask that. He and two of the other new guys face me, Ryan, and Seth next week at a house show. If he doesn't apologize he's gonna get worked stiff." Jon sighed. "You know Arianna Steele, er, Marilyn? Apparently Derek was hassling her back at FCW. David put an end to that." He smirked. "I'm pretty sure David's got a thing for her. But yeah, that sort of shit doesn't go over well with us guys. Those girls are like our sisters."

Mary smiled and settled into his side of the bed. She always liked sleeping on him side when he wasn't home. It made her feel close to him.

She sighed into the phone, 'Sounds like a real class act. I'm sure you'll smack him right back down to his level.' She chuckled, 'Funny you should mention your house show next week. Kasey and Cody are coming for the weekend to watch Nick so I guess I'll be meeting this douchebag in the flesh, huh?'

Jon narrowed his eyes. "I don't want this guy anywhere near you." He shook his head. "But I get to see you! So I'm gonna focus on that. But yeah, look up Derek Bishop so you know what he looks like. I want you to stay away from him, baby girl. He's bad news." Jon sighed. "Some of the guys say he'll snap out of it, but I'm not so sure."

Mary chuckled and shook her head, 'I think I can handle one douchebag. I have extensive experience dealing with pricks.'

"True." Jon yawned and cuddled closer to the pillow. The stress of that day was starting to take its toll. "Miss you so much. Can we stay on the phone 'til we fall asleep?"

Mary sighed and nodded, smiling softly, 'Of course. I miss you, baby. It's lonely in this bed without you here.'

"Mmhmm." Jon yawned again and pulled the bedsheet up around him. "Gonna make up for it next week." He closed his eyes and smiled. "Tell me more about my son. What else did he do when he was watching Raw?"

Mary chuckled softly, 'Well, the only reaction he got was when you came on. No fucking lie. He was sitting on my lap and when you came on his eyes got so big and he started smiling and giggling. I even have video to prove it.'

"Video? Can you send it to me?" Jon grinned. "Our son is so smart. Just like his mom."

Mary chuckled softly, 'Of course.' She beamed, 'Guess what else he did today? He sat up for the first time by himself. Well, I propped him up but he still kept his head up.'

"Oh my god!" Jon laughed, feeling an incredible surge of pride. "Tell me you have video of that too!"

Mary laughed, 'Of course I do. I took him to the park today. I sat him in my lap in the swing.' She smiled, 'He fell asleep in my lap. I'm thinking I might take him there in the middle of the night when he's keeping me up.'

"In the park in the middle of the night? Nuh uh. Gonna buy a swingset for our backyard." Jon fluffed up his pillow. "Make a list of stuff and I'll get it. Maybe we can get a swinging bench for our porch."

Mary sighed, 'Ya know I have my own money too. You don't always have to be the provider, ya know?'

"Duh." Jon made a face at the phone. "Just sayin'. You know. 'Cause stuff. And I love you and you're mine." He yawned again and squirmed under the sheets. "Remember when we were kids and we went to see 'It's a Wonderful Life'?"

Mary chuckled and tears filled her eyes thinking about the memory, 'Yeah and you made fun of me for crying. You called me a baby.'

"Yeah, but you set me straight. You're always doing that," Jon slurred, feeling sleep starting to overtake him. "I remember...coming back to you after being on the road...you hugged me...I knew I was in love and I thought 'if I can find a way to come home to her for the rest of my life I'll be happy'. And I got that. And I'm happy. With you."

Mary smiled through her tears and snuggled into the covers, 'So am I, baby. You've always been my family, you know that?'

"And you're mine." Jon smiled and hummed. "Gonna see you real soon. Love your smile. Miss seeing it. Got pictures, but they're not enough."

Mary smiled and sighed, 'I miss you too, baby. So much. I miss you holding me..loving me.'

"Mmhmm." Jon hugged his pillow and felt himself start to drift off. "Love you, Mary."

Mary smiled and closed her eyes, 'Love you too, baby.' She closed her eyes and succumbed to her exhaustion, knowing it would be just a matter of time before their son would need her.

A week later Mary was standing outside of The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Her plane arrived no more than an hour beforehand. Jon had wanted to pick her up from the airport, but couldn't on account of his schedule. He felt horrible about it, but she understood. Being the wife of a wrestler meant alot of trust, communication, understanding and most of all...love. They learned that the hard way. She was so excited to see him she just dropped her bags off at the airport and headed right to the arena. Mary walked through the backstage area and headed for the dressing rooms. She knew he was just about to head onstage and wouldn't have much time, but she at least wanted to see him and wish him good luck. Mary found his dressing room and stood outside of it. Deciding to fuck with him a little she knocked on the door. She had a huge smile on her face. He thought she would be already in her seat. He had no clue she was going to surprise him like this.

"You sure you wanna do that?"

Mary turned to see a guy in wrestling gear looking her over like she was a buffet and he was a starving man. It creeped her out. "Excuse me?"

The guy grinned. "You really wanna waste all that sweetness..." his eyes trailed over her body, making her shiver, "...on a guy like him?" He nodded at Jon's door.

Mary rolled her eyes and scoffed. She smiled, knowing exactly who this guy was. She recognized him from his photos she googled, 'You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?' She smirked, just as her husband taught her and crossed her arms over her chest as she said in a matter of fact tone 'You must be Derek.'

"Indeed I am," he purred, stepping closer. "And what's your name, beautiful? I haven't seen you before...I can show you around. And I can guarantee I'm a lot more fun that that piece of trash," Derek stated, nodding his head at Jon's door.

Mary's eyes widened incredulously. Jon was right. This guy was a real fucking douchebag. He's only been in her presence for a matter of moments and already she wants to beat the living shit out of him.

Not wanting to cause a scene backstage, she pushed him away and sighed, 'Why don't you go get ready for your match and stop worrying about me alright?'

"How am I gonna concentrate on my match when I know the sexiest chick alive is back here looking for a good time?" Derek purred.

Before Mary could respond, Kaitlynn turned the corner and gagged. "Oh shit, it's you. Derek, fuck off. Leave Mary alone."

Derek gave the diva's champion a dirty look and grinned at Mary. "Mary, huh? Good to know. You gonna be around after the show? I wanna show you a good time."

Mary scoffed and held up her wedding ring. "I don't think my husband would like that."

Derek sneered at her. "Does he know you're backstage wanting to fuck wrestlers?"

"Her husband IS a wrestler, you asshole!" Kaitlynn spat.

Mary smirked and pointed at Jon's door. "In fact, he's the champion."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Derek's eyes widened and he snorted in disbelief. "That little piece of trash got a hot piece of ass like you for a wife? No fucking way."

Kaitlynn lunged forward and pushed him away. "Fuck off! I swear to god, I'm gonna find a way to get rid of you!"

"Good luck, sweetheart." Derek gave Mary a lewd wink and wandered off.

Mary watched him go and shuddered. "God, what an asshole."

"You don't know the half of it. He keeps trying to get in our locker room. He's a fucking douchebag." Kaitlynn sighed. "Poor Marilyn's all paranoid too. David's probably gonna take his head off." Suddenly her eyes grew wide. "Mary. You can't tell Jon about this."

Mary stared at her in shock. "Why the hell not?"

"He's gonna flip out! He might attack Derek, and while that would be fantastic, it would get Jon in trouble, maybe even suspended." Kaitlynn sighed. "Look, the boys have ways of dealing with this sort of thing. If need be, it'll be handled our way."

Just then the door opened and Jon peered out. "I thought I heard..." He spotted his wife and grinned. "Hey you!"

"Hey." Mary managed a smile.

Jon's grin faltered. "What's wrong? You seem upset."

"Oh, it's nothing," Kaitlynn said quickly. "I was just telling her about the bad bump Cassie took last week. She'll be fine, Mary, don't worry about it." She gave Mary a quick wink and patted her shoulder. "Anyway, gotta go get ready. See you guys later." She gave Mary one last look of concern and left.

Mary looked at Kaitlynn warily. She could not help but feel a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't feel right about the situation. She had a really bad feeling about that guy, but Kaitlynn was right. Jon couldn't know. God, if he knew. She didn't even want to think about it.

She shook the incident off and smiled at her husband, 'Hey, baby. Long time No see.'

"C'mere!" Jon took her hand and happily led her into his dressing room, closing the door behind them. "You surprised me," he murmured, and pulled her close for a kiss.

Mary sighed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around him. They held each other for a little while, then she sat in his lap while he told her about some of the things that had happened on the road. She laughed at the stories of Ryan trying to convince a waitress at Denny's that they were in a cover band that only did punk versions of Beach Boys songs, and of Roman trying to squeeze into AJ's trunks after losing a bet.

"That's the fun stuff." Jon paused and frowned. "Had to deal with some shit too."

Mary stiffened. "With Derek?"

"You got it." Jon sighed. "After our little confrontation, we decided to kick things up a notch. So we got some toothpicks and broke them off in the locks of his car. You know, to send a message not to fuck with anybody back stage. And not to threaten me."

Mary rubbed her husband's chest. "How did he take it?"

Jon gritted his teeth. "Apparently he flipped out and told anyone who would listen that he was gonna beat the shit out of me. So tonight's his last warning."

"What's gonna happen?" she asked in a small voice, dread creeping over her as she thought about her encounter with him.

"Well, we gotta match tonight. We're gonna work him stiff. If he gets stiff back, we take it to the next level."

"The next level?" Mary frowned and looked up at him. "You mean fight?"

Jon smiled and rubbed her back. "No, it's more involved than that. Wrestler tradition, that sort of stuff." He paused and looked her over. "You okay? I don't want you to worry about this, baby girl. I'll be fine."

Mary sighed and shook her head, stroking his face, 'Just be careful. I don't want you getting suspended because of that prick.' She grinned, 'This isn't CZW."

"Well, shit, I didn't know that. Here I thought there was barbed wire out there." He kissed his wife and stroked her hair. "Baby, don't worry. This is how this stuff gets handled. We can't tolerate the sort of shit he's been doling out."

Mary bowed her head. She knew all too well what he's capable of. She has experienced him firsthand.

She sighed deeply, 'He's...an asshole...huh?' She tried not to let her uneasiness show, but she knew without a doubt he would sense something was wrong. He could always read her like a book.

"Yeah." Jon frowned. "Why? He didn't say anything to you, did he?" He felt his eyes grow wide. "If he fucking-"

"No, no." Mary looked away. "He was staring at me and then Kaitlynn came up and he left. That's it."

Jon exhaled and hugged her. "Good. I swear to god, if he even came close to you I'd fucking kill him." He cleared his throat. "Enough about that guy. How's our son?"

Mary felt a sense of dread come upon her in this moment. His words chilled her to the bone. She was glad she decided not to tell him. God forbid if he ever found out what had just transpired a few moments before. Derek would most likely be dead and Jon taken away in handcuffs. It was best he not know. It was much safer that way. For everyone involved.

She smiled and took out her phone and opening up the photo gallery, handing it to him, 'I took all these photos while you were gone.' She stroked his face, 'He's looking more and more like you everyday.'

Jon giggled and held his wife tight as he looked at the pictures of their son. "He's got your eyes, baby girl. I hope to hell he got more of you in him than me, or we're in for a lot of trouble."

Mary nuzzled his neck and chuckled, 'He's got your temper I'll tell ya that He throws temper tantrums just like you.'

Jon cackled. "What does he do? Throw his binkie at your head?"

Mary rolled her eyes and shook her head, 'No...his bottles.' She chuckled, 'And for some reason he thinks it's fucking funny to piss on me as I'm changing his diaper. I thought it was adorable the first time, but now I think he does that shit cause he thinks it's funny.' She arched her eyebrow, 'Wonder where he gets that sense of humor from?'

Jon snickered and batted at his wife when she started smacking his arms. "It's fucking funny!"

Mary sighed. "See what I mean?" She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Well, Mr. Hilarious, I'm going to go watch your match." Her smile dissolved. "But be careful, okay? I don't want this asshole hurting you."

"Ha! Now that's funny." Jon stood up and gave her a quick kiss. "Stop worrying. It'll be fine."

They said their goodbyes and Jon headed to Seth's locker room, where he and Ryan were waiting. Seth had his creepy grim smile on and Ryan's face was uncharacteristically devoid of humor.

"We're clear on tonight, right? Derek gets the hard treatment, but Steve and Jason don't. They're clear."

His friends nodded.

"Good." Jon grinned wickedly and hoisted his belt on his shoulder. "Let's go have some fun."

Mary sat in her seat and got ready for the match. She could hardly focus on the other matches she was so nervous and anxious. She just didn't want anybody getting hurt. That anybody being Derek. She had heard a lot of talk backstage of him being a troublemaker. Apparently he not only liked to flirt with the Divas on the roster, but the wrestler's wives as well. Except he took the flirting to a whole new level. In a lot of ways he reminded her of Slim. He was just as sleazy and without morals. She just hoped he had enough sense of control to know when to quit. There were a lot of men just like Derek who would be alive right now if they just learned to keep their mouths shut.

Her eyes widened and her heart started pounding when she heard Jon's entrance music hit. It looked as if the Champion has arrived.

Let the fun begin.

Thank god for house shows. They gave everybody a little more freedom, allowed people to have some fun. And this sort of thing wouldn't work during a televised show. No way.

Steve and Jason were glaring at Derek and kept giving him hard tags. He'd given the group of new guys a bad name, and the word backstage was that he'd tried to seduce their girlfriends on more than one occasion. Derek didn't seem to surprised by their hard tags, but when he got in the ring with Seth and got smacked across the face, he seemed stunned for a moment.

His surprise turned to rage when Ryan delivered a few of his famous kicks to his kidneys, laying him out on the floor. Jon suddenly remembered that Derek had seen Clara with Ryan and made some inappropriate comments about her. No wonder Ryan was so pissed.

The poor ref looked like he was ready to have a panic attack when Jon sauntered in the ring and stood over Derek with his hands on his hips. "That looked like that hurt."

Derek glared up at him but didn't say a word.

Jon crouched down and smiled at him. "So. Are you ready to play nice? Or do I need to show you what happens to people who try to cause trouble?"

Derek sneered and spat on his boots. The crowd gasped and Jon just grinned.

"Oh, good. I was looking forward to having some fun." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I heard you were looking at my wife earlier. You upset her. That was not a smart move." Jon stood up and began kicking at him, then stepped back and shrugged when the ref screamed at him. He kept that up for a bit, resting against the ropes and smirking as Seth and Ryan taunted Derek and Steve and Jason watched with sinister grins.

Thank god for house shows. Even J.R. wouldn't be able to spin this to suit any kind of storyline.

Derek got to his feet and lunged for Jon, tackling him and hitting him with punches and slaps, then began pulling at his hair. Seth and Ryan ran in and dragged him away while Jon screamed in pain. He held his head and cringed, trying to get his bearings together before all hell would break loose. After a moment he got to his feet and turned to see Seth and Ryan holding Derek against the ropes while Steve and Jason pretended to examine their nails. Jon grinned and ran up to Derek, laying into him with everything he had, then grabbed his chin and got in his face.

"You come near my wife again, and I'll fucking destroy you." Jon grinned and punched him in the jaw, stepped back so Derek would fall forward. He pointed at Seth, who laughed darkly and made the winning pin, and the three of them embraced while Steve and Jason nodded their approval and hopped off the mat so they could head backstage. The crowd went nuts as they made their way to the locker room, chuckling at their handiwork.

"Think he got the message?" Ryan asked with a smirk.

"Fuck yeah," Seth replied, clasping his arm around Jon. "That was goddamn classic."

Jon ran his hands through his hair and exhaled. "And a good time was had by all." He snickered and headed to his dressing room, feeling like a god.

After the match Mary took a few moments to sit in her seat for a few moments to wait until the crowd cleared out. She also needed some time to gather her bearings. Jon's match left her breathless and for all the wrong reasons. The wild look in his eyes and his evil smirk. It took her back to the old days, when he was still a young punk mad at the world. He seemed to really be gunning for Derek. Shit, even Seth and Ryan looked as if they wanted to kill him. For awhile there she honestly thought they were going to do some serious damage to him. He even started bleeding at one point, which was unheard of in the 'PG' era of WWE. She had to wonder what got into them to act so irrationally. Sure, he may have deserved it, but they took it a step to far. They mixed business with personal. She really needed to talk to Jon and see how he was. She also wanted to congratulate him on his victory.

She got up out of her seat and headed backstage, using her backstage pass for clearance. Thankfully, the backstage was surprisingly clear. No doubt everyone was either getting changed or signing autographs and interviews with press. Mary was heading to Jon's dressing room when she heard someone say, 'Well...well...well. Fancy meeting you here.' She rolled her eyes and sighed. She recognized the voice immediately. Of all the people for her to run into it had to be him.

Mary sighed and turned to face him, smirking at the bruises on his face. "Looks like you got your ass handed to you."

Derek snorted and sauntered up to her. "Know why your husband and his cronies did this? They're scared. It's pathetic." He looked her over and grinned. "Maybe you should take care of me, make me feel better?"

Mary placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her, 'Yeah, I don't think find some ring rat to make you feel better. It shouldn't be that hard.' She tried walking away from him, but he stepped in front of her, caging her in. Her eyes went wide and her heart pounded in her chest. What the hell was she going to do now?

"So fucking high and mighty." Derek sneered and leaned in close. "You know, it's not like your little hubby is such an angel. He's sampled the entire divas locker room. But you knew that, right?" He laughed at her horrified expression. "Please. Like you didn't suspect that. Guys like him, they can't keep it in their pants, even if they got a ring on their finger. Funny, we kinda have that in common. So why don't you have some fun with me?" Derek lowered his voice. "You think I don't know about you and Seth? It's common knowledge that you've fucked him, sweetheart. Does Jonny boy know that his wife and his best friend have been fucking around for years?"

Mary shook her head and looked at him incredulously. She chuckled, 'Yeah, ya caught me. Seth and I...been fucking for years. Wow, you're fucking so smart.' She sighed, 'I don't have time for this. Everybody is right. You are a fucking prick.' She gasped when he grabbed her arms.

"You know, your husband is a fucking piece of trash. And you might be hot as fuck, but you're trash too." Derek glared at her and squeezed her arms. "I don't see him around, so I don't know why you're acting like I can't just do whatever the fuck I want."

Mary gritted her teeth as tears filled her eyes. She was scared, but she wasn't about to let this son of a bitch know that. She would be damned if another man had that power over her again.

She tried getting out of his grasp, but he held firm. She sighed shakily, 'Let me go. You fucking bastard.'.

Derek chuckled and pushed her against the wall, 'Oh yeah. I like a girl with some fucking fire in her. I'm gonna have alot of fucking fun with you.'.

She gasped as he grabbed her breasts. She tightly closed her eyes as tears slipped out of them. The only thing that was running through her mind was not again. Please don't let this happen again.

Jon felt fucking fantastic when he stepped out of the shower and got dressed. He'd handled things, and Derek was either gonna change or he was gone. Plus Mary was in town and he was gonna be able to fall asleep next to his beautiful wife. Well, sleep after they were done catching up.

He packed his bag and set it on the bench, figuring he would track Mary down first and then they could leave. The sooner they got back to the hotel, the sooner they could celebrate.

Jon opened the door and headed down the halls, his heart starting to race when he heard his wife scream. He ran and turned the corner to see Derek pushing Mary up against the wall, laughing while she cringed and kicked at him.

Jon's vision went red and he charged forward, screaming in pure fury.

Mary's eyes widened as she saw Jon lunge forward. Derek threw her off to the side as he blocked Jon's oncoming fists. She sat there hunched on the floor and watched in horror as Jon began punching and kicking Derek to the ground. He was screaming in fury, his eyes were wildlt ferocious and his tongue was wagging as he snarled. In that moment she felt as if she were sixteen years old again on prom night, when Jon had saved her life all those years ago. Except this time Derek might recieve a fate far more cruel than Slim's. He might not come out of this alive.

"Oh my god!" Kaitlynn and Paige ran forward and grabbed Mary, pulling her away. "Mary, are you okay?"

"He's going to kill him!" Mary screamed.

"She's right, oh god." Paige ran off, yelling for Seth and Ryan.

Jon didn't hear any of it - he was too busy wrapping his hands around Derek's throat and pressing his face up against his.

"You fucker. You fucking fuck. I'm going to finish this. I'm going to do what I should have done to you YEARS ago. I should have fucking killed you years ago, you piece of shit. You put your hands on her, you fucking tortured me, and I'M GOING TO END THIS NOW!"

Mary stood there watching him wide eyed in horror as she listened to his words. She could see the madness in his eyes. It was a vacant stare devoid of all emotion. She has never witnessed him behave like this before. The things he was saying. It was as if he thought Derek was Slim. She was sure he was going to kill him and finish what he should have years ago. She had to do something. She couldn't stand here and let him do this. She was sure he was going to kill him. Yeah he may have deserved an ass kicking, but he did not deserve to be killed. Not because of something he had absolutely nothing to do with. What happened to them in the past was not Derek's fault.

She could not wait for Seth and Ryan. They might not make it here in time. Derek may surely be dead by then.

She ran over to him and grabbed Jon's shirt, 'Baby, stop. You're going to kill him.'

Jon dropped him and stared down at her.

Mary stared down at Derek. He was lying there unconscious in a pool of his own blood. His face was battered and broken and he was not moving. His eyes were half-lidded and his mouth was gaped open with blood trickling out the side of it. Tears filled her eyes as she gasped. He looked...dead.

Jon's eyes were cold as he looked at her, sneering. He smirked maniacally as he stared her down.

She tentatively reached her hand up to cup his cheek, but he grabbed her firmly by the wrist, saying through gritted teeth, 'You don't fucking touch me, bitch. You let him do it. You fucking sat there and laughed at me while they tortured me you fucking cunt.'

Mary's eyes widened as she shook her head in disbelief. No, she could not believe this was happening. He was so far gone inside his head he thought she was his mother.

She shook her head, 'Baby, it's me your...wife. It's Mary.'

'You never loved me," Jon hissed. "Never. Fucking told me you should have carved me out of you. Told me that every day."

Mary held up her wedding ring and shook her head. "I'm your wife, Jon. Not your mother. I'm Mary."

He blinked and stepped back in shock. "I'm..."

Derek groaned on the floor and turned over, wiping his face. Mary stared at him in terror and pulled at her husband. "Baby...we need to leave."

"You fuck." Derek spat on the floor and grunted, feeling at the lockers. "Gonna...fucking...kill you..."

"Mary!" Kaitlynn picked her up and hoisted her away. "Get away from there!"

"No!" Mary flailed and kicked, but Kaitlynn held onto her. "No, Jon, he's getting up!"

Jon slumped against the lockers and slid to the floor, his eyes devoid of emotion. He vaguely registered Derek crawling over to him and grabbing at his shirt, but he was gone.

"Fucking...trash," Derek hissed, and punched Jon in the face. Jon blinked in shock, then lunged at him and the two of them started grappling on the floor.

Mary screamed as David and Alex ran up and pulled Derek away and Seth crouched over Jon.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Jon screamed as Seth held him back. "You're gonna fucking die for what you did to us!"

Mary's eyes widened as she stared down at Jon. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. She could hear the screams, but nothing was registering. She couldn't wrap her psyche around what was happening. She didn't recognize this man before her. Her husband was nowhere to be found. This man was an animal, a monster filled with so much hatred and anger. It was as if all that pent up hatred he had for Slim and his mother came spilling out of him. It could have been anybody who unleashed it. It was just a matter of just happened to be the unfortunate soul who had to pay for their crimes against them.

She screamed out when she saw Jon violently push Seth away and lunge for Derek once again. He jumped on top of him and grabbed his shirt as he kept punching his face repeatedly. The look within his eyes was murderous. He was growling and snarling, baring his teeth as he pummeled into him. He was hitting him so hard she could see cuts upon his knuckles, but he didn't stop. Derek managed to gain some leverage and kneed Jon in the stomach, but the blow barely registered. He had a sadistic smirk upon his face as he wagged his tongue at him and lunged for him once again. It was almost as if he enjoyed getting hit by him. It only made him angrier and vicious.

Seth and Ryan managed to pry Jon away from him. Seth grabbed his legs while Ryan grabbed his arms. He so filled with adrenaline and rage that it took all of their strength just to hold him down, but barely.

Jon kept squirming underneath them as he screamed out, 'WANNA FUCKING KILL HIM. LET ME FUCKING KILL HIM. THAT BASTARD DESERVES IT! HE TOUCHED HER. HE HURT HER!'

Tears fell from Mary's eyes as she crouched down beside him. She slowly and cautiously touched his cheek, whispering, 'Jon, please. Calm down, baby. Please. You have to calm down.'

Jon looked at her and sneered in disgust, 'Get the fuck away from me, you fucking whore! You fucking cunt. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!'

Seth sighed deeply and shook his head sadly, saying to Mary, 'He doesn't mean it, Mary. He doesn't know what he's saying.'

Mary stood up from the ground and shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe this was happening. This wasn't her husband, the father of her child. She had no idea who this man was. She wondered if she would ever get the man she loved back.

"This ends now!" Alex stomped over to Derek and threw him to a group of guys who were waiting for him. They dragged him away and Alex knelt next to Jon and looked up at Seth. "Should I?"

Seth nodded. "Do it, he's in fucking crazy mode."

Alex sighed and crawled on Jon's back, reaching behind him to apply a sleeper hold. Jon snarled and tried to get out of it, but after a few seconds his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped down, unconscious.

"Shit." Alex got up and carefully approached Mary, who was staring at him in horror. "I was in MMA for a while. He's gonna be fine, he's just sleeping." He looked away, seeming embarrassed. "I didn't want him hurting anybody. Or himself."

Jon was brought back to the hotel by Ryan, while Seth went to the hospital with Derek. Mary helped him carry her husband up to their room, which was a pretty amazing feat considering his height and weight.

He was still out of it as he lie there in the bed. She sat in a chair, obscured in the darkness. The only light source being the moonlight filtering through the blinds. Tears fell from her eyes as she stared there watching him. She could not believe what he had done. He not only hurt someone else, but her as well. Her wrist still ached and burned from where he grabbed her and she was pretty sure come morning she would have bruises. When she looked at her wrist she has sobbed and clutched the sink to keep from collapsing. She had angry red marks around her wrist in the shape of hand prints. She didn't blame him for what he did. She knew he wasn't in the right frame of mind. He would never intentionally hurt her. That much she was certain. She feared when he woke. She couldn't bear the thought of what he would do to himself when he discovered he hurt her. She didn't even want to think about it.

Mary gasped as she saw him stirring slightly on the bed. It looked as if she were going to find out.

Jon grumbled and writhed on the bed. His head was fucking killing him. It felt like someone had taken a bat to it.

"He's waking up." That was Seth.

"Is he still gonna be...?" Ryan sounded concerned.

Mary sighed. "Jon? Are you okay?"

"Fuck." Jon groaned and turned on his side. "The fuck happened?" He tried to sit up and winced. "How did I get back here?"

Mary got up from the chair and ran over to him, sitting down next to him on the bed.

She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, 'Do you remember anything, Jon?'

"The match," Jon mumbled. "We worked Derek." He squinted at Seth and Ryan. "Did he get stiff with me? My head hurts like a motherfucker."

Seth and Ryan exchanged glances. "After the match..." Seth's voice trailed off and he looked at Mary.

"What?" Jon frowned and looked at his wife. "What?"

Seth stood up and cleared his throat. "You've gotta be exhausted. We're gonna see if they have anything decent in the cafe downstairs." Ryan nodded and followed him out, leaving Jon and his wife alone.

Jon sat up and scowled at Mary. "What the fuck is going on?"

Mary bowed her head, staring down at her hands folded upon her lap. She took a moment of deliberation to gather her thoughts of what she should say to him. The last thing she wanted was to upset him again, but he deserveD to know the truth.

She sighed shakily, 'After your match I went backstage to find you and I ran into Derek. He cornered me and tried to...' She gritted her teeth and shook her head. She couldn't even say it. It made her sick just thinking about it.

Jon's eyes grew wide. "What did he do?" he asked in a low voice. "Tell me, Mary."

Mary sighed shakily. She silently debated is she should tell him, but she had to be honest. He had to know he wasn't crazy. There was a reason and method to his madness. He was provoked and had every reason to do what he did. Except he did it for all the wrong reasons.

She took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves, 'Derek grabbed me and tried to...' She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. She didn't finish. She didn't need to. Her tears said enough.

Jon felt himself begin to shake and reached for her, pulling her close. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

She nodded and held him tight. "I'm okay. He didn't...get far."

"Please tell me I killed him," Jon hissed.

Mary cringed just thinking about what he did. She shook her head, 'No, but you almost did. You were choking him. If Seth and Ryan didn't come in you would have.' She sighed deeply, 'You also went into a...rage. You thought Derek was...Slim and I was your...mother.'

Jon cringed and buried his face in Mary's neck. "Fuck. Mary...oh god, Mary, did I hurt you?"

She stroked his back soothingly, 'You...uh...grabbed my wrist and...' She sighed shakily, 'I'm okay...'

The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel guilty. God knows he's carried enough of the burden. She had to show him this wasn't his fault. She didn't blame him for what he did.

"Let me see." Jon held his hand out, his body shaking. "Mary, I need to see what I've done."

Mary nodded. She sat back and slowly rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. She looked down at it and winced. She could still see the imprints of his hand and it was already starting to bruise. It was also slightly swollen.

She shook her head, saying in a reassuring tone, 'It looks worse than it is'

Jon stared at the marks on Mary's skin in horror. He'd done that. It didn't matter that it was in the heat of the moment. He'd hurt her, just like Slim. He swallowed hard and moved away from her. "Get out."

Mary looked at him in shock. "What?"

"Get out." He looked away, his body shaking. "Go away. Move. Change your name. I don't want to see you again, ever."

She shook her head. "Jon..."

"No. I mean it. We're done." With shaking hands, he took off his wedding ring and handed it to her. "We're done. Find someone else." His eyes filled with tears, but he wanted her to leave and build a good life with a better man. She always ran off when she was upset, and this would be no exception. Jon would live his life alone, like he always figured he would, and Mary would be safe. Safe from him.

Tears filled her eyes and she stared at his wedding ring in her hand. She was in shock. She didn't understand why he was doing this. All she knew was that she couldn't let him do this. She refused to let him push her away. She suddenly came to the stark realization that this is what he felt like when she did the same thing to him.

She put his ring in her pocket and held his face in her hands, 'Jon...no. You're my husband. I need you. Nick needs you.'

"No, he doesn't, and neither do you." He pushed her away. "Find another guy, a better one. It'll be easy. A woman like you has guys falling all over her. Just make sure he's good to you...and my son." Jon clenched his jaw and turned on his side, away from her. "Get out. Go. I don't want you around anymore."

Her body was shaking and tears were falling from her eyes. She could not believe he was saying this to her. Maybe it's what she deserved considering all the shit she has put him through over the years. She shook her head. No, she couldn't think like that. She would be damned if she let him do this to her. To them. To their son.

Mary sobbed softly and placed her hand upon his back, 'But I love you, Jon. Nick loves you. I don't wanna go. Please don't make me go. I love you.'

"I hurt you," he muttered. "I'm not gonna let that happen again. I could have...I promised myself I'd end things if I ever hurt you. What if Nick was there? What if I...?" He reached back and shoved her away. "Get the fuck out of here!"

Mary shook her head, saying in an adamant tone, 'No, I'm not leaving, Jon. I love you too much. I'm not going to leave you over this.' She smiled through her tears, 'For better or worse, right?'

"What have you always told me? It's misplaced love? Yeah. You're just not used to living without me." Jon got up and winced, holding his head. "Just get the fuck out. You can do better. The both of you can."

She got up from the bed and stared at him in shock. He was behaving just as she had. She couldn't believe he was doing this. Everything was going so well between them. They were finally happy.

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and bowed her head, 'You don't want me anymore, Jon? What did I do wrong?"

"Of course I want you," he muttered. "I love you, and that's why I want you to go. You're better off without me. I hurt you...I'm just like him. All I fucking do is hurt people." Jon buried his face in his pillow, not wanting her to see his tears.

Mary sighed and stroked his hair, 'Baby, that's not true. You were trying to protect me. You weren't in the right frame of mind. I know you would never intentionally hurt me.'

Jon kept his head buried in the pillow, obviously not listening to her.

She looked at him, shaking her head sadly. It was time to make him see what he was doing. What he was losing.

Mary took out her phone and browsed through her photo gallery. She picked a picture she took of Nick and Jon at the park one day. He was sitting on a swing with Nick on his lap and he was holding his hands up as he kissed the top of his head. Nick was staring up at him with a big smile on his face. It was one of her favorite photos of them. She even had it as the wallpaper on her phone.

She placed the phone on the bed beside him, 'Look, Jon. Look at your son. Look how much he loves you.'

Jon pushed her phone away. "He doesn't need a fucked up dad who might hurt him someday."

Mary scoffed, 'So, you're really going to do this. You're gonna push me away? You're going to make me raise our son

alone? Do you really want to end up like our parents, Jon?"

"I almost killed somebody yesterday," he said in a small voice. "I hurt you. Why would you want me anywhere near you or our son?"

Mary smiled softly, 'Because you protect us. If you weren't there, Jon Derek would have...' She shook her head. She didn't even want to finish the sentence.

She continued stroking his back, 'Do you remember my prom night? Remember when Slim tried to hurt me? You came in and saved me. If it wasn't for you he would have killed me that night.' She wiped the tears from her eyes, 'Remember when you took me to that hotel? You held me all night and let me cry in your arms. It was that night I realized how much I loved you and I knew you would always keep me safe. You always have. Always. Now you're gonna do the same for our son.'

"But I flipped out. I thought you were..." Jon shook his head. "What kind of fucked up asshole would do what I did? Shit, I know you're not my mom. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

Mary kept stroking his back soothingly, 'There's nothing wrong with you, baby. It's just your panic attacks. They mess with your mind, causing you to not think so clearly. It's not your fault.'

"Please go away," he murmured. "I wanna be alone."

Mary nodded her head and leaned down, kissing his head, 'Okay, I'll leave you be, but I'm not leaving. I'll just be in the next room. I'm not leaving you, Jon.'

He kept his head buried in the pillow and turned on his side with his back facing her, not even bothering to respond.

She was making her way into the other room when Ryan and Seth came through the door, carrying a bag of food for Jon.

'He okay?" Seth asked her.

Mary looked over at him, smiling sadly, 'Not yet, but he will.' She sighed, 'He uh...doesn't want me here at the moment. Maybe you guys can talk to him?"

Ryan nodded his head, 'Yeah, sure.'

'Not a problem.' Seth said. He patted her shoulder, saying in a reassuring tone, 'We'll take care of him.'

Mary just nodded and smiled as she made her way into the other room. She hoped they could knock some sense into him. She needed him. Most importantly, he needed her, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Seth walked in and set the bag down on the table near the bed. "Got you some bagels. And juice."

Jon grunted and wiped his face. "Thanks."

"Sure. We only ate two, so you're welcome." He and Ryan pulled up a chair. "So, uh. Word is that you and Derek are gonna get suspended."

"Fuck." Jon rolled onto his stomach. "Fuck, fuck me..."

"Could be worse, man." Ryan glanced at Seth. "But yeah. A bunch of us tried to tell the brass what happened, but no witnesses...it's fucking bullshit."

"We're gonna handle it," Seth interjected. "We're gonna settle this shit."

Jon sat up and rubbed his forehead. "We tried that. He didn't fucking learn a thing. He tried to..."

"Don't think about that. We're gonna take it a step further." Seth put his hand on Jon's arm and grinned. "I talked with some of the guys, and we're gonna get some alumni to help us out. Punk, JBL...Taker..."

"Taker?" Jon frowned. "What are you talking about?" His eyes widened. "Oh, shit."

"Yup." Seth grinned. "Derek's going down, man."

Mary stood up when Seth and Ryan walked out of Jon's room, closing the door behind him. Ryan gave her a reassuring smile and went into the other room, leaving her and Seth alone.

"He's fine," Seth assured her. "Needs some rest, though. The bad news is that Jon's probably going to get suspended for a few weeks."

Mary's eyes widened. "But that's bullshit! He was defending me!"

Seth shrugged. "I know, but once their minds are made up...don't worry about it, though. We're gonna take care of Derek."

She sighed. "Another attack?"

Seth gave her a wicked grin. "Nah. This is better." His eyes shone with excitement. "Ever hear of Wrestler's Court?"

Mary shook her head confusingly, 'No, what the hell is that?'

"It's something they used to do in the old days, but they still do it once in a while in extreme cases, like this. Taker was the judge, and he'd have a jury, usually JBL and some other guys. But this time it'll be JBL and Punk, and maybe somebody else. Anyway, it takes place in the locker room and basically Derek will be put on trial. Everybody gets a say, and if he doesn't make serious amends, he's out of there. This is his last chance. The fight was his third strike. He's fucked." Seth smiled and patted her arm. "Either Derek gets on his hands and knees and begs Jon to forgive him, or he's out. This shit is serious. And do you think Jon will accept his apology? Shit no. He's gone, Mary. Derek's finished."

Mary sighed. "What if Jon has another...episode?"

"He won't. I'll make sure of it. If things start to get bad, I'll take care of it. Jon's got an army behind him, Mary. I asked Punk if we could be Jon's witnesses, and he agreed. That's a big deal. It's really intense, but it's going to be a supportive thing for Jon. He'll be fine." Seth paused. "I would've done the same thing. If someone touched my wife or girlfriend, I'd need to be pinned down too." He gave her a careful look. "How are you, Mary? Do you need to talk to someone?"

Mary shook her head, sighing, 'Yeah, I do. I wanna talk to Jon, but he doesn't want me anywhere near him.' She bowed her head, 'He told me wants a divorce. He gave me his wedding ring.'

"Why, 'cause he lost his temper? Shit, I can fucking sympathize. Like I said, I'd do the same thing. And we both know he gets confused when he's really stressed, so there's that." Seth cleared his throat. "Look, whatever happens between you is not really my business, but maybe he just needs some time. If you want, I'll talk to him, but he's still a little freaked out. We got him to eat a bit but he said he wanted to sleep. Maybe once he falls asleep you can go in there so he doesn't wake up alone and thinks everyone abandoned him." Seth got up and smiled. "Me and Ryan will be down the hall if you need us, okay? You need anything?"

Mary shook her head, a small smile forming upon her face, 'No, I just want to be with him.'

Seth patted her back and smiled, 'Yeah, sure. Of course. But if ya need anything. You let us know, alright?"

She nodded, smiling gratefully, 'I will, thanks.'

With one last smile, Seth left the room, leaving Mary alone with her husband once again.

She walked over to the bed and laid down next to him. She brushed some of his hair away from his eyes and smiled softly at him. Even at thirty two years old he still looked the same as he did all those years ago. She didn't see him as anything else, but Jon. The man she has always loved. She had made a vow to him years ago and she was going to stay true to it. Stay true to him. Regardless of the fact if he told her to leave, she wasn't going to abandon him. He needed her now more than ever.

Mary laid her head upon the pillow next to him and stroked his back as she carefully watched him, never leaving his side.

She must have dozed off herself for she was awoken by someone gently shaking her. She jumped up startled and groggily opened her eyes to see Jon staring down at her. He was sitting up in the bed with his back resting against the headboard. The look upon his face was one of confusion, as if he couldn't understand why she was still here with him.

Mary sat up in the bed and rested her hand upon his shoulder, 'Hey, How ya feeling?"

"The fuck's going on? Why aren't you...Christ." He groaned and rubbed his side. "I think...do I have a bruise? It hurts like fuck. That fucker kicked me like a thousand times."

Mary cringed and nodded, 'Yeah, you have a bruise.' She looked at his face and winced, 'You're face is pretty fucked up too.' She tried to hold his face in her hands, but he backed away from her.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her own husband wouldn't even let her touch him. Maybe he truly didn't want her around him anymore.

"I'll be fine," he mumbled. "What are you doing here, Mary? Go home. My life doesn't concern you anymore."

Mary's eyes welled with tears. He was fucking killing her with this shit. Now she knows what she put him through all those years.

She shook her head, 'My home's with you, Jon. And our son.'

"Not anymore." He turned and glared at her. "Fuck off. I don't need you. I never did." His eyes welled with tears but he shook his head. "Get out!"

Mary's face crumpled into tears and she began sobbing, 'But Jon...please. Don't do this to us. To Nick.'

He snorted. "Nick won't give a shit. He'll learn that I'm a piece of shit and he'll hate me and he'll move on. It's what I did. He'll get over it. Not all boys have a father." Jon closed his eyes and shivered. "Fuck off, will you?"

Mary grabbed her cellular phone off the bed and frantically searched for the video of Nick watching Jon on RAW. She pushed play and laid it on his lap, 'Look at that. He's watching you on TV. Look at Nick's face. He's smiling.' She smiled through her tears, 'He's all excited to see you. He loves his father. You can't do this to him. If you don't want me, that's fine. Just don't do this to him. Please.'

Jon shut his eyes closed, not wanting to see. "He's a kid. He'll get over it."

Mary looked at him incredulously and shook her head, 'When you're on the road I play some of your promos for him.' She chuckled softly, 'Not the Jon Moxley ones, I promise. I play the ones you did for WWE. His eyes get so big and a huge smile comes on his face and he starts flailing his legs and arms.' She smiled through her tears, 'How am I going to explain to him that his father didn't want him? He's going to think it's his fault.'

"Of course I want him. I want you both." Jon buried his face in his hands. "But I want the both of you to be happy, and safe. If that means I don't...I don't get to see him grow up or come home to you, so be it."

Mary grabbed his hands, taking them away from his face and clasped them in her own, 'But you did make us happy. I've never felt more safe with anybody but you, Jon. Ever since we were young you kept me safe. You protected me. You make me happy. I never known happiness until I met you. Why can't you see that?"

"Look at your arm. Why can't you see THAT?" Jon turned on his stomach and held onto the pillow. "Remember when I took you to that diner and you had the black eye? All those fucks thought I did it. Shit, they were right. They could probably see I was capable of doing that kind of shit."

Mary sneered in disgust, 'Don't you EVER compare what he did to what happened last night. Do you fucking understand me?"

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I attacked you, Mary. What if I never snapped out of it?"

Mary shook her head, 'But you did, Jon.'

"Yeah, well, I did enough damage." He gave her a weary look. "Mary, I can't have this happen again. I'm tired of you seeing me like this. It's bad enough my friends saw this more than once, why put yourself through this shit? I'm not worth it."

Mary nodded, 'You're wrong. You are worth it because I love you.'

"Even after I attacked you? That's fucked up." He sneered at her. "Go find a normal guy."

Mary's eyes widened at his tone. She decided to play at his own game. If he wanted to fight dirty, so would she.

She nodded, 'Sure, okay. Maybe I'll do that. Ya know Derek accused me of sleeping with Seth? It's a total fucking lie of course, but he's a really nice guy. He's really handsome and he's great with Nick. Maybe I should ask him out on a date after we get divorced.'

Jon cackled. "Please. I don't think so. Seth wouldn't do that to me and neither would you."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Ya know David's back in New York? He called me and asked me if I wanted to have lunch one day to catch up. Maybe I'll return his call.'

"Isn't he engaged to some chick?" Jon glared at her. "Nice fucking try. Look, just get out of here, okay?"

Mary sighed. She knew this would get to him, 'A guy in my work asked me out on a date, ya know? He's a lawyer and helps parents with adoption proceedings. He's a really nice guy. He comes from a really well to do family. He even went to Princeton. He's a divorced father of two. He has two boys. I'm sure he would be wonderful to Nick. He's always talking about how he's taking his sons on fishing trips and to baseballs games. He would be a great father to Nick.'

Jon sat up, clenching his jaw. "How come you didn't tell me about this fuck beforehand? What's this asshole's name?"

Mary turned her head away and grinned, knowing she was wearing him down, 'His name's Brian. Really tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. He's really handsome. I work with him on a lot of cases. We work well together. I like him.'

"You work with this piece of shit? Like, all day? The fuck?" Jon stared down at her and narrowed his eyes. "When did he ask you out? Does he know I could break him in fucking half?"

She covered her mouth to hide her smirk, 'Yeah, I do actually. Side by side. All day. He asked me out last week actually.' She shrugged her shoulders, 'Since you want me to move on and find a good man maybe I will go out with him. It couldn't hurt, right?'

"He sounds like a real fucking turd." Jon sneered. "You'd actually go out with a goddamn dork like that? Holy fuck. Puke."

Mary nodded, 'I would actually. I brought Nick to work one day and he was so good with him. Nick likes him already. You want me to find a good man to raise your child. Why not, ya know? '

Jon stood up and stared at her incredulously. "You fucking let him play with my son? Are you fucking serious?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged, 'What do you care for, Jon? You told me to get out. You told me to find a good man for Nick and me. He's a good man. He'll take care of us. He'll love us.'

Jon slumped onto the bed and covered his face. She was right. If he was going to give them up, he didn't have a say in what happened with Mary or Nick. He imagined some stranger taking Nick to the park and getting in bed with Mary, and Jon began sobbing uncontrollably.

Mary tightly wrapped her arms around him and cradled his head to her chest, stroking his hair. She kissed his head, whispering, 'Shh, baby. It's okay, my baby. I'm here. I'm never leaving you. Never. Love you so much.'

"Please, please. Don't leave me, I love you." Jon sniffed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I love you. Please don't leave me."

Mary smiled through her tears and stroked his hair, 'I'm never leaving you. Never. I'm your wife and you're my husband. Jon and Mary. Forever...always. I love you so much. Nick and I love you so much.'

Jon held her tight. "I'm so fucked up, Mary. All those years, and that fucking day he made me...and my mom, she fucking..." He cringed and buried his face in her chest.

Mary stroked his back, whispering soothingly, 'What, baby? What did your mother do to you?"

He shook his head and clutched at her desperately. He just wanted this whole fucking day to end.

"I don't wanna...please..." He sobbed into her, shaking helplessly.

"Please tell me," Mary whispered. "I won't stop loving you. I'll never stop loving you."

Jon sniffed and shivered even as she pulled the comforter over them. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as she stroked his hair.

She deserved to know.

"It was after that day. I went home after that, but Mom stayed with Slim. I hoped she wouldn't come home that night but she did. And she was drunk." He shivered again and hummed in appreciation when Mary tightened her hold on him. "She came in my room and she had a few bottles in her hand, she started throwing them at me and the wall. She made me get out of bed and dragged me to the bathroom. She put on all the lights and shoved me at the mirror and kept saying I looked like my dad...and she made me say I was ugly, she made me scream it until I could hardly talk and then she...she laughed and left me there." Jon held Mary tightly and groaned. "After you and I started hanging out she came home one night and dragged me out of bed...I think she was high...this time she broke a bottle against my back. I got out of bed and went into the shower to, to wash off the blood and she waited until I was done and came in and pushed me in front of the mirror and said...she said, 'Don't ever forget how fucking ugly you are. You'll never get her, and if you do, she's gonna leave you. You're gonna fuck it up." And then she laughed at me, and told me not to bleed all over the floor." He sighed deeply and opened his eyes, staring dully at the wall. "I fucking hated her."

Mary sat there and held him, stroking his hair while she listened to him speak. Tears fell from her eyes and she began sobbing softly. It all made sense to her now. All the women and why he felt so unworthy of her. It's because she told him that and made him believe it. Her teeth gritted in anger. She hated that woman. She didn't deserve to breathe the same air as him.

She held his face in her hands, making him look at her. She shook her head, smiling through her tears, 'She was wrong about all of it. You're not ugly, Jon. You're beautiful inside and out. You didn't fuck anything up. I'm never going to leave you.'

"Maybe you should," he whispered. "It would kill me, but I don't ever want to hurt you again. I can't live knowing that I..." his face crumpled and he broke down in tears.

Mary rested her forehead upon his, stroking the sides of his face, 'Baby, you didn't hurt me. You didn't mean. I don't want to leave you. You're my husband. My love. The father of my child.'

"I don't know what to do," Jon mumbled. "Tell me what to do, everything's so fucked up..."

Mary kissed his forehead and stroked his hair, 'Just let me love you, be there for Nick. Let us love you. You're not alone. You have us. Just love us.'

He glanced up at her wearily. "They're gonna suspend me for what I did."

Mary nodded, clearing her throat, 'Yeah, Seth told me.'She smiled softly, 'That's more time with us. Nick will he so happy to spend time with his daddy. You can go with us to the park, take him for walks and watch wrestling with him. You're his buddy.'

Jon smiled. "He loves me. I can tell, you know? Never thought I'd have that." He kissed her chest. "You gave that to me. You gave me life."

She stroked his back and smiled, 'Baby, you gave yourself life.' She chuckled, 'I couldn't have made him without you.'

"We made him." Jon sighed and nuzzled against her, exhaustion seeping back into him. "I love you so much. I'm so sorry, Mary...for everything."

Mary kissed his head, 'It's okay,baby. Nothing to be sorry for. You were only protecting me as a husband should. I love you so much.' She chuckled softly, 'Ya know I had a whole night planned for us. A bottle of wine, nice bath. I even bought lingerie to wear for you.'

Jon hummed and snuggled against her. "Can we do it later? I'm tired, baby girl. I feel like I just got hit by a fucking car." He rubbed his head and winced. "Might get in the jacuzzi later. My body hurts like hell."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Of course. Do you want your...wedding ring back?'

He smiled and held out his hand. "Fuck yes I do."

Mary slipped the ring on his finger and stared into his eyes, 'Now I don't ever want you to give this back to me. Ya remember what you said to me in the hospital? The same goes for you."

"Got it." Jon pulled her close and caressed her cheek. "Love you, Mary." He closed his eyes and smiled as she stroked his face, and soon he drifted off to sleep.

Mary opened her eyes and smiled softly when she was face to face with Jon. She brushed his hair away from his face and kissed his forehead. He was still sleeping with his face buried in her neck and his arms wrapped around her. He looked so peaceful. He had a small smile on his face and his features were lack in sleep. She always liked to watch him when he slept. He looked so young, so vulnerable, almost like a little boy. He was so handsome to her. Not even the cuts and bruises on his face could mar his beauty.

She gently untangled herself away from and went to the bathroom. She tentatively and carefully tiptoed across the room, not wanting to wake him. She sat down at her desk and opened her laptop to check and respond back to a few e-mails. She also wanted to check online to see if any dirtsheets were already writing about the incident between Jon and Derek. They loved stories such as this. It fueled their fire and gave them something to talk about for months to come.

Mary went onto a few websites and already they were talking about.

She shook her head and scoffed. She wasn't surprised. She should have known. The incident only transpired one day ago and already they were talking about it. She wondered how they found out about it so soon, but someone backstages most likely leaked the story to reporters. Shit, it could have even been someone who Jon called a friend. There was no telling what people would do to make a name for themselves or gain some notoriety. Even if it was at the expense of someone else.

Mary started reading through the websites and tears filled her eyes. They were saying some pretty nasty things about him. They talked about how crazy he was and unhinged, that this wasn't the first time he has done something like this. They spoke about how his character Dean Ambrose was not that far away from the person he was in real life. That angered her to no end and brought tears to her eyes. They knew absolutely nothing of what happened. They took truths and skewed and twisted it in order to make their articles more interesting. That called him a horrible role model for children and said he was unfit to carry the brand of the company and didn't deserve to be champion. They even said there was rumors of alcohol and substance abuse, considering his Jon Moxley days it wasn't a far fetched idea, but it was lies. All of it was lies. He didn't do a damn thing. He was only trying to protect her.

Shit, they even already knew he was suspended for a month.

She started researching on other social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook along with Tumblr. People were calling him, 'crazy', a 'weirdo' and a 'creeper.' Even some of his peers started tweeting about how he was always a psycho and should be fired for what he has done. Some of them said he didn't even deserve to be a wrestler

Her eyes widened in horror and she gasped aloud in shock at what she read on one of the websites. There was an articles where they were accusing she and Seth of having an affair. Supposedly Derek had told Jon of this affair and he went postal on the both of them. They wrote about how both Derek and Seth were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

They also didn't fail to mention that Jon was a womanizer and was known for his promiscuous ways. They called him a cheater and said he slept with the entire Divas roster. He used his fame and status to manipulate women.

Mary scoffed and sneered in disgust.

They even had photos of she and Seth standing next to one another and laughing outside of a hotel. They forgot to mention that Jon was standing next to her in those photos, but they conveniently forgot to add him in. Instead, they decided to crop him out of the photo. She would not be surprised if Derek or one of his friends had something to do with this. It would be such a vindictive and cruel thing to do. It was right up his alley.

She didn't even want to think about what would happen if he knew they were trying to tarnish his name. She was also afraid that he might believe those reports, thinking she and Seth truly were having an affair. She wondered if she should even tell him, but she knew he would learn about it soon enough. If he was going to discover what they were saying about him, it was best he hear it from her.

Mary heard him stirring awake and looked at him over her shoulder, smiling sadly. He didn't deserve this. Not any of it. He was such a good man with such a big heart. He has been through enough shit in his life. People have been telling him all of his life he was unworthy and undeserving of anything good. He has always said wrestling is the only thing in his life that he was good at. Other than she and Nick, it was everything to him. If he didn't have wrestling there was no telling what he would have become. If he has learned of what they were saying there was no telling what he would do. This might be the one thing to finally break him.

Jon smiled at her when he saw, 'Hey, you. Whatcha doin?"

Mary returned his smile, 'Just checking my e-mail.'

He slowly got up from the bed, wincing in pain as he held onto his bruised side. He slowly walked over to her and put his arms on her shoulders, kissing the top of her head.

'I love you so much, baby girl.' Jon whispered to her.

She placed her hands over his and smiled, 'I love you too, baby. So much.' She looked at her laptop and sighed deeply, 'Jon, I think there is something you should see.'

He sighed. "It's all over the place, huh?" Jon cringed. "God, it's so fucked up. Okay, I'll bite. What are they saying?"

Mary sat back in her chair and pointed to her laptop, 'Read for yourself. The uh...windows are already opened.'

She bit her lip and felt a sense of dread. She knew it would hurt him deeply reading what his peers and fans had to say about him, but he needed to know the truth. She couldn't this from him.

Jon braced himself and started looking through the sites. He wasn't surprised by the namecalling, or the fact that the sites conveniently left out how Derek had attacked Mary and had been a fucking asshole to everyone in the back for months. What got him, though, were the lies.

Everyone seemed convinced that Mary and Seth were an item, and that Jon himself was whoring around and abusing every substance known to man. Some people he worked with weighed in with bullshit stories about him terrorizing people backstage, and there was even speculation on whether or not he had a mental disorder.

A few people posted that he shouldn't be around children and that Mary should take their son and leave, and he stepped away from the computer. "Just fucking great. Those...I fucking know some of those people, Mary. None of them are my friends, but shit. That's just..." Jon ran his hands through his hair. "Maybe I should do something. Anything. I don't know." He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "I don't fucking know."

Mary rolled her eyes and scoffed, 'Why the fuck do you care about what they have to say? They don't know you. They don't know us or our life, Jon. This is all bullshit lies. You should be used to their shit by now.'

He snorted. "Fuck, Mary. I know it's bullshit but if things get bad enough...they've released guys for less. And if everyone thinks I'm a fucking lunatic who attacks people, how the fuck would I work anywhere else?" Jon slumped onto the bed and sighed. "I'm not gonna be some loser who can't find work because some piece of shit's spreading lies about me. Not to mention lies about my wife and my best friend. Christ, that's sick. I guarantee you he's behind all this shit."

She sighed and walked over to the bed to sit down on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, 'You're not gonna be released, Jon. You're not. This is all gonna get resolved. Derek is gonna be taken care of. I talked to Seth about it.'

Jon's eyes widened in surprise, 'What do ya know?"

Mary smirked, 'Ya ever hear of Wrestler's Court?"

"Seth told you about that? Holy shit." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm still fucking nervous, baby. Let's say we get rid of him, and from what my actual friends are telling me, that's what's gonna happen...I still gotta deal with this shit. These rumors don't go away on their own. Fuck, sometimes they never go away. And what if the brass still decides to get rid of me to send a message to the other guys?" Jon groaned and rested his head on her shoulder. "It's a goddamn mess."

Mary kissed his neck, 'Hey, no it's not. You have a lot of people rallying around you. Punk, Taker, JBL and Seth and Ryan are gonna be your witnesses. I'm sure all the fucking Divas will have your back. If worst comes to worst I'll tell Vince what happened myself. I'll tell him Derek almost attacked me and you defended me. I'll march right into the WWE offices in Connecticut and demand your job back.' She grinned, 'I can be very persuasive when I wanna be.'

Jon chuckled. "Shit, baby girl, I can't have my woman fighting my battles for me." His smile dissolved. "Especially since I shouldn't have left you alone in the first place. Goddamn it...I'd heard he was bad news. And he was staring at you before the show, right? Fuck."

Mary nodded and snorted, 'That's the fucking understatement of the year. I was about to knock on your dressing room door when he approached me. He thought I was a ring rat.' She rolled her eyes, 'He called you trash and said I was too. I wanted to fucking beat the shit out of him, but didn't wanna cause trouble for you. Good thing Kaitlynn was there.'

"What? Wait, what?" Jon's eyes widened. "What the hell...what happened? What exactly did he say? Fuck, I knew something was weird...why didn't anyone tell me?"

She shrugged her shoulders, 'He saw me standing outside your dressing room and acted like a pervert, ya know? It's not really worth mentioning. I don't wanna get you mad again.'

Jon sighed. "Baby girl, I need to know. Not just 'cause I'm your husband, but I don't want you bottling up all that stuff. Plus I'll mention it in court. It'll prove the fucker is an asshole." He smirked. "You know, it's funny. Kaitlynn tweeted something about making sure the truth would come out...I guess this is what she meant."

Mary sighed shakily and reluctantly nodded her head, 'Okay, I'll tell you. He said that I was a piece of trash and so were you.' She closed her eyes and cringed, 'He called me a whore and said that since you were having sex with all the Divas locker room I mine as well have fun too...sorry.'

Jon gritted his teeth and held her close. "Fucking asshole. If I had known..."

Mary stroked his back and whispered soothingly, 'Hey, but you didn't know, baby. This isn't your fault. Stop doing this to yourself.' She chuckled, 'Hey, wanna actually watch that video of Nick watching ya on RAW? That will cheer you up, right?"

Jon sat up and grinned. "Yes! I wanna see!"

She smiled and grabbed her phone off the bed and found the video once again. She settled further into his lap and pushed play, 'Look at our little man. Look how happy he is to see his daddy. Look how much he loves you, baby.'

Jon held her and watched Nick absently push at the Cheerios in his highchair, and then looked up and blinked at the camera when Mary told him his daddy was coming on. Nick looked up at the tv and grinned, squirming and giggling as Jon made his way down the ramp.

"You love your daddy, huh?" Mary laughed as Nick's eyes grew wide as Jon yelled something into the camera. "Say 'hi, daddy'!"

"Buh buh!" Nick squealed and began kicking as he watched his dad get in the ring and sneer at the cameraman.

Jon laughed and kissed his wife's neck. "God, he's so smart. Just like his mom."

Mary rested her head on his chest and smiled, 'You're smart too, ya know? You don't give yourself enough credit. You never did.'

"You're the one who went to college." Jon laughed as Nick stopped flailing as Raw went to commercial and he flung his bottle at Mary. "Holy crap. He's hilarious!"

Mary chuckled and nodded, 'Yeah, real hilarious. I may have went to college, but I remember you getting good grades in school.' She scoffed, 'Shit, if it wasn't for you I would've never survived Calculus.'

Jon grinned and kissed her forehead. "I fucking hate being suspended, but I'm glad I get to spend time with you two." His eyes shone with excitement. "I can't wait to see my boy. I gotta get him like a stuffed animal or something."

Mary kissed his cheek and took his hands in hers, 'You don't need to bring him anything but yourself. That's all he wants.' She smirked, 'Since we're good now there's something I gotta confess to you.'

Jon nuzzled her neck and sighed in content, 'Yeah? What's that, baby girl?"

She grinned, 'Uh...I lied about Brian. I actually work with his wife and she asked me last week if I wanted to have a play date with Nick. They're also not divorced. They're happily married.' She smirked, 'I thought that would get you riled up.'

"You lying liar!" Jon pounced on her and began tickling her. "You crafty bitch! You're gonna pay!" He began kissing her face all over, grinning as she squealed and laughed. "Apologize!"

Mary held his face in her hands. She had a serious look upon her face as she said, 'Never will I apologize for wanting to keep you in our lives.'

He kissed her and stroked her hair. "I know, baby. This whole thing has been rough for you, huh?"

She shrugged, 'Eh, we've been through worse, right?' She sighed, 'Why doesn't anything we do go as planned? All I wanted was to spend time with my husband I haven't seen in weeks, blow his mind wearing some sexy lingerie and fuck his brains out for two days straight. Is that really too much to ask?"

Jon nuzzled against her neck. "You know, you can still do that. Can even do more stuff since you'll have me all to yourself for a few weeks."

Mary grinned into his neck, whispering, 'You have a birthday coming up, don't ya? You're gonna be thirty three.' She chuckled softly, 'You're getting old. Think ya can still keep up with me, old man?"

He reached in between her legs and rubbed her thighs. "I'll let you be the judge of that, baby girl."

She smirked and gasped when his fingers brushed against her panties, 'Aren't you a little sore from defending your wife's honor?"

"Yeah, but you promised me a lapdance forever ago and I never got one." He batted his eyelashes at her. "So..."

Mary chuckled softly and ran her hand down his chest teasingly, 'It's not your birthday yet, baby. I was saving that for a special day.'

"But I've been so good..." He scooted back on the bed and lied down, grinning up at her. "Please? With a cherry on top?"

She scoffed and nodded, 'So good, huh? Ya gave me your wedding ring and told me to get out of your life forever. I should close up shop for a fucking year after that.'

He scowled. "You're right. Shit. I just..." Jon shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't know what the fuck I'm thinking. Or doing, or saying. Fuck." He got up and sighed. "Maybe we should get out of here. We can go for a drive or something. I don't know, I feel..." Jon shrugged again. "I feel...claustrophobic, I guess. It's been a weird fucking day."

Mary smirked, 'Ya know I always wanted to skinny dip in the beach at night. You game?'

He gave her a shy smile. "Maybe. Water might be cold."

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'I'll warm ya up.'

"Sounds good." He nodded at the door. "Let's go."

Mercifully the beach was empty. They took off their shoes and wandered into the water, holding hands and playfully threatening to throw each other in the water.

"You feeling okay?" Mary asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Better." Jon held her and kissed the top of her head.

"You wanna swim?" She looked up at him and gave him a wicked grin.

Jon chuckled. "Maybe in a bit. Think I'll sit down for a while."

"Suit yourself." Mary kissed his neck. I'm gonna hang out here. Get used to water." She rubbed his non-bruised side. "Since I plan to get naked in it and all."

He laughed and stroked her hair. "You're perfect, you know that?"

She giggled and kissed his chin. "Nah, I just love you."

"You poor thing." Jon kissed her forehead. "I love you too."

Jon walked into the sand and sat down, watching his wife walking around in the water. Just imagining someone trying to assault her was torture alone, but actually seeing it had made him snap. It brought him right back to that day that he saw Slim on top of her, making her cry. She'd had to pull him off of him then, knowing Jon would have killed him right then. Hell, he probably would have beaten Derek to death if it wasn't for the other guys.

These panic attacks had to fucking stop. Maybe he needed medication or something, but he couldn't keep flipping out and reliving his shitty past every time something stressful happened. Plus he had to be more of a husband and father. Mary and Nick deserved someone who wasn't going to fall to pieces every time things got shitty.

He sighed deeply and lay down, staring up at the sky. Things had to change. Derek wouldn't be around much longer, he was sure of it, but Jon and Mary would always have to deal with bullshit from other people and even each other. They both had awful tempers and pushed each other away, and it only made things worse. Christ, they'd handed each other their rings a number of times, screaming that they were ending things. They had to cut that shit out. Jon wasn't going to have this sort of shit going on as Nick grew up.

Mary was wading in the water, enjoying the cooling sensation upon her feet. She looked up at Jon and smiled softly at him. He was sitting in the sand just staring mindlessly up at the night sky. She wondered what was running through his mind in this moment. He was always so guarded. He bottled up his emotions until they erupted to the surface. He kept his secrets hidden and tucked away. shoving that down do the dark recesses of his soul. It took him years for him admit to her what his mother had done to him. She had to wonder what else her husband was hiding from her. Sometimes she wondered if he really trusted her. He always tried to protect her, shielding himself from her from the truths of his past and himself.

She could not lie; what he had done to Derek frightened her. Of course, he was defending her, but what happens if he gets into another one of his rages or has a panic attack? What would happen if Nick had seen that? She didn't even want to think about it.

She shook her head, ridding her mind of such negative thoughts. It had happened and just as they always had, they gotten past it. For now, tonight she just wanted to focus on the positive. She wanted to forget about everything else and just enjoy the precious time he had with her husband. The man she loved with all of her heart.

Mary slowly walked out of the water, holding up her summer dress in her hands as not to get it wet and walked over to him.

She stood in front of him with a shy smile on her face, 'So, I know I promised you a lapdance, but how about a little strip tease instead?"

Jon sat up. "Whoa. Really?" He glanced around; no one was there, and theirs was the only car in the beach parking lot. His heart started pounding and he grinned. "You're actually serious?"

She smirked and nodded, 'Very serious. I don't see anyone, do you? So, ya want your wife to give you a little show for your viewing pleasure?'

Jon beamed and brought his knees up, resting his elbows on them. He knew he looked like an eager little kid, but he couldn't help it. This was awesome. "Hell yeah I do!"

She grinned and gave him a sultry stare, never once breaking contact from him. She slowly began peeling the straps of her dress off her shoulders. She slowly unbuttoned her dress, making sure to take her time. She was supposed to be giving him a show after all.

Mary bit her lip and tantalizingly slowly started to pull down her dress, letting it pool at her feet. She was standing there only in her panties and a plain white spaghetti strap shirt, which was sheer enough for him to see everything.

She pouted, knowing it drove him crazy as she whispered, 'Want me to take the rest off or do ya wanna do it for me?"

He got on his knees and beckoned to her. "Come here."

Mary grinned and walked up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Tell me what you want."

Jon ran his hands over her hips. "Take your top off for me."

She smiled shyly and nodded her head. She took her time pulling the shirt over her head, wanting to give him the show she promised him.

She wrapped the tee shirt around his neck, giggling softly, 'This good enough for you, hubby?"

He leaned close, kissing and licking at her stomach. "More."

She grinned and hooked her thumbs under her panties and slowly inched them down her legs. She threaded her fingers in his hair, saying huskily, 'Wanna help take these off me?"

He took her panties in his teeth and dragged them down her legs, then moved up and licked at her thighs. "What else you got for me?" he asked in a low voice.

Mary gasped when she felt his tongue lick the insides of her thighs.

She smirked and backed away from, 'I don't know, baby. Guess you're gonna have to catch me and find out.'

Mary ran away from him and back into the water, all the while giggling.

'Hey!" He scowled and stood up, walking into the water. Mary just laughed and walked further away, gasping when she got in far enough to feel the water lapping at her thighs.

"Feels good in here!" She smirked and rubbed at her inner thighs, tracing where he'd just had his tongue. "Really good."

Jon swallowed, feeling himself harden. "You want some company?"

Mary sunk herself further into the water until it was up to her neck. She began moving her arms and legs in the water, making waves around her.

She grinned and nodded, 'Yeah, why not? Since I gave you a strip tease. I want one myself. Start stripping.'

He laughed and pulled off his shirt, throwing it onto the beach. "Are you just with me 'cause of my body?" he teased.

Mary smirked, 'I don't know. Are you with me cause of mine?"

"No, but it's definitely a perk." He unbuttoned his pants and looked around. "You know, in a way, it would be kinda funny if someone was watching." Jon slipped off his pants and boxers, throwing them onto the sand. He walked toward his wife, grinning. "I mean, attacking a guy, being an overall psycho and then fucking my hot wife in public? Kinda crazy, huh?" He pulled her into his arms and sighed in her neck. "I love you, you know that?"

She sighed in content and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as the waves bobbed them up and down in the water.

Mary nuzzled his neck, whispering, 'I love you too.' She giggled, 'And who said anything about fucking? I just wanted a nice dip in the water.'

He gave her a playful sneer. "After that show you just gave me? What a tease."

She giggled, 'Aren't you supposed to be sore, anyway? I don't want hurt you. I mean you are getting old.'

"My dick's not sore. And what's all this shit about getting old?" He glared at her. "You tryin' to give me a complex?"

Mary grinned, 'Just teasing.' She rolled her eyes, 'Fuck you're sensitive.' She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, 'Besides, you forget I'm thirty, honey. I'm not as young as I used to be.'

"Yeah, you're ancient." He held her close and kissed her neck. "You're gonna be beautiful and sexy when you're fucking senile as shit."

She tilted her head back and laughed, 'Well, since you put it like that. Wanna start fucking me before I forget?'

He chuckled and cupped her ass in his hands, humming when his hard cock pressed against her stomach. "Thought you just wanted a nice dip?"

Mary playfully nipped his ear, whispering, 'Oh, I do, baby.'

"Do you, now?" He grinned and reached down, feeling at her entrance. "You keep giving me firsts, you know. Never had sex in the ocean."

She gasped and smiled, 'Neither have I, ya know? Gotta admit when I posted those bikini pics on my facebook way back when. I always had a fantasy of you and I like this.'

He nipped at her neck. "So kinky." Before she could respond he slipped a couple of fingers inside her and kissed at her ear. "You know I jerked off to those pictures so many times? You looked so hot, baby girl. You always do."

Mary whimpered when she felt his fingers inside her. She smiled and licked and kissed his neck, 'I was hoping you would do that when I put those pictures up. Told you they were for you.' She ran her hands down his chest and sighed, 'Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

He snorted and positioned himself against her. "The only thing beautiful about me is my wedding ring." Jon slid into her and moaned, grasping her tightly. "God, I love you."

Mary wrapped her legs tighter around his waist to gain leverage and moaned aloud as soon as he entered her.

She gasped out, 'It's true, baby. You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I thought that the first time I laid eyes on you.'

Jon licked at her neck as he moved inside her. "Sweet talker."

"I'm yours," he agreed, and ran his hands down her back.

Mary sighed and stroked his hair. "You're beautiful, Jon."

He held her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I don't..." Suddenly something flashed in the parking lot. "Oh, shit."

"What is it?" Mary tightened her grip on him.

"Uh...I think someone's here." Jon gave her a wild look. "We could get arrested. Sex in public. Indecent exposure."

"Shit!" They disentangled from each other and swam to the shore, getting dressed just as a group of teenagers were leaving their car.

Jon grabbed Mary's hand and they ran up the beach, laughing hysterically. "Oh shit, that was close." Jon pulled her to the car and got in, resting his head against the steering wheel. "Jesus. Can you imagine? What if they're wrestling fans? Fuck. They'd take pictures and put that shit on the internet in like five seconds."

"They'd probably do that even if they didn't recognize you." Mary ran her hands through her wet hair. "We'd be a hit on the internet, though."

"We would. "Jon sighed. "You know, it's probably just as well. With my luck a shark would have taken a chunk out of my ass or something."

Mary burst into laughter. "A shark? Jeez. You've seen Jaws too many times, baby."

"It was on a few days ago and I was bored! And yeah, that movie's fucked up. I actually had trouble sleeping after that. So yeah, sharks. They're out there, and they're pissed. Why tempt them?" Jon smirked. "Or I'd inadvertently knock up some mermaids. That's why you shouldn't have sex in the ocean, you know. It's a science fact."

"Oh, god." Mary giggled helplessly. "Well, at least they'd have gorgeous babies, if they got your DNA in them."

Jon looked away. All this talk about him being beautiful was starting to feel weird. "Let's get back to the room," he mumbled, and started the car.

They got to the hotel fairly quickly and as soon as they got in the room, Jon pulled her close. "I think we need a shower, don't you? Wash off all that salt and, uh, amoebas?"

"Amoebas, sharks, mermaids..." Mary grinned and began undressing. "Sounds good. You gotta get me clean, though."

"Oh, I will." He followed her into the bathroom and kissed her neck as she turned on the water. "I love you, you know that?"

Mary smiled softly and stroked the sides of his face, 'I love you too, handsome.'She slowly ran her hands down his neck to rest the upon his chest and sighed wistfully, 'Ya know I always wondered why a man like you would want a girl like me.'

He rolled his eyes and pulled her close. "Mary, baby..." Jon looked into his wife's eyes and ran his fingers through her wet

hair, giving her a big smile. "You gotta stop talking like that. I'm serious. You have no idea how goddamn beautiful you are."

He gently pulled her into the shower and closed the stall door behind them. "It's fucking weird, actually. How does

someone as gorgeous as you not know she's gorgeous?"

Mary ducked her head shyly and shrugged her shoulders, 'Well, the same could be say about you, ya know?' She ran her hands through his wet hair, brushing it away from his face, 'You're so handsome. So and out. Everyday I wake up and look at you I feel so goddamn lucky to have you...forever.'

Jon sighed, shaking his head, 'Baby girl, ya don't have to say that cause ya think I wanna hear it.'She cupped her cheek, smiling, 'I'm just lucky to have someone like you in my life.'

Mary sighed deeply and took his hand, murmurming, 'Come with me.' He took her hand, letting her lead him out of the shower to stand in front of the mirror. He looked at her inquisitively, wondering what in the hell she was doing. Mary stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her chin upon his shoulder and met his eyes in the mirror.

She smiled softly as she looked at him. This is what he had done for her back when they were kids. When she felt unworthy and lesser sum of all her parts. It was the night she told him she couldn't conceive children naturally. He made her feel so beautiful, so cherished and desired. She wanted to do the same for him. Mary kissed his shoulder whispering, 'I want you to see what I see, Jon. I want you to see how goddamn beautiful you are. Now repeat after me; I'm on say it.'

"I'm not doing this," Jon muttered, and walked into the shower to turn the water off. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, walking past his wife and into the bedroom. Mary was staring at him, obviously unamused, but he fell onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. This day was crazy enough without delving into the past.

Mary frowned and walked into the bedroom, falling on her knees before him. She rested her hands upon his knees and stared up at him. He was holding his head in his hands and she could him sniffling softly, indicating to her he was crying.

"I'm tired of reliving shit," Jon muttered. "And what does it matter?"

Mary sighed deeply, 'It matters to me, Jon. Do you remember back when we were kids I told you that I couldn't have kids? Remember when you brought in front of the mirror?'Tears welled up in her eyes thinking about that moment, 'For the first time I felt like a woman. You did that for me. No one else.'

"That was different." He turned to lay on his side, showing her his back. "I don't wanna do this."

Mary stroked his back, tracing the scars he had endured from the many horrors of his past. He was so hard on himself all the time. More so than she. He just hid his insecurities with anger and humor. He hid behind the enigma of Dean Ambrose

and Jon Moxley, but he couldn't hide from her.

She sighed deeply, 'How is it any different? I want you to see how fucking beautiful I think you are, Jon. Scars and all.'

"Just..." Jon turned to face her, his eyes wide. "Why is this important to you? I know I'm not hideous, I've heard it enough from other people. What does it matter what I think? You love me, so who cares?"

Mary smiled and continued stroking his back, 'Cause it matters,Jon. If you don't have love for yourself then you don't have anything. You need to have some self worth or you're alwaya gonna live in the past. You are so beautiful. Why can't you see that? Why?'

"Why do you keep harping on this?" Jon grumbled. "And by the way, you're always demeaning yourself, so it's not like I'm alone in this. You keep seeing yourself as this unworthy little girl. It's ridiculous. You're my wife, for fuck's sake. You think I'd marry you out of pity?"

Mary knew what he was doing. He was once again trying to push her away. He was using his anger to mask his pain.

She nodded her head, asking him calmly, 'Do you think that's why I married you?'

Jon rolled his eyes. "You married me 'cause you love me. I'm not a dumbass, Mary."

She smiled and nodded, 'Yes, but also I married you because you're gorgeous and sexy as fuck.'

"Mmkay." Jon stared up at the ceiling. "Thank you, I guess. There. Can we move on now? This is dumb."

Mary shook her head, 'Nope.' She grabbed his hand, pulling him off the bed, 'Lets go.' Once again she led him into the bathroom to stand in front of the mirror. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and rested her head upon his shoulder, meeting his gaze in the mirror. 'Tell me what you see when you look in the mirror.' She gently commanded him.

Jon threw his hands up. "Fucking...are you kidding me with this shit?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

Mary smiled and tightened her arms around him, not letting leave.

She kissed his shoulder and whispered, 'Ya know what I see? I see a man with the most beautiful blue green eyes I have ever seen. I get lost in them every single time I stare into him.'She smiled softly, her gaze never wavering, 'I see a man whose is strong, courageous and honorable.'

"What does it fucking matter what I see, then?" Jon stared at the floor and shook his head. "This is goddamn stupid. Why are you making me do this? It's fucking embarrassing."

Mary smiled. She expected this reaction out of him, but she refused to falter. He had to see.

She kissed his neck, 'I'm not done. What do you see, Jon? Tell me.'

"I see a guy who's fucking tired as shit, who also has blue balls for not getting to finish fucking his wife." Jon crossed his arms. "Happy now?"

She snorted, 'Maybe you're mother was right then. Maybe you are just like your father. You're gonna stand here and let her be right? Are you?'

"Fuck you." Jon stared at her incredulously. "That's the second time you've said that to me. The fuck is wrong with you?"

Mary narrowed her eyes at him, 'What's wrong with you? I asked you a simple question. What do you see when you look in the mirror? Tell me. Don't be a dumbass.'

"I'm not a dumbass!" Jon glared at her. "Why do you give a shit? No one else does. Fuck, you and Seth are always on my ass. It's annoying as shit!"

She kissed his back and whispered, 'It's because we love you and we care, Jon. We love you. Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?'

"Yeah, all the fucking time." His lip curled in disgust. "Don't you read the signs in the audience, or those goofy fucking websites? Chock full of that shit. I don't need to talk to a goddamn mirror."

Mary shook her head, 'No, baby. We're not talking about Dean Ambrose. I'm talking about you. Has anyone ever told Jonathan Good he's beautiful?'

He laughed humorlessly. "You know the answer to that."

Mary kissed his back, 'No, I don't. Why don't you tell me.'

Jon gritted his teeth and grasped the sink, leaning forward until his nose touched the mirror. "No one. Fucking no one, except you. There, I said it."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she wrapped her arms tighter around his waist as she whispered into his ear, 'You're beautiful, Jon. So beautiful. Say it. Look in the mirror and say it. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. Look at yourself and say it, my beautiful husband.'

"Jesus Christ." He rested his forehead on the mirror, breathing deeply. "Why are you making me do this? It's fucking...it's just like what she made me do. I don't want to do this!"

Mary kept kissing his back as she whispered, 'No, it's not, Jon. It's completely different. She lied to you. I'm not. She made you see and say things that weren't true. Now, look in the mirror and say it. Come on, beautiful. You can do it.'

"It's stupid," he hissed. "It's stupid as shit. I'm not doing this."

Mary sighed deeply and kissed his back, 'Yes you can, Jon. Yes you can.'

"Why?" He gritted his teeth. "What's the fucking purpose here?"

Mary smiled softly, 'Just say it, will ya?'

"You say it. You're always going on about how you're unworthy of me and other stupid shit."

Mary nodded her head and stared directly into his eyes within the mirror, 'I'm Mary Good and I'm beautiful. My husband, Jonathan is beautiful. Now come on, you say it.'

He rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna let this go, are ya?"

She ran her tongue over the scars upon his tracing, tracing the indents with her tongue and whispered, 'Not, I'm not. Come on, say it like you mean it.' She grinned at him, 'They'll be a reward if you do.'

"Fine." He stared blankly at his reflection. "I'm Jon, I'm beautiful, I'm tired, my mom was a piece of shit and I don't know what the fuck's gonna happen to me but I love my wife and she loves me, so I guess I'm not a complete waste of space." Jon glanced at Mary and shrugged. "There you go."

Mary kissed his neck, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist, 'No, not good enough. Say it like you mean it.'

He threw his hands up. "I don't know what you're wanting from me! Jesus, I said what you wanted!"

She narrowed her eyes at him in the mirror and heaved a laborious sigh, 'Baby, look at yourself in the mirror and repeat after me, 'I'm Jonathan Good and I'm beautiful.'

"Oh fucking Christ." He glared at her. "I never should have told you that shit."

Mary scoffed, shaking her head, 'So I guess I shouldn't have told you about being raped and not having kids then, right?'

Jon turned to her, his eyes wide. "That's different! That affects you, it affects us. It's important. My mom being an asshole isn't news."

She nodded, 'You're wrong, Jon. What your mother said affects us both as well. She told you lies, told you that ya weren't good enough for me. She said that I would never want you. She's the reason why you never told me how you felt about me. Am I right?'

"I don't know, sure." Jon shrugged and looked away. "This shit's not gonna help me, Mary."

Mary smiled softly, 'Yes it is. What are you so afraid of, huh?'

He burst out laughing. "I'm not afraid, it's dumb! Personal affirmations, really? That shit's not our style, baby."

She glared at him and whispered, 'If you don't do this I'll leave you for good this time. I can't stay with someone who doesn't have faith in himself. Do you really want Nick to be raised by a father who doesn't have any self worth?"

He gaped at her. "You're fucking serious!"

Mary nodded and narrowed her eyes, 'I am very serious, Jon.'

"God." He rested his head against the mirror and took a deep breath, trying not to cry. "I don't know...how do I even...?"

She kissed his neck, whispering, 'You can start by looking at yourself in the mirror and say that you're beautiful. That you're worth something. That you deserve me. You deserve Nick. But most of all you deserve...love, Jon. You deserve love. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Not ever.'

He sniffed and looked at the mirror, gripping onto the counter. "I deserve you," he whispered.

Mary smiled through her tears, whispering soothingly, 'Go on, Jon.'

Jon placed his hands on the mirror. "I deserve Nick. I deserve our son."

She smiled and chuckled slightly, 'Damn right you do. Go on, baby. You can do this.'

He sighed deeply. "I deserve to be loved."

Mary kissed his shoulder, whispering, 'Yes you are. Go on, baby. You're doing great.'

His hands curled, letting his nails scratch against the mirror. "My mother was a fucking bitch. She fucking lied to me and made me feel like shit."

Mary nodded and smiled triumphantly, 'She sure fucking did. What else did she lie to you about?'

"She told me no one would ever want me, but you do. She said you'd never love me, but you do. She said I'd never have any friends, but I have them. She said I was worthless and fucking stupid, but I'm NOT!" He punched the counter and winced. "Fuck...she fucking told me that shit every day. Every fucking day."

Tears fell from her eyes and she kept kissing his neck repeatedly, 'You're right, Jon. You do have friends. You have me. You have our son. We love you. We love you always. Now look in the mirror and say you're beautiful. Keep saying it until you believe it.'

He laughed humorlessly. "Want to know something sick? I don't look like my dad. I don't look like her either. She was out of her fucking mind."

Mary chuckled softly, 'No, you don't. You look like Jon. The man that I'm deeply in love with. Come on, baby. Tell yourself what I knew all along.'

"Okay." Jon grunted and eyed himself in the mirror. "I'm...beautiful." He glanced at Mary and managed a slight smirk. "You know it's kinda weird for a guy to say that about himself?"

She grinned, shaking her head, 'Not if it's true.' She nodded towards the mirror, 'Come on, keep saying it.'

"It's weird." He groaned and wiped at his eyes, which were bloodshot now. Fuck, he looked as exhausted as he felt. "I'm beautiful." Another laugh escaped him. "You better not make our son do this."

Mary smiled, 'I won't make him do this because I'm going to tell him he's beautiful everyday.'

"Well, you're a good mom. Always knew you would be."

She took a step forward and pressed the entire length of her body upon his back as she whispered, 'Always knew you would be a good father.' She began kissing and licking the scars upon his back, as if she were cleaning him, 'So beautiful. So sexy. All mine.' She gently caressed his abdomen, whispering, 'What do you want, beautiful? How can your wife make you feel good?"

He turned around and kissed her, moaning at her taste. "Want your mouth on me," he growled.

Mary grinned and nodded her head, 'Sit down on the toilet.'

Jon nodded his head, following her instructions.

She fell down upon her knees before him and stared up into his eyes as she took the towel off of him. She gently grasped his cock in her hands as she stroked him, 'So beautiful. So damn fucking beautiful.'

Mary smirked and slowly took him in her mouth, moaning in satisfaction at the taste of him.

Jon sighed deeply, the emotional toll of the day and the sensations Mary was giving him making him shiver. "Love you so much," he whispered.

Mary slowly licked up his length and lovingly kissed the tip of his cock. She smiled up at him, 'Love you too.' She swirled her tongue around his cock and moaned, 'Damn, everything about you is beautiful. Even your cock. You know that?'

"You're so good to me," Jon replied breathlessly. "Fuck...feels good..."

Mary smirked and whispered, 'Baby,you haven't nothing yet. I'm gonna make you feel so good. Just as you deserve.'

She took him in her mouth once again to suck, lick and slurp at him, making sure to take her time. She wanted him to feel desired, cherished and wanted. Just as he deserved to be.

Jon groaned and stroked her hair, writhing a bit. "Hey, baby girl? Can we move this to the bed? The seat's, uh, a little cold." He chuckled.

Mary released him from her mouth and pouted, 'You always love to spoil my fun. Here I thought you were gonna fuck me over the sink or something.'

Jon raised his eyebrows. "Actually...that sounds awesome." He grinned. "We never did finish that shower, either."

Mary smirked and nodded towards the shower, 'I still feel a little dirty. How about you?'

"Very dirty." He leered at her. "How about I lick you clean?"

Mary grinned and ran her nails down her thighs, 'I can think of a few places you can lick me.'

"Fuck." Jon stood up and turned the water on, leading her into the shower. "Let's get you nice and wet."

Mary stepped into the shower and let the water run down her body. She turned to him and smirked, 'Ya gonna join me or what?'

With a huge grin, Jon stepped into the shower and closed the stall door, stroking himself as he watched her. "Fuck, you're hot."

Mary looked at him over her shoulder and moaned aloud when she saw him stroking himself as he watched her. It turned her on so much she could barely think straight. She was wet right now and it wasn't from the water.

'You enjoying yourself there, beautiful?' Need some help with that?'

"Let me watch you," he murmured. "I wanna look at you for a little bit. Then I'm gonna have some fun with you."

She smirked and nodded, 'Suit yourself.' She grabbed the loofah and squirted some soap on it and slowly lathered it onto her body, wanting to give him a shower. She lathered the soap between her breasts, bringing them together. She bit her lip and moaned as she ran her fingers over her nipples. She closed her eyes and groaned, 'Mmm...the water feels good, baby. I needed to get cleaned. Felt...dirty.'

"Mmhmm." Jon licked his lips and stared at her breasts. "You got naked in public. That wasn't exactly good behavior, baby girl."

Mary pouted, 'I did didn't I? Then again, so did you. You weren't exactly on your best behavior either.'

She intentionally dropped her loofah and smirked, 'Sorry gotta get that.' She bent over to pick up the loofah, making sure her ass was only a few inches away from his cock.

"Oh, fuck." Jon moved forward and grasped her hips, moaning into her ear when she stood up and grinded against him. "Such a bad girl..."

She grinded her ass against his cock, whimpering when she felt how hard he was, 'I am a bad girl, aren't I, baby?'

"Fuck yes," Jon gasped, reaching around to rub between her thighs. "So fucking bad. I should make sure you're punished, baby girl."

Mary slid his cock between her ass cheeks and looked at him, pouting over her shoulder,'I need to learn my lesson, huh?'

Jon moaned and nodded, pushing his hips forward helplessly. He was so hard he was throbbing, and she felt so fucking amazing that it was making his heart pound like crazy.

She moaned and pressed her entire body along the length of his, 'How do you want me, baby? Cause you're gonna have me.'

Jon whined, unable to speak, he was so turned on. He pushed his cock against her ass and whimpered, wanting her to understand.

Mary smirked and grinded her ass on his cock as she moaned, 'Wanna fuck my ass, baby?' Is that what you want?

He licked at her neck and nodded, still pushing up against her and whining slightly. Fuck, he was turned on. Only she could get him like this.

She smirked as she continued to grind her ass against him, 'Tell me, baby. Wanna hear what you want.'

"Please," he gasped, biting at her shoulder. "Need to be in you. Need it now."

Mary braced her hands against the tile wall and bent over with her ass in front of him, 'Come on, baby. Ride me.'

Jon groaned and slid inside her, grasping onto her hips and resting his forehead on her shoulder. "Feels so good..."

She grinded against him, whimpering and moaning as he slid inside the her. The hot water poured down upon them, scalding and heating their flesh. The shower was steamy, making it damn near impossible for them to see a thing, but they didn't care. As long as they could feel each other it's all that mattered.

Mary gasped, 'Shit...feels amazing. Been so long. Missed you...fuck your cock feels good, baby.'

He grunted and sucked at her neck. "Love you, baby girl."

She smiled and gasped, 'Love you too, baby. So much.' She moaned and grinded harder against him, 'Tell me you're beautiful as you're fucking me. Wanna hear you say it. Wanna hear you say you deserve to fuck me.'

"God yes." Jon gripped onto her hips and nuzzled at her hair. "I deserve to fuck you. We're beautiful together, baby girl. Love fucking you. You're so goddamn beautiful and so am I."

Mary smiled and arched against him, bringing him deeper inside her, 'Damn fucking right you are. So fucking beautiful...so sexy and all mine.' She moaned, 'Shit, harder, baby. Fuck your wife harder.'

His teeth sunk into her neck as he pushed deeper and harder into her, savoring the feel of her around him. He was getting close, but he wanted her to get off first, so Jon reached down and stuck a couple of fingers inside of her, stroking her inner walls.

She braced her hands against the wall and whimpered as he stuck his fingers inside her. She grinded even harder against him desperately wanting to feel as much of him as possible, 'So good, baby. You always feel so good. Love you so much.'

"Love you, Mary." Jon pushed harder into her and quickened his strokes. "You feel me everywhere, don't you, baby?"

Mary nodded dumbly, gasping as he pushed harder into her, 'Always. Shit, you're so fucking big. Fill me up so good. You're so beautiful ya know that?"

He chuckled and rubbed his thumb against her clit. "You gonna come for your beautiful husband, Mary?"

She laughed, 'Depends. You gonna come for your beautiful wife?'

"Oh, definitely." He licked at her ear. "You feel so fucking good, it'd be a crime not to fill you up with my come."

Mary stood up straight and arched her hips, grinding herself against him, 'Come on, baby. Fill me up. Wanna feel you come inside me. Fucking love your come inside me.'

"Yeah, me too." He rubbed at her clit and moaned when it made her writhe against him. "Damn, you feel good. Fuck."

She smiled and nodded, 'You too, baby. Fuck...love that I have you like this. So fucking lucky. So beautiful.'

"Mmm, yeah." He grinned and licked at her shoulder. "I'm gonna come in you, baby girl. Gonna fill up that sweet ass of yours. Then I'm gonna taste that pretty little pussy of yours. How's that sound, beautiful?"

Mary groaned and bit her lip, 'Fuck yes. Love your mouth on my pussy, baby. Shit, you're so fucking hot.'

Jon moaned and moved his hands onto her hips as he quickened his thrusts. He would make her come later when he tasted her. Right now his orgasm was approaching and he wanted to concentrate on filling her up. "Baby girl, you feel so good...fuck!" Jon gasped as he released inside her, his gasps turning to groans as she pushed against him. "Oh god, yeah. Fuck, you feel good...yes..."

She brought her legs together and writhed against him, milking him for all he's worth, 'Yes, baby. Give all to me. Fuck your come feels so good inside me. Yeah...baby. Love you so much.'

Jon groaned and held onto her tight as he finished releasing inside her, shuddering as his body came down from his orgasm. "Fuck." He shivered and chuckled. "Either you've made me come so hard I can't feel things right, or the water's getting cold."

Mary chuckled and nodded, 'I think the water is getting cold. Wanna take this to the bed, baby?"

"Fuck yeah." Jon withdrew from her and stepped out of the shower, admiring his wife's body as she bent over to turn the water off. "You are one sexy bitch, you know that?" He grabbed a couple of towels and tossed one to her. "I'm a lucky guy."

Mary wrapped the towel around herself and smirked. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms neck, smiling up at him, 'You're absolutely gorgeous, Jon. I'm such a lucky woman.'

He chuckled and brought her in front of the mirror, wiping at it to clear some of the fog from their shower. "Know what? We're a damn good-looking couple." Jon wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head, smiling at their reflection. "Beautiful."

She rubbed his arm and nodded, 'Damn fucking right we are. And we made a beautiful, baby. Such a beautiful little boy.'

Jon smiled down at her. "We did." He laughed and hugged her tight. "He looks just like me, doesn't he? Except for having your eyes."

Mary laughed and nodded, 'He sure does. He's already a little heartbreaker. Just like his daddy.'

"Heartbreaker?" Jon chuckled. "That's crazy on both counts, baby girl."

She rolled her eyes, 'Yeah fucking right. You have thousands of girls in love with you. You know what the fuck you're doing walking down that ramp with those little trunks on.'

He shrugged. "Well, they can stare all they want, you're the only one who gets to have me." Jon kissed his wife's neck. "How is our son a little heartbreaker? Is he smiling at all the girls already?"

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Yes. He also is a little flirt too. Always smiling at the ladies. When we go to the park everyone tells me what a cutie pie he is.' She sighed, 'He's gonna give us some trouble, baby. I can tell.'

"Trouble's in his blood." Jon kissed at her shoulder. "He's gonna be a little hellraiser, just like us."

She laughed, 'Remember us as teenagers?'

"Mmhmm." He kissed her neck. "I remember wanting you. Still do."

Mary closed her eyes and smiled, 'Me too. Always wanted you. I'll always want you.'

Jon grinned and rubbed her shoulders. "In case you forgot, I promised something." He nipped at her neck and giggled. "You should get in bed."

Mary laughed and bowed her head, 'Get in bed,huh?'She was about to say something when he grabbed her hands to hold them. She winced and let out a groan of pain when he grabbed her hurt wrist.

Jon paled and let go of her hands, then stepped back and grabbed the other towel, wrapping it around his waist. "Maybe we should just call it a night," he mumbled, and quickly walked to the bedroom. He could sense her following him and he grabbed a pair of boxers, slipping them on and diving into bed, covering himself up. He glanced at Mary and shook his head at her exasperated expression. "I hurt you, Mary. We can excuse it all we want, but it still fucking happened."

Mary scoffed and sat down on the bed to stroke his back, 'Baby, you didn't hurt me. Do you think if I was angry I would let you fuck me in the ass in the shower?' She giggled, 'I don't get naked on the beach for just anyone, ya know?'

"I did hurt you, and I still feel like a piece of shit. I almost wish you wouldn't forgive me so easily for it." Jon rubbed his face. "Christ, I don't even remember doing it."

Mary sighed and shook her head, 'Stop this self-pitying bullshit, Jon.' She giggled, 'I think you're just trying to get away from eating me out tonight.'

He managed a small smile. "Now that's bullshit." Jon pulled back the covers and patted the space next to him. "Get in here with me. Wanna feel you against me."

Mary smiled and climbed into the bed to lie next to him and rested her body against him.

She sighed in content, 'You feel so good, baby.'

Jon hummed and pulled her closer, rubbing her back. "Been too focused on my own shit. How are you doing, baby girl? I know all this shit's been a nightmare." He chuckled. "Although ending up on the internet or getting arrested for fucking in public would have made things a lot worse."

She smiled, 'I've been good. Been busy with work and being a mom and wife. Ya know just being amazingly awesome in general.'

Jon giggled and covered her face with kisses, making her squeal and writhe. "Fuck, I love you. You're the best damn person I know."

Mary giggled and moaned when she felt his hands caressing every body part he could reach, 'Baby, love your hands on me. You always make me feel so good.'

"Well, you feel damn good to me." He kissed her neck and moved down, kissing her stomach. "I think it's time I made you feel fucking amazing. How's that sound?"

Mary nodded and whimpered,'I think it's time too. Been so fucking long, Jon.'

"Damn right." He kissed her thighs and licked at them, then stuck a couple of fingers inside her, knowing she was impatient. He kissed around his fingers, gently teasing her with soft quick flicks of his tongue.

Mary arched her back and whimpered, 'Want more. Need more, baby.'

Jon grinned and slipped his fingers out, replacing them with his tongue and groaning at her taste.

She grasped his hair, holding him in place, 'Use your teeth, baby.'

He chuckled and gently bit at her, moving his tongue rapidly inside of her. He could feel himself drooling into her, making her even wetter.

Mary arched her back and moaned aloud, 'Fuck, you have such a beautiful mouth. Make me feel so goddamn good, baby.'

Jon moaned into her and slipped his tongue out, replacing it with three fingers. He licked at her clit and began sucking on it as he built up a steady rhythm with his fingers, curling them to feel at her inner walls.

She grasped tightly on the bedsheets as her head thrashed from side to side. She arched her back and moaned, 'Oh God. You're fucking killing me. Fuck yes.'

Jon continued to work on her as she moaned and gasped in pleasure, her body writhing helplessly. He wanted to make her feel as good as possible after all the stress she'd gone through. Even if Derek never came into the picture, Mary had been the one who was able to break through to Jon and make him feel like he was actually worthy of something good. She was the only one who could undo the damage his mother caused.

Mary whimpered as he rubbed his tongue harder against her, wanting her to lose herself in the sensations.

Mary whimpered, whispering raggedly, 'Want you inside me. Need more. Can you go again, baby? Are you hard enough for me?"

"Fuck yes." Jon crawled up her body, kissing her skin along the way. "Already had my cock in your ass, want it in your pussy now, don't you baby?"

She moaned and writhed against him, wrapping her legs around his waist and brushed her pussy against the tip of his cock, whimpering at the contact, 'Fuck me, baby. Need you so bad.'

"Such a good girl." Jon grinned and pushed himself inside her, groaning at the feel of her around him. "Fuck...you're perfect,

baby."

Mary groaned and let out a slight laugh, 'I thought I was a bad girl.'

"Mmm, you have a reputation for being both." Jon licked at her neck. "I'm gonna fuck you hard either way." He grasped onto her and developed a hard and steady rhythm.

She grinded against him and bit his neck, whispering in his ear, 'Fuck, you feel so good inside me. Need it all the time, baby. Been a fucking long three weeks.'

"You're telling me," he growled, shoving himself into her. "Been thinking about you. Been wanting this sweet pussy for days. Need it, baby."

Mary scratched her nails down his back and arched against him, 'Shit, you're so fucking big. I'm not satisfied with my hands anymore, baby. They don't fill me up as good as you.' She chuckled, 'You got me spoiled, handsome.'

He grinned and drove into her harder. "You love it, don't you? Say it. Tell me how good my cock feels, baby. You get me so fucking big, you know that?" He licked at her neck and shoved into her. "So goddamn tight...I'll bet I feel fucking amazing in you, just like it feels like goddamn heaven for me being inside you."

She moaned and bit and sucked at his neck, 'Fuck, your cock feels so good. It feels like it's piercing my chest you get so deep. Feel you everywhere. When you fuck me so hard I feel you for days. I can't walk without feeling like I'm gonna come. You feel how wet you make me, baby?"

"Fuck yeah," Jon growled, her words making his chest swell with pride. "You're fucking soaked. I'll bet all I have to do is smile at you and you're fucking wet as hell, huh? You love it. You love having me fuck you hard."

Mary smirked and bit into his shoulder, 'I fucking love it, baby. All I fucking have to do is look at you and you're hard for me, aren't you baby?"

"Fuck yeah." Jon grabbed her legs and put them over his shoulders, pushing himself deeper into her. "Oh, fuck...shit yeah. Get so hard, baby. You're the only one who can do that to me. Fuck, you're sexy."

She raised her hips and pouted, knowing it drove him crazy, 'Fuck yeah...so hot, baby. My husband is so beautiful.'

He moaned and drove deeper into her. "Baby girl, you're so good...I love you, Mary."

Mary nodded and whimpered, 'So are you, baby. God, so are you. Love you more than anything. Fuck me harder. Always need it...crave it.'

He smirked and pulled out of her, smacking her side. "Get on all fours. I wanna fuck your pussy from behind. Gonna make you scream."

She turned around and did as he instructed. She smirked at him over her shoulder, 'Sure you're not too sore, baby?'

"Does it feel like I'm too sore?" he rasped as he slid deep inside her. "Tell me. Tell me how that feels."

Mary grinded against him and whimpered, 'Shit, you're so fucking big. Feels like you're ripping me apart. But you know I fucking love it. 'She moaned and gasped, 'Fuck...love when you start leaking cause and get so wet for me, baby.'

"You turn me on, baby girl," he growled, and held onto her hips as he fucked her. "I love being inside you. Love being close to you. You're so perfect."

She licked her lips and hummed, 'Fuck, you're the only man who has ever got me wet. Tell me what that does to you, baby?'

He grinned and ran his hands down her back. "Feels fucking amazing...the sexiest goddamn woman on the planet only wants my cock. I fucking love it, baby girl."

Mary chuckled and grinded against him, moaning, 'Fuck, my man Jonathan Good is gorgeous. He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'

He laughed. "Damn right. Good thing I married the most beautiful woman I could find, so we could make a beautiful baby." He growled and pushed forward, feeling primal. "I gave you a damn good baby. Remember that night we conceived him, New Year's? I came so hard and deep in you. You were goddamn full, weren't you? Gave you so much come, no wonder you got pregnant."

Mary laughed and writhed against him, 'Fuck yes, baby. He's the most beautiful boy in the world. Besides you of course. God, that night on my roof was the best night of my life. You fucked me so good I couldn't even walk. You had to carry me to bed. Tell me, baby. Tell me how beautiful Jonathan Good is. Turns me on when I hear you say that.'

Jon licked at her face and growled. "I'm so goddamned beautiful that I made the most beautiful boy in the world. I fucked you deep that night, baby. You got so much come in you it was dripping down your legs when I put you in bed. I made our baby. I made him beautiful."

Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks at his words. She covered her hands with his own, interlocking their fingers

together.

Mary nodded, smiling through her tears, 'Damn right you did, baby. You made our son beautiful. Our love made him. The love we make is so fucking beautiful.'

"We're so beautiful," Jon murmured, and moaned as he pushed into her. "Gonna make me come, baby. You wanna feel that, don't you? Wanna feel me lose it inside you."

Mary whimpered and grinded harder against him, feeling her orgasm fast approaching.

She let out a choked sob and nodded, 'Oh fuck, me too. Oh...shit...gonna come with you, baby.'

"Oh god, yeah." Jon moaned and pushed deeper into her, gasping as he felt himself get closer to release. "Oh shit, oh yeah...here I come, baby...fuck!"

She writhed against him and started shaking underneath as she felt her orgasm ripping through her.

She screamed and gasped, 'Fuck...yeah so am I. Fuck, I'm coming so hard. I love you so much, baby.'

Jon rested his forehead on the back of her neck and shivered as he felt her tighten around him. He kissed her and stroked her soothingly as she came down from her orgasm, then gently withdrew and pulled her on top of him. "Love you," he murmured, stroking her hair.

Mary sighed in content and nuzzled his neck, 'Mmm, I love you too, baby. So much.' She stroked his chest, 'How's your side? I didn't hurt it did I?'

He shook his head. "I'm fine, baby." Grinning, he pulled her closer to kiss her forehead. "Better than fine, actually. Love you so much it's crazy."

Mary kissed his neck and smiled against his skin, 'Love you too, baby. So fucking much I can barely breathe.'

"You'd better keep breathing. I need you." Jon stretched and closed his eyes. "Love my wife."

She smiled, draping her arm over his stomach, 'And I love my husband.'


	34. Chapter 34

The mood backstage was fucking tense. Everyone knew what was gonna happen that night, and seeing some of the veterans hanging out was intense. Normally when a veteran came back everybody was laughing and exchanging stories, but this time things were quiet and surreal.

Punk had come up to Jon and asked him a million questions, punching a nearby locker when he heard about how Derrick treated Mary. Jon assured him that she was okay, but that she wanted things taken care of.

"Oh, it will be." Punk nodded and clasped a hand on Jon's shoulder. "I fucking guarantee it. That fuck's gonna get his. Good job on roughing him up, by the way. Sorry I wasn't here to help out with that."

Punk and Jon watched as JBL and Taker walked into the locker room. Punk patted Jon on the back and gave him a reassuring smile as he walked over to his colleagues.

Jon met Taker and JBL's eyes and they both curtly nodded their heads, exchanging glances. He has always had a great relationship with the three of hose guys. He trusted them. If anyone could get the job done with was the three of the them. He sat down on the bench and gripped his knees, trying to keep himself from shaking. This had to be the most nerve wracking thing of his life. Not only was Derek's career riding on this meeting, his own was as well.

Jon was sitting there when he saw Seth and Ryan walking through the door. He let out a sigh of relief, the tension easing from his bones.

Seth and Ryan walked over to the bench and sat down on opposite sides of him. Seth patted his best friend's back,'How are ya, man?'

Jon sighed shakily and shrugged,'As good as I can be, ya know?'

Ryan nodded,'Well, we got your back.'

Seth nodded his head,'Damn right we do.'

Punk exchanged a quick conversation with one of the newcomers and curtly nodded his head.

Punk walked over to Jon and said,'Derek's here. It's time.'

As soon as Taker walked to the front of the locker room everyone quickly took their seats. He looked around the room and stared Jon and Derek down until both men were fidgeting. "Order, gentlemen. It's come to my attention that there was a dispute backstage involving these two men. Both have been charged with invoking backstage violence, and we will hear both sides."

JBL stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at Derek and Jon. "Gentlemen of the WWE, we cannot allow for this sort of behavior to occur backstage. What if someone was hurt, or permanently injured? From what I have been told, it took more than one person to stop this fight. This means an innocent bystander would have risked his career just by stepping in and doing the right thing. What would these men have done if they had caused an early retirement? Would they have paid that man's medical bills, or supported his family? I seriously doubt that. These men put us all in danger and we cannot stand by and allow them to behave like children. Our locker room must be a safe and respectful environment. We have no room for animals who cannot control themselves."

Jon felt his mouth go dry and he hugged his arms as these words sunk in. He'd been so sure that the guys would automatically take his side, but from the sounds of things he was in as much shit as Derek was. Maybe even more.

JBL called Punk to the stand, calling him a character witness. Punk stood next to Jon and stated that he didn't have many friends, but Jon was one of them. He said he trusted Jon with his life and knew he'd never attack someone without provocation, and that Derek had committed "the ultimate sin".

"All of us have loved ones." Punk looked around the room. "While not all of us are in serious relationships, we all have been at some point. Or we have family members we'd gladly die for. Imagine that loved one is being harassed, and he or she is screaming for help. Imagine walking into that scenario. How would you all react? Would you step by and calmly ask the offender to stop? Or would you react with emotion?"

Everyone around the room exchanged glances. The answer seemed obvious.

Taker then called on Gabe Lasser, one of the trainers who was asked to act as Derek's witness. He explained how Punk was right, but Jon went too far. "Keep in mind that it took more than one person to pull him off of Derek. I am not excusing Derek's actions, but Jon was out of line. He had to be put in a sleeper hold to knock him out. This is what they do to zoo animals that attack humans. They take them out. Also let's not forget that Jon was in what appeared to be a bad mental state. He was talking to people that weren't there and even threatened his wife. How can we punish Derek when Jon was just as at fault? He escalated the situation into an emergency. This is not how normal adults act, gentlemen."

Jon felt himself start to shake as Taker took notes. His confidence was shaken to the core. It could all be over because he'd flipped out. It didn't matter that he was provoked. His panic attack was frightening and his co-workers thought of him as an animal. It was heartbreaking and terrifying.

Derek stepped forward. "For the record, I-"

"You are in contempt of court," JBL snapped. "You respect this court and remain silent."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "I was afraid for my life! This guy's a lunatic! He's a lunatic and you all kiss his ass and look up to him like he's a god!"

Taker banged his gavel and motioned to JBL, who stepped forward to stand in front of Derek. "You are now in contempt of court. Your punishment will be decided by the court."

"Fuck this." Derek rolled his eyes and nodded at Jon. "See you in hell, fucker." He turned to leave and was at the locker room door when Taker's voice filled the locker room.

"Son, if you leave here, it's all over for you. Do you understand?"

Derek turned to see everyone glaring at him, and for a moment he looked frightened, but then scoffed. "Whatever," he mumbled, and left.

Everyone murmured excitedly, and Jon exhaled. It wasn't exactly surprising to see Derek leave in a huff, but it was still shocking. He blatantly disrepected the entire locker room, not to mention legends and The Undertaker himself.

"That's never happened before," Punk muttered.

Taker hit the gavel, calling for order. "Mr. Bishop has left the court, but we will proceed without him." He nodded at Jon. "Step forward please."

Jon approached him, followed closely by Punk.

Taker stared at him for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Identify the men who subdued you."

Jon exhaled shakily. "Seth Rollins, Max Renner, and Alex Warren...I mean, Murdock."

"Mr. Rollins, Mr. Renner, and Mr. Murdock, I'd like you to step forward as well."

Jon's friends quickly made their way up front, each of them patting Jon on the back as they approached him.

Taker had each of them explain what happened and their role in breaking up the fight, then had them give a brief statement on how they saw Jon as a person. He asked each of them if they were afraid of Jon and each of them stated that they, like Punk, trusted Jon with his life. Taker allowed Seth more time to talk as he knew Jon the longest, and Seth explained a little of his background with Mary and that Mary was a strong woman who could defend herself, but not against a man like Derek Bishop. He insisted that Jon had saved his wife and the mother of his child, and that while he needed to find a way to work out his personal issues, his actions should be commended.

"I see." Taker stared at Jon intently. "Do you have anything to add?"

Jon took deep breath. "Yes, Your Honor. Thank you for letting me speak." He cleared his throat. "I apologize for having my co-workers think that they were in danger. That could not be farther than the truth. With the exception of Mr. Bishop, I consider you all my friends. Some of you I see as brothers." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "I grew up with Mary. We had a very difficult upbringing, Your Honor. If you would like I can tell you a bit more in private, but for now I will say that she didn't always have me around to protect her. I'm obviously in love with her and she's the mother of my son, and I'd do anything to protect my family. I promise to work on my personal issues, but I cannot apologize for saving my wife from being hurt. I love her and would gladly die for her and my boy."

The locker room was silent and Seth reached over to pat Jon on the back, squeezing his shoulder. Jon relaxed slightly. He didn't know what the hell he'd do without his friends, especially Seth. He owed his life to him.

Taker finished taking notes and nodded at JBL, who dismissed everyone. It didn't take long for everyone to leave, and Jon tried to calm his nerves while getting supportive hugs from Seth, Ryan, and Alex. Even Punk came over for a quick hug.

"What happens now?" Jon muttered, feeling anxious as hell.

Punk grinned. "Well, Derek's getting his ass fired. No one disrespects Taker like that. As for you, you might have to do something small. I don't know. I'm gonna talk to Taker and JBL to see if we can just drop this. Don't fucking worry." He smirked and lightly punched Jon's arm. "You were great."

"I guess." Jon managed a laugh. "Fuck, that was scary as shit."

"No kidding. Luckily it's a one time thing, huh?" Punk sighed. "Anyway, you'll know in a little bit what's going on. Try to relax in the meantime, huh?"

"Yeah, sure." Jon watched as Punk went off to talk to JBL and Taker. Gabe came over and shook his hand, telling him that he personally disliked Derek but according to the rules someone had to argue his side. Jon assured him he understood, but he was only more spooked by Gabe's admission. His argument seemed pretty well-researched, meaning that people had come up and voiced their concern about the whole thing.

Seth insisted on the four of them going out for lunch to clear their heads. After a while Jon was able to relax a bit as the guys told stories and jokes. Alex got recognized by a group of giggling sorority girls, which was entertaining as he was incredibly shy in real life. Ryan cracked up as he watched them give Alex their number after he posed for pictures with them.

"Five bucks says they all get Murdock tattoos tonight." Ryan shook his head. "He's stuttering like a kid and they're eating it up."

"Some guys just have that aura." Seth frowned and took out his phone. "Got a message from Punk. He says when we're ready to come back to the locker room."

An uneasy quiet fell over the table, and all of them started gathering their things. Seth paid the bill before anyone else could object and the four of them left. The ride back to the stadium was silent, with no one even teasing Alex about the girls.

They quickly made their way to the locker room where Punk was waiting. "Just got finished talking things over," he stated. "So, Taker's gonna talk to the brass about Derek. He's pretty much gone. As for you, Jon, they want to make an example of you."

Jon's heart started racing. "What does that mean?"

"Well, everyone agreed you did the right thing but took it too far. Plus they want to do something for the guys who broke everything up. So for one month you're gonna carry Alex's bags, then Ryan's, and for two months you carry Seth's bags since he's your closest friend. Also since Kaitlynn and Paige helped your wife, you pay for their room service for a week. That's it."

Jon exhaled. It sounded reasonable. His punishment could have been so much worse. "Sounds good. Uh, what are people saying, by the way? Does everyone think I'm a fucking nutcase?"

Punk rolled his eyes. "No, man. That was Derek. No one here thinks you're a nutcase. Calm the fuck down."

"See?" Seth clasped a hand on Jon's shoulder. "Everything's cool. Just like I said, man." He grinned. "You wanna call your wife and let her know? I know she's been worried as shit about all this."

"Tell her I said hey." Punk patted Jon's arm. "I'll see you guys later. Right now I'm fucking starved and if I don't eat, someone's gonna fucking die." He nodded at Ryan and Alex and then walked off.

Jon thanked his friends for the millionth time, then headed back to the hotel, wanting to call Mary in private. The worst was over, and he was gonna be able to shoot RAW tomorrow without being fucking paranoid as shit, but he wouldn't really feel okay about all of it until he talked to his wife.


	35. Chapter 35

Jon threw his bag in his room and sighed. It was a long fucking night, and the new guy had botched a move with David, which almost resulted in an injury. The crowd had noticed it and started a shitty chant, but luckily David had made the save and no one got hurt. Still, it had cast a shadow over the rest of the show, and everyone left in a bad mood.

"This room is insane!"

He grinned. Not all was bad, though. He had company.

"I've never seen a hotel room like this. You could swim laps in this tub!"

Jon chuckled and walked to the master bathroom, where his young visitor was admiring all the free soaps. "You gonna steal those?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's not stealing, they give 'em to you."

"You want room service?"

"Nah." She tucked a blond lock behind her ear and sniffed at a small bottle of lotion.

"A movie?"

"Nah."

"Okay, Barbie, what do ya wanna do?"

She looked up and glared at him. "That's not my name!"

"No shit." Jon smirked. "You're blond, so you're Barbie."

"You don't like it?" She got up and scowled in the mirror. "I thought it would make me look older."

He rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen. "I'm gonna get a drink."

"Surprise, surprise."

"Of water!"

"Sure."

Jon made a face and grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge. "You've heard too many rumors about me."

"Yeah, well..."

Before she could finish her thought, Jon's phone rang. It was Seth. He grinned and picked it up. "Hey."

"Hey. So, uh, are you two settled?"

"Yeah. Thanks for helping set this up, Seth. It's been a long time, you know."

"No problem. I'll let you two have your fun. Later."

"Later." Jon hung up just as she came in the room, her eyes wide.

"Was that Seth? Seth Rollins?"

Jon sighed dramatically. "Yes. Why? You wanna meet him?"

She giggled. "Maybe."

Jon sneered. "I'm not enough for you?"

"Whatever!" She rolled her eyes and stomped off. "So, I'm taking these soaps. Do they give you anything else? Like these robes, can I have one?"

"Take what you want, Barbie." Jon's phone rang again and he cleared his throat. "It's Mary."

"Oh my god!" The girl rushed forward to stand in the doorway of the master bedroom, giggling uncontrollably. "I thought she wasn't gonna call you?"

"She always calls me." Jon glared at her. "Now get in the room and stay quiet. If she hears you it's all screwed, got it?"

"Got it. Don't worry, I won't make any noise, your wife won't know I'm here." She winked and closed the door.

Mary smiled when he answered the phone, 'Hey, baby. How are you?'

"I'm fine." Jon hurried into the extra bedroom and closed the door behind him. If Barbie made her presence known..."How are you? Everything good? Life's good?"

Mary sat down on the couch and narrowed her eyes. He sounded odd, distant even. She shook her head, maybe he was tired, 'I'm really good. I miss you.'

"Yeah, I miss you too." Suddenly a crash sounded from the other room and he jumped. "Uh, hold on, okay?" He threw the phone down and ran into the other room, where Barbie was standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "What did you do?"

"Nothing! A couple of things fell, calm down." She scowled and began picking up the bottles of shampoo and lotion.

Jon sighed. "Be more careful! Jesus!"

She smirked at him. "Is the missus still on the phone?"

"Yes! She might have heard you! Keep it down!" He glared at her and ran back into the guest room, closing the door again. "Sorry about that."

"What happened?" Mary asked carefully, sounding confused.

"Oh, a couple of things fell in the other room. It was weird." Jon cleared his throat. "Hey, I'm kinda tired, tonight sucked. Can we talk tomorrow?"

She nodded, 'Yeah, sure. I love you.'

He sighed into the phone, 'Yeah you too.'

Jon abruptly hung up the phone and Mary sat there stunned and confused. He's never acted like this with her before. He acted as if he couldn't even be bothered. Usually they spent the entire night on the phone together talking about everything and nothing. Most nights they talked until they fell asleep together on the phone. There was something going on with him. She was sure of it. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but he sounded off. His words were clipped, his sentences short. He was talking to her as if she were an obligation. He was acting as if someone was in the other room with him.

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief. No, that couldn't be right. Jon wouldn't do that to her. He loved her. He was her husband.

Before she jumped to conclusions maybe she start thinking things through. Maybe something happened in his match tonight that got him upset. Maybe he truly was tired.

She decided to go online and read a recap of his match tonight. Maybe that would give her an answer of his odd behavior. She got onto her laptop and searched a few sites, but didn't find anything unusual. From what she has gathered it seemed to be a regular house show. Nothing went wrong. Nobody got hurt. Jon is perfectly fine.

Mary decided to check his twitter just to see if he tweeted anything about tonight. If he wasn't going to talk to her she had to find out for herself. She hated spying on him like this, but it was a sick need she needed to satiate. She never said she was perfect. Her insecurities are something she hates about herself.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed some people were retweeting certain comments such as; 'Looks like Dean got himself a beautiful blonde on his arm tonight'

Mary scrolled down, reading some of the other comments as well, but they were pretty much all the same. Apparently, Jon was seen with a very young blonde girl backstage with him. At first she thought it may be Clara, but she was overseas meeting with the Troops for two weeks. There is no way it could be her.

Tears filled her eyes as she sat back in her chair looking at the computer should have fucking known. He was no different than any other guy that came in her life. They weren't even apart for two weeks and already he was fucking some rat. He always loved the young blonde girls. Why would she be naive enough to think that would ever change? His words reverberated through her mind that he said to her during their honeymoon. 'It's different for guys'.

She shook her head, laughing incredulously. It sure fucking is.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed some people were retweeting certain comments such as; 'Looks like Dean got himself a beautiful blonde on his arm tonight'

Mary scrolled down, reading some of the other comments as well, but they were pretty much all the same. Apparently, Jon was seen with a very young blonde girl backstage with him. At first she thought it may be Clara, but she was overseas meeting with the Troops for two weeks. There is no way it could be her.

Tears filled her eyes as she sat back in her chair looking at the computer screen. She slammed her laptop closed and held her face and gritted her teeth in anger. She should have fucking known. He was no different than any other guy that came in her life. They weren't even apart for two weeks and already he was fucking some rat. He always loved the young blonde girls. Why would she be naive enough to think that would ever change? His words reverberated through her mind that he said to her during their honeymoon. 'It's different for guys'.

She shook her head, laughing incredulously. It sure fucking is.

Regardless of what she read she still didn't want to believe it. She loved and trusted him. She knows he wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt her. She decided to investigate this a bit further. She started going onto a few other media sites and sure enough her fears were confirmed. There were numerous pictures of Jon walking into a hotel with a young blonde girl. He was holding her hand and his head was bowed as if he was whispering something in her ear. She wished she could see the girl's face, but they were all taken from the back, but she knew it was Jon. She would know his face anywhere.

Mary slammed her laptop closed and gritted her teeth in anger. Tears fell down her face and she wiped them angrily.

She shook her head, taking a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control. No, she wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to fall apart. She could not believe everything she's see. She had made that mistake last time.

There is only one person who could help her regarding this situation. It was someone whom knew him best. Seth. If anyone knew what was going on it was him.

Mary picked up her cellular phone and dialed Seth's number. It was about time for her to learn some truths.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"No, man." Ryan finished his beer and sighed. "They're gonna remake Die Hard. Clara's dating this producer guy and his friend's setting it up. Nothing's fucking sacred anymore."

Seth rolled his eyes in disgust and settled against the couch. "Christ. That's depressing." His phone buzzed and he looked at it and frowned. "The fuck? It's Mary."

Ryan glanced at him. "Do you think she knows about...?"

"No way. We were careful." Seth took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Mary. What's up? How are you doing? How's everything?" He winced at his odd tone and glared at Ryan, who was giving him an exasperated look.

Mary sighed and leaned back in her chair when Seth answered his phone, 'Hey, Seth. I'm doing...wonderful. How are you?'

She couldn't help but notice how odd he sounded. He answered the phone almost as if he were dreading to speak to her. Maybe in a way he was. He probably thought she was one big fucking joke.

Seth shrugged, 'Eh, can't complain. Shit's been going good. Uh...what can I do for ya?'

Mary narrowed her eyes, staring at her closed laptop. Those pictures she saw were gnawing at her. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Jon with that skank.

'So, is everything alright with, Jon? I talked him today and he sounded strange. Did something happen that he's not telling me?'

"Oh, no, no, no, everything's totally fine. There was this one thing tonight that was fucked up though, the new guy, uh...Jimmy, he fucked up a move and Derek almost got hurt. That wasn't fun. So yeah, it kinda put a damper on things, you know. But no. Everything's cool." Seth glared at Ryan, who was shaking his head in disbelief. "Hey, Ryan wants to say hi!" Seth threw the phone at him.

Ryan's eyes got huge as he picked up the phone. "The fuck, man?" he hissed.

"See how easy it is for you, asshole! You try acting natural!" Seth hissed back, and got up to get another drink.

Ryan glared at him and put on his best smile. "Hey, Mary! What's up, sweetie? Sorry about Seth, the fucker is drunk as shit."

Mary was taken aback by their odd behavior. Seth quickly ended their conversation. It was as if he didn't even want to talk to her. Maybe he felt guilty, knowing that her own husband was cheating on her with some ring rat.

She smiled tightly, saying through gritted teeth, 'I'm am just peachy, Ryan. How about you? So, honey. You travel with Jon. Has anything...new been going on with him lately?'

Ryan's eyes widened. "No. I mean, there was this crazy fan who insisted on having pictures taken with him...I think she's a friend of one of the divas." He cringed. "So, uh, there's that."

"What are you doing?" Seth whispered.

Ryan put his hand over the phone. "She knows something, dude!" He got back on the phone and cleared his throat. "So, yeah, that happened. But all is well. Hey, you take care, okay? Everything is awesome. We love ya!" He hung up and flung Seth's phone aside. "Shit!"

"See? Fucking dumbass." Seth turned his phone off and groaned. "Why would she call me?"

"You don't think she knows, do you?" Ryan frowned. "Man, I hate this sneaky shit."

"Me too, but it's what Jon wants." Seth fell back on the couch and handed Ryan a beer. "Fuck it, right? I mean, Mary's gonna find out at some point. He can't keep her a secret forever."

Ryan nodded. "We did the best we could. Fuck it."

When Mary got off the phone with Ryan and Seth, her mind was made up. She knew by their odd behavior that they knew something she didn't. It was as if they were all in on some big joke and she was the punchline.

She gritted her teeth in anger as tears fell from her eyes. She angrily wiped them away, shaking her head. No, she wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to let him get the best of her. She has shed enough tears for him. She was so sick and tired of his games. They haven't even been apart for two weeks and already he had his dick in some ring rat. She would be damned if she just sat back and let him do this. She wasn't going to be his fool anymore.

Mary knew he was in Atlanta, Georgia for a taping. It wasn't that long of a plane ride from New York. She would only need a few days off from work. She picked up her cellular phone once again and dialed her work number. She also needed to call Kat and see if she could watch Nick while she was out of town. She had to tell her boss she was taking the rest of the week off. She had some personal matters to attend to.

When she stood in front of his hotel, she looked up at it warily. She was having second thoughts. Maybe this was a bad idea confronting him like this. Maybe she should have waited until he came back, but she wanted to catch him in the act. She knew he would call her crazy and paranoid. She didn't want to give him the upper hand. She wanted to see what he was doing with her own eyes. If she saw him with the girl he wouldn't be able to deny it. There would be no sweet talking his way out of this one.

She heaved a laborious sigh, shrugging her shoulders. Well, she has come this far. She mine as well go all the way, right?

Mary asked the front desk what room he was staying in. Thankfully she had her idea with her to prove she was his wife. Surprisingly, they didn't ask much questions. They just told her what room he was staying in. That unnerved her for some reason. If it was that easy for her to get to his room, it was easy for his fan as well.

She shook her head. She could really care less what the fuck happened to him at this point. She was so angry and confused. There were so many conflicting emotions inside her. It would kill her to see him with another woman, but this had to be done. She had to see it for herself to know she wasn't crazy.

When she got in front of his door, she took a few deep breath to steady her nerves. She was so nervous. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was pounding. This had to be one of the most difficult things she's ever had to do in her life.

Deciding to bite the bullet, she slowly lifted up her hand and tentatively knocked upon the door a few times.

Mary stood there, rocking nervously back and forth upon her heels.

No more than a few moments later, the door opened revealing Jon standing there.

Jon's eyes went wide when he saw her and he stammered out, 'Mary...what are you doing here?'

Mary opened her mouth to speak when she saw a young blonde girl walk out of the bathroom into the bedroom. She was wearing a towel and was drying off her wet hair.

Her eyes went wide. It was the same girl she had seen in the photos entering the hotel with him. She only saw her for a split second, but she immediately recognized her.

Mary shook her head and sneered in disgust as tears fell from her eyes, 'You motherfucking bastard!'

She took off in a sprint down the hallway. She needed to get as far away from as possible. She ignored him as he called her name. She never wanted to see him again. It was like seeing him with that valet all over again. Except this time she had no one else to blame but herself.

"Shit!" Jon took off after her, putting his arms around her waist. "Hold on a sec."

"Fuck you!" Mary stomped on his foot and struggled in his arms. "You cheating asshole!"

"What? No, no...Jesus!" Jon pushed her against the wall and held her arms down. "Now listen..."

Mary tried to kick him and he pressed himself against her, pinning her to the wall. "I hate you," she snarled. "I fucking hate you, you lying piece of shit..."

"It's Olivia!"

Mary paused. "What?"

Jon sighed. "She sent me a message on Twitter, and after I asked her some questions, I knew it was really her. She got some time off for Thanksgiving, and I thought it would be cool if she spent it with us. I was gonna surprise you, 'cause you surprised me that day we drove out to see her, and that was the night we..." Jon bowed his head. "I thought it would be cool to surprise you." His face darkened with anger. "And you fucking thought I was...Christ."

Mary's eyes went wide as she stared up at him. Her heart sank. She felt like such a complete asshole. He was trying to do something good for her and she assumed the worst. She always assumed the worst. She always expected him to get her heartbroken that she saw what she wanted, refusing to see the truth right in front of her eyes.

She bowed her head shamefully, 'I'm sorry. I thought...' She shook her head and sighed.

She honestly didn't know what to say. She had said enough.

"I know what you fucking thought." Jon stepped back from her and stared at her, his anger making him feel almost numb. "Well. Now that you've made your presence known, do you want to come in and say hi to my cousin? I hope to fuck she didn't hear you. Also she dyed her hair blond, are you going to give her shit for that?"

Mary scoffed, shaking her head, 'How the hell was I supposed to know it was her? I mean, I did walk into you sleeping in our bed with some blonde skank. How was I supposed to know ya wouldn't fall back into bad habits?"

Her eyes widened when she saw the look upon her face. She took a few steps back from him, knowing she had went too far.

He took a deep breath. "You can't fucking let anything go, can you, Mary? How many times have we been over this? Christ." His lip curled in disgust. "Do you get off on this shit? If you heard about me with some girl you could have fucking asked me."

Mary snorted, 'I fucking called you and you acted as if you couldn't be bothered. You never sounded like that before. I knew something was up. So I called Seth and Ryan and they...'

She gasped when she saw the look in his eyes. She knew that look all too well. Many men he has faced in the ring have been on the receiving end of that look.

"You..." Jon swayed on his feet. "You called my friends...to see if I was...and you never fucking asked me what was..." He took a deep breath. "Holy shit."

They stood there for a while, then Jon rolled his neck and groaned. "Okay. Okay. First of all, you're not leaving here until you see Olivia. If she heard you screaming like a lunatic, you apologize to her, got it? After that we have a little talk."

Mary nodded, 'Yeah...sure.'

She followed Jon down the hallway back into the hotel room. They found Olivia sitting on the couch dressed and watching television.

Olivia got up form the couch and ran over to Mary, wrapping her arms around her, 'Oh my God. How are you?'

Mary tentatively wrapped her arms around her, a small smile forming upon her face, 'I'm doing good. How are you?"

Mary looked up at Jon, sighing in relief. Good, she didn't hear anything. She didn't manage to fuck everything up. Jon was staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. If looks could kill she would be six feet under right now.

Mary took a step back from her and looked her up and down smiling, 'Wow, look at you. You're all grown up.'

Olivia ducked her head shyly, 'Yeah...well.' She clapped her hands excitedly, 'Congratulations on getting married. Sorry I couldn't be there.' She glared at Jon, 'Someone didn't bother to call me.'

Jon bowed his head, rubbing his neck nervously, 'Yeah, well. I wasn't sure if you mom wanted me to contact ya. It's been a while...'

Mary shook her head, 'Who cares?' She placed her hand upon her shoulder, 'You're here now and it's all that matters.'

Olivia smiled, 'That I am.' She laughed, 'Wait a minute. Wasn't I supposed to be surprising you and not the other way around?"

Mary looked over at Jon. He just stared at her, his eyes devoid of all emotion. She could tell by the way his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists at his sides that he was angry with her and for good reason. She dreaded their conversation. She knew that he might not forgive her this time around. She had betrayed his trust and went behind his back. They might not survive this. Once again she let her insecurities get the best of her. She could have possibly ruined the best thing that's ever happened to her.

Jon sighed, 'How about we go get something to eat, huh? That sound good?"

Olivia nodded, 'Hell yes. Thank, God. I'm starving and I'm sick and tired of room service.'

He nodded, laughing, 'Point well taken, Barbie.'

Mary hesitantly followed them along, all the while wanting to crawl under a fucking rock and die.

Dinner was very strained and awkward. Olivia chatted away with Jon while Mary just there, silently listening to their conversation. She hardly at her dinner nor did she contribute in the conversation. She felt like the odd man out. Maybe it's because that's exactly what she was. She felt so damn guilty for her behavior.

After dinner, Jon had booked Olivia her own room so the two of them could have some privacy. She was thrilled with the idea. It gave her more freedom to do what she wanted and not be under the watchful eye of her older cousin.

Mary followed Jon into the hotel room with an overwhelming sense of dread. She had not a clue what was going to transpire during this conversation. This very well may be the end of them.

Mary jumped startled as Jon slammed the door shut loudly.

She slowly turned around to face. He was leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. The look upon his face could only be described as murderous. She has never seen so much fury in his eyes.

Mary stood there silent and still as she stared at him, bracing herself for the inevitable storm that was to come.

He stared her down for a while and then spoke slowly. "I want to know what your fucking problem is, Mary. You don't trust me, and you refuse to let the past go. So what the fuck am I supposed to do, huh? How the fuck am I supposed to be married to someone like you?"

Mary scoffed and shook her head, 'Look, I know I fucked up and I'm sorry. But if you don't want to be married to me then I'm not going to beg you.'

"Oh, FUCK YOU!" Jon slammed his fist against the wall. "Christ! Ever since we've been together you're always finding an excuse to get the fuck away from me! From day one, Mary! And how many fucking times do we have to go over the same shit until you realize that I've never fucked around behind your back? Do you hear me mentioning David every five fucking seconds? FUCK!"

Mary's eyes went wide when she saw how he was acting. He was resorting back to his old ways. He was behaving just as he did when they were kids.

She ran shaky hands through her hair, 'Look, I know that I should have come to you about this. But in all fairness every single time we've been apart you have FUCKED AROUND.' She snorted, 'Shit, we're weren't even separated a week and you were already fucking rats.'

"When we were APART, Mary. Not when I was with you." Jon rolled his eyes. "So this excuses your behavior, huh? I fucked some rats and you see me as a piece of shit that can't be trusted? Jesus. What made you so sure, huh? Did you look on one of your precious dirtsheets?"

Mary bowed her head and sighed, not saying a word. Her actions spoke for her.

"Oh. My. Fucking GOD." Jon gaped at her. "You did, didn't you? Holy fucking shit. You and your goddamn internet searches. The time you flipped out over what people were saying about us getting married, you thinking I was fucking engaged to Clara, that fucking fake Twitter account that you thought was mine! Do you not see a pattern with this shit! Jesus!"

Mary cringed and sighed, 'Maybe I should stop going on the internet and ask you first?"

"How about you fucking TALK to me first? You never did in any of those cases, you assumed the worst and you let things get to you! Why can't you talk to me? You could have said, 'Hey, Jon, I saw something about you and some girl, what's going on, you're acting weird', and I would have said 'Oh, hey, Mary, guess what? Remember my cousin who got taken away from me when I was a kid? Remember how you tracked her down for me and showed me that you...'" Jon's voice broke but he kept going, "...'you showed me that you loved me? Well she's coming over for Thanksgiving, surprise!' But no, Mary, you had to come here and fucking...you fucking..." He looked away, disgusted. "Jesus. I can't fucking believe this shit."

Mary stretched her arms outward as tears welled up in her eyes, 'What do you want me to do? I said I'm sorry? I really truly fucking am, Jon? If you want a divorce, I'll give it to you. I'll sign the papers right away. You never have to fucking see me again. You can have all the fucking girls you want.'

"I DON'T WANT ANY GIRLS!" Jon screamed. "I want you! I've always wanted you! I only want you! And you don't give a shit!"

Mary winced as he shouted in her face. She took a step back and said calmly, 'I do give a shit, Jon. Or I wouldn't be here right now.' She sighed, 'We keep doing this shit to each other. Maybe a divorce is what we need.'

"No, fuck that." Jon glared at her and crossed his arms. "You're not pulling that shit again. No running away. We figure this out." He sighed. "Let's just go to bed." He saw the look on his wife's face and rolled his eyes. "I want to lie down! I'm tired as shit. I won't try anything, I swear it."

Mary snorted, 'I'm not going anywhere with you, asshole!"

Jon scoffed. "Fine. Go sleep in the other bedroom, see if I fucking care." He stomped toward the spare bedroom and took his shirt off, throwing it to the floor. "We're talking in the morning, then. I'm not avoiding this forever."

"Oh, so you decide when we talk now?" Mary followed him and sneered at him. "You're not my fucking boss!"

"No shit! I'm your goddamned husband. Not like that means anything to you. Fuck." He sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes. "I swear, you get off on all this fucking drama. It's pathetic. What are you, in high school? Shit. All you women are the same, doesn't matter your age. Always with the fucking drama." Jon glared at her and began unbuttoning his pants. "Fucking women."

Mary scoffed and stomped over to him. She snorted and shook her head, 'You're such a fucking bastard, you know that?"

Jon ignored her and continued undressing. He stared up at her and rolled his eyes, which only made her angrier.

She crossed her arms over her chest, 'Why the fuck can't you ever face me like a fucking man, huh?'

"Face you like a man, huh?" He stood up and stared her down. "What do you want me to do? Tell me. What do you want from me?"

Mary pushed him, causing him to stumble back a few steps, 'What are you going to do, Jon? I'm not one of your fucking opponents in the ring.'

He laughed. "No shit. If anybody else gave me as hard a time as you do, I'd give him hell." Jon crossed his arms. "It's funny. You say I'm not your boss, but you're telling me I can't go to sleep. Apparently I need your permission for that shit!"

She snorted, 'I don't give a shit what you do. You can go fuck the whole Divas roster for all I care.'

Jon laughed hysterically. "Holy shit, you are insecure. Wow. Are you hearing yourself? The reason I ask is because you sound fucking crazy."

She scoffed, 'So I'm insecure, huh? You're the fucking one who carries my picture in the ring with you! Even after we broke up.' She laughed, 'Talk about pathetic.'

He squinted at her. "Oh, so I'm pathetic, huh? Nice. I seem to remember you saying you fucking jerked off to seeing me on TV when you were engaged to another guy. How's that for pathetic?"

Tears filled her eyes and sneered in disgust. She slapped him across his face as hard as she could, 'You fucking bastard.'

"Yeah, cute, go ahead with the name calling." He spread his arms out. "Go ahead. Kick my ass. It's all I'm good for, right? You don't give a shit, why should I?"

His words made her angrier. She balled her hands into fists at her side and stomped over to him.

Mary shook her head and scoffed, 'What about you telling me that you fucked yourself before every promo thinking of me? How's that for pathetic?'

He laughed. "Sure. And how about you coming to my hotel after seeing me and begging me to fuck you senseless before TLC? Is that not pathetic?"

Mary snorted, 'I didn't fucking see you turning me away, did I? You fucking loved every second of it.'

"Yeah, well you weren't exactly having a bad time yourself. You came like a thousand times." He smirked at her. "I could always make you come so easily."

Mary shook her head, 'You fucking told me you couldn't live without my pussy, didn't you? Told me I was the best there fucking was. You can't get enough of it.'

He walked up to her, staring her down. Her words got his heart pounding, but he wasn't gonna let her get the best of him. "How many times have you begged for my cock? You want it everywhere. You want it all the time."

Mary looked up at him wide eyed. His words made her feel as if molten lava was running through her veins. It's been almost three weeks since they've seen each other, but she would be damned if she let him know he had that kind of power over her.

She smirked, 'Yeah, well. you fucking told me that I was the first girl you ever ate out. You fucking love the taste of my pussy, don't you?'

He leaned close to her, breathing her in. "If I say yes, that makes me pathetic, doesn't it? At least, according to you. But you love having my tongue in you, don't you, baby girl? You go fucking crazy when I taste you."

Mary found herself shivering at his words and seethed, saying through gritted teeth, 'I'm not your baby girl.'

She was just as turned on as he was. He could fucking tell. "You're not?" He stepped forward and rested his forehead against hers. "You sure about that? You don't want my mouth on you? You don't want me riding you, making you scream my name?"

Mary trembled and at the sound of his voice. She was wet as fuck and ready for him. She wasn't about to let him get the best of her.

She leaned her body into his, whispering, 'You fucking love coming inside me, don't you? I'm the only girl you ever fucked bareback, aren't I? You fucking love feeling my pussy wrapped around you don't you?"

He nodded, his heart pounding. "You're the only one, the only one there'll ever be, 'cause I never wanted anyone else like I want you. And you feel fucking amazing around me." Jon shivered. "You get so wet for me..."

Mary bit her lip to stifle her groan at his words. She was so fucking turned on, but still angry. She refused to give in first.

She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, 'I fucking love I'm the only girl you ever fucked in the ass. Turns me the fuck on when you fuck my ass and finger fuck me. You come so fucking hard for me. You fill me up.'

"I always fill you up," he whispered. "You drive me fucking crazy." Jon licked his lips. "You love feeling me come inside you, don't you? Fuck, the noises you make when I come in you...so fucking hot."

Mary shivered at his words and took a step closer to him, 'I'm the only one that can handle you, aren't I? You fuck me so goddamn hard, but I take it. You get so fucking big for me, so fucking hard.'

He nodded and bent his head to breathe on her neck. "Know what I love? When you ride me, you bite your lip, like I'm so big it hurts, but you love it and you ride me harder. Fuck, I come so hard in you. I'll bet you feel my come slipping out of you after we fuck and I'm holding you in my arms."

Mary nuzzled his neck and bit her lip, knowing it would drive him crazy. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her falter, 'You fucking love it when I ride your face, don't you? You fucking drink me up and come back for seconds.'

"You love sucking my cock," Jon growled. "You love having my come go down your throat."

Mary licked her lips almost as if she could taste him, 'Damn fucking right I do.'

He brushed his lips against her forehead. "Still think I'm pathetic for being in love with my wife?"

Mary placed her hands upon his chest and sighed, 'I'm supposed to be mad at you.'

"And I'm supposed to be mad at you." Jon placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. "But right now all I can think about is how much I missed you and how much I want you."

Mary groaned when he pulled her body against his, 'Sex isn't gonna solve our problems, you know?'

"No shit." Jon kissed her neck and rubbed her back. "But we're all worked up right now. So we can keep fighting, or we can get this out another way. We still need to talk, but..." he licked at her ear. "...right now I wanna fuck you."

Mary trembled at his words and smirked, 'I'm still pretty angry. I might be a little rough with you. Think you can handle that?'

"Funny...I was just about to say the same thing to you." Jon bit at her shoulder and slipped his hand down her pants. "You wanna have some fun?"

Mary whimpered when she felt his fingers brush against her entrance. She grinned and nodded, 'I'm game. Fair warning though I might leave marks on you' She bit into his neck and whispered, 'Is that alright with you?'

He responded by pushing her against the wall and kissing her deeply, holding onto her hair and growling in her mouth. When he broke away for air he pulled at her pants, shoving them down and ripping off her underwear, hoisting her up so she could wrap her legs around him.

Mary wrapped her legs tightly around him. She pulled at his hair and kissed him deeply. She bit his lip hard enough to taste blood and bit her lip when he bit at her neck.

She nipped at his ear gasping out, 'Fuck me. Want you to fuck me hard.'

He nodded and pulled at his boxers, freeing his cock and pushed her up, positioning himself against her, then pulled her down and thrust up hard, shoving her back against the wall while impaling her on him. "Oh _fuck_." Jon groaned into her neck and dug his nails into her hips.

Mary let out a long groan when he entered her. She grinded herself on his cock furiously as he drove into her over and over again. She scratched her nails down his biceps, breaking the skin and he hissed in pleasure.

She yanked his hair and pulled his head down so she could whisper in his ear, 'I should make you wear a condom for fucking pissing me off.'

He snarled and raked his nails over her hips. "I should pull out before you come for being such a fucking bitch to me."

Mary laughed and raked her nails down his chest, 'You and I both know you have no fucking intentions on stopping you fucking bastard.'

Jon smirked. "And you and I both know you love the feel of my bare cock in your pussy, so stop playing games." He pulled out of her and threw her on the bed, crawling over her. "Bad girls get punished, you know." He turned her so she was on her stomach and entered her from behind, grabbing at her ass. "I'm gonna make you scream, you little bitch."

Mary grabbed the bedsheets and groaned aloud at the feel of him deep inside her. She got her knees to arch her back, bringing him even deeper inside her.

She turned her head and sunk her teeth in his neck and whispered, 'Bet you I won't you self-righteous son of a bitch.'

He laughed darkly and pulled at her hair. "Bet you I fucking will. And I'll even be nice and take that as your official apology."

Mary scoffed, 'That wasn't an apology, fucker. Not even if you made me.'

"So fucking stubborn." He drove into her as hard as he could. "Just you wait. I'm just getting started."

Mary grinded against him and gasped, 'So far I'm not impressed.'

Jon laughed. "You always say that. But I make you come hard..." He pulled all the way out and slammed back in. "Every. Single. Time."

Mary bit her lip to stifle her moan. She didn't want him to know how turned on her made her. She would be damned if she gave him that satisfaction.

She chuckled, 'Maybe next time we break up I should fuck someone else. See how you really measure up.'

"Sure. Right after I fuck some other girl raw. See how her pussy feels around my cock." Jon laughed and tugged at her hair. "Fucking smartass."

Mary sat up and rested upon her knees and looked at him over her shoulder, 'You fuck another girl behind my back you'll never fucking get this pussy again...ever.' She dug her nails into his thighs, 'You fucking understand me?'

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You ever fuck another guy and I can promise you something real bad would happen to him." Jon leaned forward and licked at her ear. "When are you gonna get it through that thick skull of yours that you're all I want? Huh? You think any other girl can measure up to you? Think any other girl could even come close?" He chuckled and ran his hands over her breasts. "For all the rats I've fucked, you should have seen the girls I've turned down 'cause they wanted relationships with me. You think I wanna be with anyone else? Ever?"

Mary dug her nails deeper into his thighs and moaned aloud when he shover deeper inside her.

She turned her head and licked and bit at his neck, 'Maybe you should've tried another relationship with someone else. You don't know what you're missing.'

Jon scoffed. "Yeah fucking right." He dug his fingers into her skin and built up a steady rhythm, riding her hard. "Lecture me on relationships...Yeah, 'cause you tried so hard at being with someone besides me. Watching me, thinking about me, fucking yourself and wishing it was me...you never left me, baby girl. And I never left you."

Mary sunk her teeth into his neck harder, causing him to hiss. She licked the wound she created, soothing it with her tongue. She grinded harder against him, intensifying the sensation.

She smirked, 'The one and only time David got to touch me. He couldn't get enough of me, ya know that? He ran his hands all over me. '

Jon sneered down at her. "You should see what the girls say online about me. The things they wanna do to me...oh wait. You probably already read them." He cackled and reached down to rub her clit. "I'll bet David was dying to fuck you. Poor guy. I should send him a sympathy card."

Mary groaned and laughed, 'He wanted to fuck me. So fucking bad. He was a good kisser though. I'll give him that.'

"I didn't usually kiss rats," Jon grunted, moving his hand faster against her. "They wanted to, but I wasn't into that. Just wanted a fuck. And none of them were very good at it." He grinded his hips against Mary and moaned. "You know, I came harder just jerking off and thinking of you than I did with any of them?"

Mary whimpered and thrust against him, 'David would always cuddle with me in bed. I used to close my eyes and pretend it was you. He didn't feel the same.'

"No kidding. He was so small." Jon chuckled and began moving his hand in small circles around her entrance. "I'll bet he was small all over, huh? Or did he never show you?" He thrust harder inside her. "Remember the first time you touched me? I could tell you thought I was huge. I got you so fucking wet the first time we were together...fuck, you felt amazing. You always do."

Mary gasped and moaned, 'I fucking had to seduce you or ya never would have fucking touched me.'

"I was too scared." Jon gritted his teeth. She was getting close, he could tell. "How many times do I have to tell ya? Thought you didn't want me...but I was so in love with you, I wanted you, I'm always gonna fucking want you. Get that through your head. Fucking feel it and come for me."

Mary gritted her teeth, wanting to hold off her orgasm as much as she could. She wanted him to beg for it.

She whimpered and whispered raggedly, 'You fucking strung me along for years.'

"Bullshit," he hissed, moving his hand harder and faster against her while he grinded his hips. "All you do is push me away but the second any other girl so much as looks at me you go fucking psycho."

Mary pushed against him harder and grunted, 'The first fucking time you admitted to loving me was when ya thought you were losing me. How fucked up is that? I told you I loved you every day. Every single fucking day. How do I know it's not all bullshit, huh? You know that I love you. So you fucking use it against me.'

He let out a laugh and ran his hands down her back, making her shiver. "I've been in love with you since we were kids. Before then, even. Fuck. I love you more than you've ever loved me. Whenever we break up I fall to fucking pieces and you just go on living your life. And don't even think about mentioning the rats, 'cause I just fuck them and it's done. You go on _dates_. You get _engaged_. It's not the same, beautiful. You know it."

Mary groaned and dug her nails deeper into his skin, making him hiss, 'Wanna know why I got engaged? Cause I was so fucking afraid of you. Never felt that way about anybody. Never fucking will. He was safe. Never asked anything of me. You did. You challenge me. You fucking push me, make me realize who I am. How fucking dare you say you love me more? No one's ever fucking had me like this...ever. If you think that this is the last fucking time you'll _ever_ have me. I mean that. Guess you'll fucking fall to pieces then, won't you?'

Jon immediately pulled out of her and turned her on her back, leaning over her and taking her face in his hands. He was shaking and his eyes were welled up with tears but he didn't care.

"Mary...you can't..." He narrowed his eyes and reached down to bring her knees up to her chest. "So this is the last time, huh? You're just gonna go on living your life? You're gonna end what we have 'cause I wanted to surprise you and you thought I was fucking around? Is that it, Mary?" He snarled and shoved himself inside of her. "Try and get rid of me. I dare you."

Mary closed her eyes and whimpered, 'Dare me, huh? Like you said, I just go on living my life, right? I'll survive, right? What would you do to me if I left you?"

"How about I jump off a fucking building and finally end it all, huh? Would you even give a shit?" Jon smirked at her furious stare. "See? It's not funny, is it, Mary? Why do we keep doing this? You've got all the answers. Enlighten me." He drove deep into her and moaned into her neck. "You think we'd be this good if we didn't love each other?"

Mary sighed and moaned, scratching at his back, 'You need to fucking stop with this obsessing over me, Jon. It's fucking unhealthy. Maybe we need to get rid of each other for good. See if we can be whole people without each other.' She arched her back and whimpered, 'You need to let me go once and for all.'

He grunted and kept moving on top of her. "Didn't you just get pissed at me for saying I love you more? Shit. If we survive this I'm never surprising you again."

Mary gritted her teeth and dug her nails into his shoulder, 'I fucking hate you for having this kind of power over me. I fucking hate you for it. I wish I could just fucking let you go. Live my own fucking life. It would be so much fucking simpler.'

"Yeah, it's all my fucking fault." He licked a line up her neck. "I knew a part of you hated me. Fucking knew it."

Mary bit and licked his neck, 'Ya know you're wrong about David? I did see him once. I jerked him off one night. He begged me for it. I didn't even look at him the whole time. My own fucking fiance and I didn't even like touching him because he wasn't you. That's fucked up. You fucked me up, Jon.'

"I kept my eyes closed when I was fucking Paige," Jon muttered. "You've got me so I can only fuck rats who don't give a shit about me and I don't even like it half the time. How's that for fucked up?"

Mary gasped at his admission and grinded herself against him, 'I can't think of another fucking guy but you. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last fucking thing I think of when I go to bed. It isn't right to need someone so fucking much they can't breathe without them.'

"No kidding." Jon grabbed at her hips and moaned. "You know Seth told me I'm obsessed with you? He tried to talk me out of going to your engagement party. Said I was a masochist. If he only fucking knew..."

She arched into him, letting out a guttural groan, 'Kat told me to stay the hell away from you. She said that you were trouble. That you only kept me around cause you liked the power you have over me. You get off on it. I think she's fucking right.'

Jon snorted. "She's a silly bitch. I don't get off on my power over you. I get off on you. Everything about you drives me crazy." He chuckled and tilted her hips up so he could get even farther into her. "You know Roman and Punk had a bet going 'cause they thought I made you up?"

Mary moaned and wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, 'Like they didn't fucking see the picture in your vest.'

"They thought..." Jon gripped her tighter and began panting as he pushed into her as hard as he could. "They thought it was a picture of a model from a magazine. Fuck, you feel good...I'll bet you fucked yourself to Punk too, not just me. You ever think about the two of us fucking you senseless at the same time? That get you off?"

Mary gasped and whimpered, clawing at his back as she arched against him, 'Never...Only wanted you. Never thought of anyone else when I got off.' She smirked, 'I bet you fucking thought of me and Paige fucking you once or twice.'

Jon shook his head. "No. Just wanted you. And if that happened I'd totally ignore her. You know it." He shoved into her harder and moaned. "Fuck...god, you're so good."

Mary groaned into his neck and whispered raggedly, 'I fucking hate that I love so much, ya know that?' She grinded against him and panted in his ear, 'Shit, you get me the fuck off.'

He clutched at her and kept pushing into her, gasping when he felt himself hit her cervix. "Oh god, oh god...fuck, I feel you everywhere. I'm never gonna be free of you...never..."

Mary scratched her nails down his back and whimpered, 'Fuck, you feel so good. Always gonna need you. Fuck...Oh god...so good...I'm gonna come.'

"Fuck, so am I. Shit...oh shit, fuck, feels good..." He moaned and gasped as he kept up a steady rhythm, grasping at her hips. "You're fucking killing me..."

Mary whimpered and gasped out as she felt her orgasm hit her. She closed her eyes and panted into his neck as she convulsed and thrashed underneath him, 'Fuck...god...yes...so good...ya feel that...love you so much!'

"I love you...oh fuck, you're everywhere, you're fucking everywhere...fuck!" Jon grunted as he came inside her, moaning and grinding his hips.

Mary arched her back and let out a shout as she felt another orgasm ripping through her when she felt him come inside her. She grinded herself against him, licking, sucking and biting upon his neck and she panted into his neck.

She whimpered, tightening her legs around him, 'Oh fuck, I'm coming again...shit...oh god...oh god...love you so much..'

He collapsed against her, panting into her neck as his thrusts became erratic. She was shuddering and tightening around him, milking him for every drop. "Love you...love you so much..."

Mary gasped for breath as she lie there, coming down from her orgasms. She kissed his neck whispering, 'I really am sorry, ya know?"

He gently withdrew from her and rested his head on her shoulder. "I should have told you about everything. Wasn't thinking clearly."

She stroked his back and scoffed, 'No, you shouldn't have. You wanted to surprise me and I accused you of cheating without asking you first. That wasn't right, Jon.' She chuckled softly, 'Ya wanna know what made me tell you how I felt that night I took you to visit Olivia?'

He stroked her cheek and smiled. "Tell me, baby girl. That was one of the best nights of my life. Right up there with the night you flew to Florida to see me again and our wedding night."

Mary held his face in her hands and looked up at him, smiling, 'It was when we stopped at that gas station to get food. You gave me your wallet and I saw the picture of me in there. The one Kasey took of me at New Years.' Tears welled up in her eyes, 'It made me so happy to see that you kept it. I didn't even know the picture was taken, but you had it. And I knew. I just knew that you felt the same way.' She ducked her head shyly, 'I was so fucking nervous that night when I told you what I wanted.'

'You saw that picture?" Jon laughed and pulled her close, resting her head on his chest. "God, I was nervous as hell too. I was so fucking scared that if we did something you'd regret it later."

She nodded and chuckled softly, 'Yeah, I did.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'I didn't regret it. I would never regret it. I told you I felt safe with you. That's how I knew you were the one, Jon.' She laughed, 'I remember you trying to talk me out of it. You suggested we just go to sleep.'

Jon chuckled. "You know I would have gone into your room later and asked if you really wanted it? I was scared as shit but I wanted you." He kissed her shoulder. "I'm always gonna want you."

Mary's eyes widened as she stared up at him, 'Ya really would have gone into my room?" She smirked and kissed his neck, 'Tell me. What would you have said if you came into my room later that night?"

He stroked her hair and gazed down at her. They were exhausted as hell, and they'd said some godawful shit to each other, but sure enough, it was sort of purifying.

They loved each other. Nothing would ever change that. If they needed to work on things, they would, but nothing made more sense than the two of them being together.

"I would have knocked on your door and assuming you let me in, I'd come in and ask you if you really wanted me. And I'd tell you that I wanted you and I thought of being with you every day." Jon smiled and stroked her face. "I would have told you everything."

Tears welled up in her eyes at his confession. She smiled softly, whispering, 'I would have let you in, Jon. I would have let you have everything.' She shook her head, 'There were so many nights I stood outside your bedroom door wanting to say the same exact thing to you.'

"I'd be in my bed trying to get up enough courage to tell you everything, but I was too much of a fucking coward. Every fucking night." Jon sighed and held her tighter. "I am so in love with you, Mary."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I'm so in love with you too. So in love.' She sighed, 'I really am sorry for the things I said and did. I really am. I'm such an insecure asshole sometimes.' She laughed, 'I was so happy to live with you back then. You made me so happy.'

"You made me happy...you still make me happy." He stroked her hair. "Do you wanna talk about it? We said a lot of fucked up shit, Mary." Jon held her tighter, feeling anxious. "I don't wanna lose you, Mary. If we need to talk, we'll do it."

She nodded and sat up in the bed, wrapping the sheet around her, 'I agree, Jon.' She sighed, shaking her head, 'I love you more than anything, Jon, but I don't...trust you.' She ran shaky hands through her hair,' I know you don't wanna live in the past. I know that and neither do I, but when I saw you with that valet it killed me. I know you didn't sleep with her, I know that. But whenever things get tough between us I run and you start sleeping with other women. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?'

"Yeah." Jon stared up at the ceiling. "What do we do, then? I mean, shit, yeah, I've been with a lot of girls and nothing's gonna change that. I don't wanna be with anyone else but you. And you don't trust me. So what do we do?"

Mary bowed her head and sighed shakily, 'I've been talking to a therapist, Jon. He said he thinks we rushed into marriage. I think he's right. We loved each other as kids, but do we really have the same love as adults that we did back then?'

Jon took a deep breath. "Maybe...maybe we did. I mean, shit. You broke off your engagement and the first night we're back together we're engaged. I love you, Mary, and I always wanted to be your husband, but we never really dated or anything." He scowled. "So we fucked ourselves up, didn't we?"

She scoffed, 'Yeah...we did.' She sighed, shaking her head, 'We're always gonna keep doing this to each other. We fucking love punishing the other. It's toxic, Jon. Love always isn't the answer, ya know?'

"But we have a family now," he murmured. "And I'm in love with you. So..." Jon threw his hands up in frustration. "Shit. I have no fucking idea. But we gotta do something."

Mary blinked back tears, 'Maybe we should...separate for awhile. Date other people and explore other options and see what's out there.'

Jon closed his eyes and held his head. "I don't want anyone else, Mary. That's not gonna change."

She laughed humorlessly, 'I don't either, but we gotta try. We have to see if we can be whole people without one another.' She shrugged, 'Who knows maybe we'll find people that end up being great and we find out that the love we had really was misplaced, ya know? We could end up being the best of...friends.'

She cringed outwardly. She hated the word coming out of her mouth, especially when it pertained to the two of them. Who the hell was she kidding? They could never be 'just friends'. They had tried that and it was torture.

There was that word again. It fucking set him on edge, but she had a point. "Okay, I really fucking hate the idea of being with someone else and you being with someone else, but being whole without each other, yeah, that's a valid point." Jon sighed. "Just...can we at least wait on this? I want to spend the holidays with my family. And then we...figure shit out."

Mary sighed and smiled reluctantly, 'Yeah...sure. But after that, I think it's best if you...move out, Jon.'

"Sure." Jon got up and picked up his boxers, slipping them on. "I'll find a place, I don't know where. I wanna stay close though." He sat on the bed, placing a careful hand on her leg. "Is that okay? I just hate the idea of being miles away from you and Nick."

She kept her head bowed as she wiped the tears from her eyes, 'Yeah, sure.' She sighed shakily, 'You can see him whenever you want. Even if we don't make it you can always see him. I would never keep you from him. I just wanna let you know that.'

"I know that." Jon took a deep breath. "Mary...I know we need this. We can't keep going on the way we have, but I'm always gonna love you. I'll never love anyone the way I love you. If you do find somebody, just..." He clenched his jaw and stood up. "I can't think about that shit right now. I just want you to know that I love you, and I always will. Forever."

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears, 'I'll always love you too, Jon. Always. No one else will ever come close to you. Even if I do end finding someone else just know that I'll never love him the way that I love you.'

He cringed at her words and turned away. "I need to..." Jon shook his head and walked out of the bedroom, heading to the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge and stared at the beer, but then closed the door and rested his head against the fridge. Getting drunk wouldn't help shit. He had to stop turning to alcohol when things got shitty. Judging by the talk he'd just had with his wife, things were gonna get a lot shittier real soon.

"Christ." Jon closed his eyes, not wanting to cry. She might not even want to share a bed with him anymore. Sleeping alone wasn't a new thing for him, but to know she was in the same room, or in the same house, and not being able to turn to her or hold her was fucking torture.

"Jon?"

He opened his eyes, feeling the tears that welled up before falling down his face as he looked at his wife.

As soon as she stared at him her face crumpled into tears. She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing softly into his neck, 'I don't wanna be without you. I love you so much, Jon. This is what we have to do. You gotta know that.'

He nodded and held her, feeling himself start to shake. The thought of living without her, knowing this might be the end once and for all was hellish. Jon winced and began sobbing, unable to help himself.

Mary held his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his and she sobbed, 'You gotta promise me that you won't fall apart. You can't do that, Jon. You can't shut yourself off from the rest of the world. You have to live your life.' She smiled through her tears, 'Maybe find a nice girl that you actually want to spend time with outside of the bedroom.'

"I only want you," he whispered, cupping her cheek. "I only want you, Mary. I've lost you so many times. What if this is it? What if you finally find someone better?"

Mary smiled through her tears, 'We'll never know if we don't try, right?"

"I don't wanna know a life without you," Jon sobbed. "Feels like you've always been in my life."

She sniffed as tears were falling from her eyes, 'This is why we have to do this, Jon. We've always relied on each other since we've been kids. We have to to do this just to see if we can live without each other...for good.'

He wiped at his eyes. "But what if you find someone? What if we learn to live with ourselves but you fall in love with someone else? I'm always gonna love you, Mary. Even if I end up with another girl I'll love you forever."

Mary shook her head, sighing, 'Lets not talk about the what ifs, Jon. Cause we'll end up just driving ourselves crazy like we always do.' She held his face in her hands, 'Lets just forget about all that tonight and just be Jon and Mary, just like we've always been. Do ya wanna come back to bed with me?"

He nodded and sniffed. "This is normal, right? Married couples do this all the time. Everybody needs space once in a while. It's totally normal."

She arched her eyebrow and chuckled despite her tears, 'Have you and I ever done anything normal, Jon?"

A small laugh escaped him and he nodded. "Good point." He sniffed again and stroked her hair. "I do love you." Jon took her face in his hands and kissed her, tears running down his face.

Mary moaned into his kiss as tears fell from her own eyes, mixing with his own. She tore her lips away from his and took his hand, whispering, 'Come on, baby. Lets go to bed.'

He let her lead him to the bedroom, then pulled her close and gazed at her. "Mary, baby. You know if we hadn't been together that night, at some point I would have gotten my shit together to tell you how much I loved you. I know it's different now, but I still love you. I'm always gonna love you." Jon smiled through his tears. "You gave me so much. I'd be dead without you. And you gave me a son." He laughed and stroked her hair. "I'm gonna work on my shit, but I'll love you forever, baby girl."

Mary laid her head upon his chest and smiled through her tears, 'I love you too much, Jon. Ya gotta know that I don't wanna be without you. I really don't' She sobbed into his neck uncontroablly.

"I know," Jon whispered. "I know, Mary. We're gonna be okay. And I know you don't wanna speculate or anything, but I know we're gonna end up together. We're meant to. I knew it when I caught you in the rain that I couldn't let you go. We're gonna work on our shit but you're always gonna have me, Mary. Fucking always."

Mary nodded and smiled through her tears, 'You're always gonna have me, Jon. No matter who I'm with or who you're with that will never change. I knew I loved you that night when I got into the car with you. I never would have if I didn't.'

Jon smiled and kissed her, running his hands through her hair. He gently broke away and kissed her ear. "It's always gonna be you and me. No matter what happens."

Mary smiled through her tears and nuzzled his neck, 'No matter what happens.' She ran her hand down his chest and whispered, 'Jon, if this is to be the last night we're together can we...' She shook her head and laughed nervously, 'Sorry, just forget it.'

"The last night?" Jon held her close. "But I want to spend the holidays with you and Nick." He clenched his jaw and exhaled. This might be the last night he'd get to touch her, or sleep in the same bed as her. "What do you want? Say it, Mary. No more hiding, baby girl."

Mary sighed and rested her forehead upon his neck as she whispered, 'I don't wanna delay the inevitable, Jon. So, if this is the last night we spend together in bed can we...make love?'

He nodded and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. "Love you so much."

Mary kissed his neck and sighed, 'I love you too, Jon. So much.' She threw her leg over his and whispered, 'Remember our first night together? God, I still think about that night and get turned on.'

"Me too," Jon whispered. "God, the first time I felt you..."

She chuckled softly and hummed, 'I still think about the first time I ever felt your mouth on me.'

Jon groaned and buried his nose and groaned, 'God, the way you taste. The way you smell. The first time I tasted you, baby. Fuck, you're so beautiful'

Mary kissed his neck and whispered, 'I have an idea.'

She sat up in the bed and stared down at him, grinning, 'How about we do this, Jon? You stand outside the bedroom and you knock on my door. You pretend as if we're in our apartment in Ohio. I wanna play out the fantasy of you coming to my room that night and telling me how you feel. Does that sound like fun?"

He managed a small laugh. "Yeah, it does."

She playfully slapped his shoulder, 'Well, get out of here and go knock on the door.'

Jon chuckled and wiped his face. "You're cute as hell, you know that? Plus shouldn't we be dressed or something? I wouldn't have knocked on your door naked. Or would that have worked?"

Mary smiled, 'I think you would be wearing what you're wearing now. Your boxers, right? Isn't that what you wore to bed then?' Her eyes went wide, 'I mean...I guess...'

Jon chuckled. "Yeah. Looks like someone noticed. So you got a tank top and loose pants hanging around? You used to wear those. I remember."

She nodded, smiling, 'I sure do.' She winked at him and got up from the bed to grab her duffel bag filled with clothes she brought with her.

Mary smiled, throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder, 'I'm gonna go get ready. I guess I'll see ya in a few?'

Jon chuckled and nodded, 'Yeah, I guess so.'

She disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Jesus." Jon took a deep breath and rubbed his face. To say it had been a crazy day would have been the understatement of the fucking year, but he still had hope. Mary loved him, and she knew he loved her. They had to work out their shit, but the idea of her with another guy...

No, he couldn't think about that. Not now, anyway. He wasn't willing to give up tonight.

He sat on the couch and thought back to the night she'd changed his life. He'd been nervous as fuck and was so sure she was gonna change her mind and push him away. The thought of her truly rejecting him had made him want to crawl into a hole and die.

But she loved him, and she showed him by giving all of herself to him.

Jon took a deep breath. They could do this. They could live apart for a while. It was what they needed.

And he'd always come back to her. Always.

He got up and walked to her door, his heart pounding. God, it felt like he was back in their apartment all those years ago. Everything else faded and he concentrated on what he might say, and before he lost his nerve, he knocked on her door.

Mary rested her back against the door and took a few deep breaths to steady her frayed nerves. She was nervous. Sure, they were married and have been together many times, but it felt as if they were kids again. Unsure about each other, but so in love. So in love, yet afraid to tell one another how they feel.

Her eyes widened when she heard the knock upon the door. It was time.

Mary sighed shakily and opened the door, giving him a shy smile as her eyes widened in surprise, 'Hi, Jon. What do you need? It's kinda...late.'

"Sorry." He rested his head against her doorway. "I was just...thinking. I wanted to talk to you, but..." Jon winced. "Nevermind, it's late. Fuck it."

She shook her head, opening the door wide enough for him to enter, 'No, it's fine. I'm up now. Come on in, Jon. If you wanna talk, lets talk. I'm always here for you. You know that. We're...friends.'

"Yeah..." His lip curled in disgust at the word and he sighed. "Okay, so, um...fuck." Jon walked past her and sat on her bed. "I think we should talk. You and me."

Mary smiled and nodded, 'Sure, okay.' She closed the door and walked over to sit on the bed next to him, 'So, what ya wanna talk about?'

Jon glanced at her and looked away. Christ, this wasn't gonna be easy. "Wanted to thank you for today," he mumbled, running his hand through his hair. "I mean, you did all that stuff for me. No one's ever..." He smiled and shrugged. "You know."

She took his hand and smiled softly, 'I wanted to do that for you, Jon. You deserved it. I care about you alot, Jon.'

He nodded and looked at his hand in hers. "You know I care about you, right? I mean..." Jon shook his head. "Fuck. I'm not good at this."

Mary smiled and nodded, caressing his knuckles soothingly, 'I know that. And I care about you too, Jon. You know that. You seem to be doing good so far. What is it?' She frowned, 'Are you moving out or something?"

"No." He stared at her, terror gripping him. "You want me to?"

She shook her head, 'God, no. No, I would never want you to move out. This is our...home.'

Jon closed his eyes. If he started thinking about their current situation he'd fucking lose his mind. "I, uh, just wanted to tell you something, I guess." He cringed. "Dammit. This is fucking..." He bowed his head, feeling stupid.

Mary wrapped her arm around his shoulders, 'Jon, what is it? Come on, we tell eachother everything. What's up?' She chuckled nervously, 'Do ya want _me _to move out?"

"Shit no." He put a hand on her leg, trying to ignore the tremor running through him at her touch. "I, um..." Jon looked at her nervously. "I've been wanting to..."

Her heart was pounding as he touched her leg. Suddenly she felt as if she were nineteen years old again. She was slightly trembling as he stared at her intensely, 'You've been wanting to what, Jon?"

"I'm..." Jon looked into her eyes and moved forward, placing his hand under her chin. Out of sheer nervousness he licked his lips and decided to just get it out there. "I love you."

Tears filled her eyes and she gasped aloud in shock, 'Jon, do you...do you...mean it?' She laughed, 'Of course you mean it. You love me like a sister...right?"

"Not like a sister," Jon whispered. He took a deep breath and moved forward, brushing his lips against hers.

Mary whimpered into his kiss as tears fell from her eyes. She pulled her lips away from his and rested her forehead upon his as she whispered, 'You...love me...you want...me, Jon?"

"God, yes." Jon gently took her face in his hands. "You mean you couldn't tell?" He smiled despite his nervousness. "Thought it was obvious."

She laughed as tears fell from her eyes and she shook her head, 'Yeah...I mean...thought I was imagining it.' She bowed her head, 'Always thought ya saw me like a little sister. A little girl.'

Jon sat back and gritted his teeth. She didn't say she loved him too. Fuck, he was stupid. "Sorry," he mumbled, pulling away

from her. "I, uh, I thought..." he laughed, shaking his head. "I'm fucking dumb. Christ. Don't worry, I'll leave you alone. We'll just pretend this never happened." His face burned as he stood up to leave.

Mary gently grabbed his arm, halting his movements. She smiled up at him, 'Jon, you didn't give me a chance to finish.' She chuckled softly, 'You're always doing that.' She stood up and held his face in her hands and stared directly in his eyes, 'I...love you too. So much, Jon. That's why I took you to see Olivia. I...want you.'

He stepped back, staring at her in shock. "You're just saying that 'cause you feel bad."

Mary took a step closer to him and shook her head, 'No. I don't feel bad for you, Jon. I wouldn't say that unless I meant it.' She laughed, 'God, I've loved you for years. Never thought...' She shook her head in disbelief, 'Kiss me, Jon. Kiss me and you'll know that I want you. That I love you.'

He smiled shyly and took her hands. "You're not fucking with me, are ya?"

Mary shook her head, smiling through her tears, 'No, unless you're fucking with me?'

Jon snorted. "No. Not about this." He smiled and reached up to cup her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "Mary, baby. You sure?"

She nodded her head, stroking his face, 'Yes, I'm sure. I've never been more sure about anything in my life.' She ducked her head shyly, 'Will you kiss me...please?"

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding like mad. "You're so beautiful. You know that, right?" Jon moved closer and kissed at her neck. "So beautiful."

Mary sighed shakily and nuzzled his neck, her heart racing at lightning speed, 'So are you, Jon.' She placed her hands upon his chest, 'Kiss me, please. Wanna feel your mouth on mine again.'

He pulled her close and kissed her, moaning at her taste. His hands wandered into her hair, gently rubbing her scalp and caressing the soft strands of her hair.

Mary moaned into his kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She tore her lips away from his to whisper raggedly, 'Touch me, Jon.'

His eyes traveled over her body and he nearly groaned with lust. "Where?"

Mary shook his head and stared into his eyes, 'Wherever you want, Jon. I'm yours. I'm all yours.'

With a cautious hand he reached out and stroked her cheek. She was so beautiful that it broke his damn heart. He was always gonna ache for her, no matter how old they were or what else was going on in their lives.

"I love you so much," he murmured, and brought his hand down to caress her neck and lowered it in between her breasts and to her lower stomach, then gently felt between her legs and let out a moan. He could feel her heat through her pajamas and it only made him grow harder. "Want you so bad, Mary."

Mary closed her eyes and whimpered, 'I want you too, Jon. So much.'

He slipped the tips of his fingers into her pants, teasing at her lower stomach and smiling when her muscles jumped at his touch. "You sure about this?" he whispered.

She rested her forehead and smiled through her tears, 'Never been too sure about anything else in my life. Need you...want you. Love you.'

Jon swallowed and nodded. "Tell me if you want me to stop, okay?" He moved his hand down and gently caressed her, nearly whimpering at feeling her heat and wetness.

She gently grasped his shoulders and sighed shakily, 'Don't wanna stop. Wanna feel you. Need to feel you.' She spread her legs wider, 'Please...Jon.'

His gently pushed his finger halfway into her, pausing when she gasped. "Are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

Mary nodded her head and gasped,'Yes, feels so good. I used to touch myself wishing you were doing this to me.'

"You did?" Jon managed a small laugh. "Damn. Wish I'd have known that." He pushed his finger all the way in and felt around inside her. "You feel good, baby girl."

She bit her lip and moaned, 'God, so do you. Need more. Want more...please. I used to dream about this.'

Jon pulled his finger out of her, smiling to himself when she whimpered in protest. He kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, "Lie down, Mary."

Mary ducked her head shyly and nodded her head. She walked over to the bed and laid down on her back.

She opened her arms, beckoning him to her, 'Please, wanna feel you on top of me, Jon.'

He grinned and crawled on top of her, covering her with his body and kissing her deeply. She sighed into his mouth and moaned as he kissed at her neck.

"Wanted this for so long," he whispered, and pulled at her pants, getting them off and throwing them on the floor. Jon breathed into her ear as he slid two fingers inside of her, gently wriggling them around.

Mary arched into him and kissed his neck, moaning into his ear, 'More, Jon. Please. I need you so bad. I love you so much.'

"Tell me what you want," he whispered. "I'll give you anything, baby."

She whispered raggedly in his ear, 'Want your mouth on me. I dreamed about it.'

He grinned and kissed her ear. "Me too," he whispered, and pulled his fingers out of her, quickly moving down her body to kiss and lick at her inner thighs. Jon pulled her legs so they rested over his shoulders and gave her a grin before leaning forward to gently run his tongue along her entrance.

Mary gasped and whimpered as she felt his mouth on her. She grasped at his hair, holding his head in place, 'Oh God, Jon. Feels so good. Oh God.'

Jon gazed up at her, giving her a soft kiss on her wetness. "Tell me how you used to touch yourself thinking of me," he murmured. "Tell me what you did to yourself and what you wanted me to do." He smiled and licked around her. "I wanna hear it while I get to taste you, baby girl."

She moaned and gasped out, whispering, 'Oh God...I would ride my fist pretending I was riding you... Oh god yes just like that...mmm...I would wet my fingers and fuck myself wishing it was your tongue...I would fuck myself wearing your shirts you worked out in...still had your smell on them as I fucked myself...got me off...Oh...mmm...I even fucked myself in your...bed.'

Jon moaned into her, licking and sucking like crazy while she confessed everything to him. He grasped at her hips and pulled her closer while she grinded against him. He wanted her to lose all control and tell him more, tell him everything.

Mary whimpered and moaned as she arched her hips, bringing his tongue deeper inside her, 'Oh fuck...you feel so good...I would watch you while you slept and fuck myself...couldn't help it...needed you so bad.'

Jon moved his tongue as fast as he could inside her, then slipped three fingers into her, running his tongue along her hard nub to make her come. He wanted her to keep talking until she was fucking incoherent. He wanted to make her lose control.

She writhed and moaned and gripped his hair tightly, 'Oh fuck...feels so good...used to watch you work out...got me so fucking wet, baby. Just as I am now...oh shit...love you so much!'

"I love you," Jon moaned, and sucked on her clit as hard as he could.

Mary let out a choked sob and gasped out, 'God, I'm so close. Keep telling me you love me. Wanna hear you say it as I come for the first time with you.'

"I love you," Jon moaned, licking at her and working his hand against her. "I love you and want you, fuck, I love you so much, I've always loved you, I'm always gonna love you...come for me, Mary."

She began thrashing and convulsing as she heard his words of love, 'Oh God, I'm coming for you. Do you feel that, Jon? I never came before...oh God...feels like I'm dying...Love you so fucking much!'

Jon moaned and sucked at her again, desperate to taste her as she came. He was so excited his hips wriggled and his cock throbbed, eager for attention, but he concentrated on her. He'd get his release in a little while, but for now he wanted to feel the full effect of her orgasm.

Mary trembled violently and gasped out, 'Oh fuck...making me lose my mind.'

Jon growled into her, his face wet from her orgasm. He bet himself he could make her come again, and he pulled her closer to his face, barely giving her any room to move.

Mary gripped his hair tightly as her head lolled on the bed. She bucked her hips and screamed, 'Oh fuck...so good...you're so good to me. Holy...shit.'

Jon gently lapped at her as she finished riding out her orgasm, then sat back and grinned as she writhed and moaned on the bed. He wiped his mouth and reached down to squeeze his cock, moaning as he watched her. "So damn sexy," he murmured. "Fuck. You've driven me crazy for years, baby girl. You have no idea."

She looked down at him as she panted for breath and moaned as she watched him touching himself.

Mary pointed to his cock and smirked, 'Need some help with that?'

He grinned and moved up. "Yeah, I could use an extra hand."

Mary grasped his cock in her hands and gently stroked him, 'Am I doing this okay?'

His jaw dropped and he gripped onto the headboard. "Fuck. Yeah...oh god, that's good. Just like that, baby...shit yeah."

She squeezed him as she stroked him, watching him in fascination, 'Tell me what you used to think about when you touched yourself like this, Jon. I wanna know.'

Jon moaned and thrust his hips forward, unable to help himself. "Oh shit...thought about fucking you. Tasting you. Making you come, hearing you scream my name. Oh, shit yeah...used to think about your mouth on me. Sucking me and swallowing my come...oh god, that's good...god, I wanna fuck you. Wanna know how it feels to be inside you...mmm, god yeah."

Mary licked his ear, feeling bolder as she whispered in his ear, 'Well, we crossed one of those off the list. You already made me come. Wanna cross off the rest?'

He nodded eagerly and whimpered, his cock leaking precum into her hand.

She lifted her hand up to her mouth and licked the precum off her hand.

Mary closed her eyes and moaned in satisfaction. She ducked her head shyly when she saw the look on his face, 'You taste really good, Jon.'

He stared at her, his eyes half-lidded in lust. "Fuck, you're hot."

Mary ran her hands down his chest and hummed, 'So are you, Jon. I wanted you for so long.'She laughed, 'I kept a pair of underwear in my purse cause you got me so wet. It would drip down my legs.'She bit her lip as she looked down at his cock, 'You're so big. I always knew ya would be.'

His cock jerked at her words and he moaned. "Please...oh god, please..."

She licked the side of his neck, whispering in his ear, 'What, baby? Tell me what you want. How can I make you feel good?'

Jon moaned. "Please. Please suck me. Need it. Need your mouth on me."

Mary smiled and nodded her head. She gently pushed him off of her and he laid on his back, letting her crawl on top of him.

She trailed kisses down his body as she made her way to his cock.

She took him in her hands, slowly stroking him. She licked the tip experimentally and smiled when his hips bucked. She looked up at him and bit her lip,'Tell me if I'm doing this how ya like it.' She tentatively put him in her mouth, slowly inching her mouth down upon him.

His jaw dropped and he stared at the ceiling in shock at the sensation of her mouth on him. She moved her mouth up and down his length and he moaned, feeling his cock throb on her tongue. "Fuck, that's good. It's perfect. Don't stop, please."

She continued to stroke him as she sucked and slurped at him. She relaxed her jaw, wanting to fit as much of him in her mouth that she could. She kept her eyes on him, wanting to watch his every reaction. Judging by his moans and whimpers, he was enjoying himself.

She released him from her mouth and continued to stroke him as she whispered, 'Tell me about the times you got off to me, Jon. Wanna hear you say it when I give you head.'

Jon moaned and wriggled his hips. "Okay, yeah. I...oh, fuck." He drew in a sharp breath as she sucked him into her mouth and ran her tongue along him. "Fuck yeah. Shit. Jerked off to you laying on the roof of that car the night of your graduation...mmm...that day you came to the gym wearing that tight shirt and tiny shorts...looked like you weren't wearing underwear...you bent over to get some papers or something and it looked like you didn't have any panties on and I had to run to the bathroom and fuck my hand...came so hard I almost screamed. Fuck, that's good...oh shit, right there...oh fuck yes, oh god..." Jon gasped and pushed her away. "Fuck. Gonna make me come if you keep sucking my tip like that, baby girl."

Mary smirked around his cock. She released him from her mouth and lovingly kissed his tip, 'Wanna know something? I wasn't wearing panties. I was hoping ya noticed. Did that for you.'

"Christ." He gasped and shivered. "Fuck, that got me hot. Still does. You're fucking sexy as hell."

Mary traced the length of his cock and hummed, 'So are you, baby. 'She chuckled, 'I remember watching you lifting weights at the gym. You got me so fucking wet, baby. Do you know I would watch you?'

"Was hoping you were," Jon confessed. "You distracted me, you know. Dangerous."

She continued stroking him and arched her eyebrow, 'Dangerous?'

Jon snorted. "They used to make fun of me. The guys said I needed two people to spot me 'cause I kept looking over at you. I'm pretty sure they knew I was in love with you."

Mary grinned and kissed the tip of him again, 'I remember all the girls at the gym teasing me about you. They noticed me looking at you.'

"Mmm, well. I guess we were pretty obvious, huh?" Jon grinned. "Love you, baby girl."

She stroked his stomach and smiled, 'Love you too.' She grinned, 'Want me to continue? I really liked doing that.'

Jon licked his lips and grinned. "God yes. You're really fucking good at it, baby. Best ever. I mean it." He smiled and stroked her cheek. "Maybe it's 'cause I can tell you love me."

Mary leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, smiling, 'I really do love you, ya know? I like doing this for you. I like making you feel good.'

She put her mouth upon him again and took him in as far as he could. She felt the tip of him reach the back of her throat and swallowed him down as she stroked him.

"Oh god." Jon stroked her hair as she worked on him. "Mmm, baby girl. Feels so good...mmm, yeah." He grinned and rolled his hips as she squeezed him and ran her mouth up and down his length. "Fuck...mmm, might make you stop soon, baby, or you're gonna make me come."

Mary slowly ran her mouth along the length of his cock, gently scraping her teeth upon as she made her way up.

She smirked, whispering, 'Isn't that the idea?'

Jon stroked her hair and sighed. "As much as I love the idea of coming in that sweet little mouth of yours, I'd rather come while I'm making love to you."

Her eyes went wide and she shivered slightly. Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head in disbelief, 'You want that with...me?'

He smiled up at her and stroked her cheek. "Of course. I'm in love with you, and I've wanted you for years." He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a serious look. "But if you don't want it, or if you're not sure, we don't have to. Or we can wait."

Mary shook her head and grabbed his hands, 'No, I want to, Jon. I want you so much. Always wanted you.' She sighed shakily, 'Just never made love with anyone before. Ya know...cause.' She bowed her head, feeling stupid and immature, 'I don't know what to do. Not really anyway. When I was...I just laid there and didn't move. ' She scoffed, 'You must think I'm such a stupid little girl.'

"Hey, there." Jon sat up and stroked her cheek. "Don't talk about yourself that way, okay? You're insulting the woman I love." He kissed her and smiled. "We can do whatever you want. Anything. C'mere."

Jon pulled her to his chest, bringing them down so she lay on top of him. "I love you," he murmured. "I've wanted you for so long." He chuckled. "I might not last long, baby girl."

She nuzzled his neck and smiled, 'That's okay. I need you. I've dreamed about this for so long. Tell me what to do. How do you want me?'

He gazed down at her and smiled, rubbing her side. "We can start with me on top. Would that be okay?"

Mary bit her lip and nodded, 'Yeah, sure.' She grinned, 'As long as I get a chance to be on top too. Always wanted that.'

"God yes." Jon kissed her neck and moaned. "Always wanted you to ride me. Fuck, I used to imagine that when I'd lay in bed, knowing you were just a few feet away."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, 'Me too. I used to lie in bed at night wishing you would come to my room.' She bowed her head, sighing deeply, 'I remember one night I finally got the courage to go to you. It like three in the morning. I figured you would have just gotten back from work. I got to your door and saw you with some...girl.' She laughed nervously, 'I thought that was...it. I cried all night. Remember I told you I had the flu? That's why I didn't come out of my room. I was too embarrassed to face you.'

"Shit." Jon kissed her and rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry, baby." He sighed deeply and rested his head on her chest. "While we're being honest, I went to your room once. I was gonna tell you everything, like tonight, but you were on the phone. I was gonna walk away and wait 'til you got off but I heard you say 'he's such a dork, he thinks he's all big and bad but he's a total goof'. Figured you were talking about me." Jon shrugged. "Went back to my room and got drunk. Felt sorry for myself 'cause I thought the girl I loved thought I was a tool."

Mary's eyes widened and she had a horrified expression on her face. She cupped his face in her hands as tears filled her eyes, 'Baby, I wasn't talking about you. I was talking to Kasey about James who worked at the gym. I would never say that about you. I never once thought you were a tool. I think you're beautiful. The most beautiful man I've ever seen.'

He grinned and stroked her face. "I think you're beautiful, Mary. Always have." He leaned down and kissed her, moaning into her mouth.

She whimpered into his kiss and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. She tore her lips away from his, whispering raggedly, 'God, feels like I'm burning up, Jon. I can't believe this is happening. I never imagined you would ever want me like this.'

"I do," he growled, getting on top of her and licking at her neck. "Fuck, you drive me crazy. Been wanting you for so long. You're beautiful and sexy and all fucking mine." Jon rolled his hips against her and moaned.

Mary wrapped her legs around his waist and arched against him groaning, 'God you feel so fucking good. I'm all yours and you're mine. You feel better than I imagined.'

Jon managed a chuckle. "I'm not even all the way in ya, baby. You want more of me?" He rolled his hips against her and moaned. "Wanna give you everything." He licked his lips, waiting for her answer. If she wanted him to hold back, he would, but he wanted to feel as much of her as possible.

She nodded her head eagerly and gasped, 'Yes, please. Want all of you. Need it so fucking much, Jon. Please.'

His heart pounding, Jon nodded and slid inside her, burying himself to the hilt. Mary gasped and arched up instinctively, shivering a bit when he grinded against her and pushed the tip of his cock against her cervix. "Oh my god..."

"Am I hurting you?" he gasped, clutching onto her for dear life. She felt so good, so warm and tight around him that if he started moving it would all be over fast.

Mary stroked his back and moaned and whimpered. She lifted her hips and shook her head, 'God, No. You feel so amazing. God, you feel so good. I want more...please.'

He grinded his hips against her, trying to get used to the feel of her before he could start sliding in and out of her. "God, you're perfect. So tight and warm...fuck. You feel like home, baby girl."

Mary grinded against him and scratched her nails down his back and threw her head back onto the pillow, 'Shit, you feel so good. You're so big. Feel so full and...complete.'

Jon licked at her neck and began moving harder into her. "Ya feel how turned on I am, baby? Got me harder than I've ever been before. Fuck, I love being in you."

She whimpered and bit his neck, 'Fuck, I've never been so wet before. You're the only one who has ever made me come, ya know that?"

He grunted and moved faster. "Wanna feel you come around me. Wanna feel you come on my cock. Been dreaming about it, baby."

Mary arched her back, bringing him deeper inside her, 'Fuck, you feel so good.' Tears slipped out of her eyes as she gasped, 'Can't believe this is real. Can't believe you're inside me. Been needing this for so long. So long.'

"Me too." He stroked her face and kissed her. "I love you, baby girl. I've loved you for years."

She licked his neck and moaned, 'Love you much. Harder...please.'

"Love you," he whispered, and fucked her harder, making the headboard pound against the wall. "Oh god, oh god. Fuck, you feel good."

Mary clawed at his back and dug the heels of her foot into his ass. She arched her back and moaned,'God, I love you so much. Harder, Jon. Don't hold back. I can take it. I need it. Want it.'

He pulled her legs up to her chest and drove into her deeper, whimpering at the feel of her warmth enveloping him. Jon fucked her as hard as he could, and when he felt her tighten around him again, he bit into the pillow to try to keep from releasing himself.

Mary was moaning and nearly sobbing when she came down from her orgasm, crying out when he withdrew from her. "Time for you to fuck me hard," Jon murmured, kissing her neck. He managed a smile and lay on his back. "Get on top of me, baby."

Mary smiled and nodded, stroking the sides of his face. She gently grabbed his cock and lowered herself upon him. She bit her lip and braced her hands upon his chest as she bucked her hips. She grabbed the headboard and bucked her hips

furiously.

Mary gazed down at him and smiled, 'Am I doing okay?'

Jon grabbed her ass and shoved her down while arching up. "Fuck yes. Fuck, I'm gonna come in you soon. Holy shit, you feel good."

She leaned down to whisper in his ear, 'Fuck me like ya always used to dream about.' She let out a long moan in his ear, 'Fuck, I love you.'

Mary wrapped her arms around him and grinded in his lap. She moaned and writhed against him as he nibbled on her breasts.

She bit his ear, whispering, 'I love you, Jon. So much. You're everything I've ever wanted. God, I belong to you, Jonny. Always been yours.'

Her words made him think of their earlier conversation and he clutched at her back, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "I love you, Mary," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes.

How was he going to let her go?

Mary saw the tears in his eyes and smiled sadly, 'I love you too. So much.'

She stroked his back. How was she going to do this? She couldn't bear to leave him again.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her, whimpering as she tightened herself against him. "Please," Jon gasped. "Please, need you, love you. This can't be the last time I touch you. I'm so in love with you, please."

Tears fell down her face, mingling with his own as she kissed him, clutching at him desperately.

Mary reluctantly pulled her lips from his and shook her head sadly, 'Please, Jon. Don't make this harder...please.'

Jon stroked her face and sniffed. "I just love you so much. And this...it's reminding me of how long I've loved you. When I was with you that night I swore to myself I wouldn't let you go. And now..." He looked away and cringed. "I don't know if I can do it. I'm in love with you, Mary."

She ran her hands through his hair and smiled through her tears, 'And I'm in love with you, too. But tonight you love me. We'll worry about that tomorrow. But for tonight you make love to me.'

He nodded and stroked her face, rolling his hips up. "You're the love of my life," he said softly, caressing her back with his free hand. "You're my everything."

Mary arched her back and rode him slowly and gently, wanting to prolong the pleasure as long as she could. This very well could be the last night they spent together and she wanted it to last. She wanted to embed the touch, smell and feel of him in her head. As if she could ever forget.

She bit her lip and moaned, 'God, I love you too. You're the love of my life.'

This memory would stay with him for life. If this was truly their last night together...

No, he couldn't think like that. He had to concentrate on now, and they could work on everything else later.

Jon ran his hands over her, gently sucking on her breasts and rolling his tongue around her nipples. He sighed in pleasure as she grasped at his back, moaning his name.

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck as she grinded as slow as she could on his cock, wanting them both to feel everything.

She sucked on his neck, 'God, you feel so good. I'm never gonna find anybody better than you, ya know that?'

"No, you're not," he gasped, running his hands down her back and over her legs. "And I'm not gonna find anyone as good as you. We're perfect together, baby."

She cupped the back of his neck and rested her forehead upon his own, 'God, your cock is the best there is. I don't need anyone else to know that. Ya fucking fill me up so good.'

"You get me so big," he moaned. "No one else does this to me. You turn me on, baby girl. You always have."

She panted into his neck, whispering, 'Fuck...you're always gonna be my man, ya know that? No matter who else may come in my life. You'll always have my soul.'

"I'm in love with you," he whispered. "I always will be." Jon gasped and tightened his grip on her hips. "Mary...Mary, baby, I'm getting close. I love you."

Mary nodded and grabbed his biceps, gasping into his mouth, 'Fuck yes, baby. So am I. Fuck So am I. I love you so much. So much.'

He held her tight and whispered words of love as his climax approach, his whispers turning to shouts as he released into her. His hand cupped the back of her head as he panted into her neck, wanting this moment to last forever.

Eventually he'd have to let her go, literally and figuratively, but he wouldn't think about that now. All he was going to do was concentrate on the feel of her around him. Loving him.

Mary wrapped her arms tighter around his neck as she felt his seed shoot into her. She buried her face in his neck, giving him open mouthed kisses as she felt her orgasm overwhelming her. She bucked her hips as she thrashed and convulsed on top of him. She would never get used to this feeling. Of completion and fulfillment. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually. She doesn't know how she is going to find the strength to let him go. She clutched at him, holding onto him for dear life. She never wanted this moment to end, but it will, just as all good things do.

She rested her forehead upon his as tears slipped out of her eyes, falling down her cheeks. She held his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, wanting him to swallow up her sadness.

Jon tried not to cry but his emotions overwhelmed him and he let the tears fall. He pulled her close, letting out a shaky sigh as he stroked her hair.

"Is there any way...?" His throat tightened and he shut his eyes. It was the same question he'd asked her when they spend the night together after her engagement party. She'd rejected a life with him then, only to come back to him later.

This time felt different. It felt like he was losing her forever.

Mary smiled sadly and cupped his cheeks, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. It was the same question he had asked her the night they made love before TLC. She had desperately wanted to leave everything else behind and run away with him. Leaving him that night was one of the most difficult choices she ever had to make. Tonight wasn't any easier. Except now they had so much more to lose than each other. They had a family, a beautiful life they had built together. It wasn't perfect, but they never expected it to be. It was their lives after all. She knew in her heart they had to do this. They needed to see if their love was strong enough to survive with one another. There was this nagging doubt in her mind that this very well may be the last time they experience one another and it scared her to death. She needed him,loved him and wanted him...forever. But they needed to see if they could exist without one another. She loved him enough to let him go. She just hoped he loved her enough to come back.

She sniffed and sighed deeply, 'Do you remember that day at the bus station when I left for Boston? We were a couple then. Do you remember what I said to you that day?'

"You told me not to fuck up." He tried to smile but failed miserably. His fingers brushed through her hair and he sighed. "You said you loved me and you'd tell me every day 'til I believed it."

Mary nodded sadly, 'Even if I'm not there to tell you I love you everyday just remember that I do love you every much.' She placed her hand over his heart as tears fell down her face, 'I'll always be here in your heart.' She took his hand placing it over hers, 'Just as you'll be in mine...forever.'

Jon nodded and pulled her down to rest on top of him, sighing when their bodies disconnected. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this without you," he mumbled, hugging her to his chest.

She nuzzled his neck and kissed his jaw, 'You survived without me before, Jon.'

"Yeah, and it was hell." He took a deep breath. "I can't do this if we don't come back to each other, Mary."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide in alarm, 'Can't do what, Jon?'

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Relax, will you? I'm just sayin' I don't wanna let you go if it's gonna be for forever." Jon smirked and kissed her forehead. "I'm not gonna check out early, baby. I wouldn't do that to ya. Plus I got a kid now. Can't be a selfish asshole anymore."

Mary sighed in relief and rested her head on his chest, tracing circles on his chest, 'What happens if we...ya know...find other people?'

"Even if I go on a couple of dates, I'm not gonna fall in love. I'm not saying that to be a difficult asshole, it's just what I know. You're it for me, Mary." He paused. "As for you, I don't know." Jon took a deep breath. "I can't think about that right now, okay?"

Mary nodded and sighed deeply, 'What if I do...ya know, start seeing somebody. I gotta know ya won't make it difficult for me.'

Jon rolled his eyes and pulled away. "Fuck, Mary. I'm not gonna stalk you or anything like that. Shit." He sat up and stared at her, his eyes wide. "Wait a sec...is there already somebody you've got your eye on?"

She rolled her eyes and smirked, 'Yeah, actually there is another man in my life.'

Jon lay in bed and scowled at her. "Really funny." He turned on his stomach and rested his cheek on his arm, staring at her. "Can't share a bed with you after tonight, can I?"

She smiled sadly, 'I don't think that would be..wise, Jon. And for the record the only other man I have my eye on os Nick.'

"Yeah, duh. I know you meant our baby boy." Jon grinned, then reached for her. "Okay, I'll sleep in the guest bedroom. It's gonna be hard not to go to your door again and tell you how much I fucking love you, though. Can't promise that's not gonna happen at least once. But next time you're gonna have to tell me to fuck off."

Mary shook her head and stroked his hair, 'I'll never tell you to fuck off, Jon. Never.' She sighed, 'Shit, just knowing you're so close to me is definitely going to wear on my sanity. If i try to jump your bones in the middle of the night YOU just tell ME to fuck off, okay?'

"Can't commit to that," he stated, shaking his head. He gave her a wry smile. "What? I can't turn you down. Not ever. Love you too much."

She playfully slapped his chest, 'You're such a perverted bastard.'

"How is that perverted?" He laughed and tickled her sides. "Please. You've seen me perverted."

Mary giggled and playfully swatted his hands away, 'Oh, damn right I have. But ya know I love it.' She bit back a grin, 'We can get pretty fucking kinky sometimes.'

"You know it." Jon lifted up the blanket that covered her and grinned. "Can't blame me for having fun with you, though. You're sexy as hell."

She rolled her eyes as a blush tinged her cheeks. Even after all this time and everything they had done he still had the ability to make her blush like a little girl. He is the only one who can bring out this side of her. He will be the only one. No matter who may come after him. He will be the only one who sees this side of her.

Mary ducked her head shyly, 'You're too kind to me, Jonny.'

"Aw, cut that shit out. If you can't see how goddamn sexy and beautiful you are, then you're just fucking crazy." Jon pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

Mary nuzzled his neck, breathing him in, 'Well, when you say it I believe it.' She kissed his neck, humming, 'Baby, you're pretty damn sexy yourself. You do it for me, sweetheart.'

Jon beamed and rubbed her hip. "Never get tired of hearing that. I love making you feel good."

She draped her leg over his, 'You do make me feel good. So good. I mean we love each other deeply. That's a given. But the sex...' She shook her head, 'Sorry...'

He squinted at her. "But what?"

Mary let out a shaky sigh, 'I just don't think I could share my body with anyone else but you.'

He smiled and stroked her face. "We shouldn't think about that stuff now." Jon sighed and cuddled close, resting his head on her chest. "What are we gonna tell Nick?"

She shook her head and blinked away tears, 'I don't know. I mean he's used to you being...gone on account of your schedule.'

"Maybe we'll tell him I'll be away for longer because I'm doing other projects." Jon held her tighter. "He's gonna drive you crazy asking when I'm getting back, though."

Mary snorted, 'He already does. He makes me click through every channel to show him that wrestling isn't on everyday. Ya know he asked me to help him make a cardboard version of your belt? He carries it over his shoulder and stomps around looking like a miniature version of you.' She stroked his cheek and smiled, 'He looks up to you, baby.'

Jon giggled and rubbed her stomach. "Well, let's hope that's temporary. I miss you guys when I'm on the road." He sighed. "I guess it's a good thing I'm used to that." Not wanting to depress them any more than they already were, he looked up at her. "I don't wanna divorce. This is just a split. Like one of those, uh, trial separations."

She nodded, 'Of course, but Jon. If somewhere down the line that's what I want...You're gonna have to respect that.' She stroked his cheek, 'I'm not saying that's what I want, but...ya know.'

"Not now," he mumbled, and rubbed her side. "We can't say anything about it for a while, though. Olivia might think this is all her fault."

Mary shook her head, 'It's not her fault, Jon. It's...ours.'

"I know it. Mostly mine." Jon kissed her neck. "Should've told you she was coming, though. We still woulda had to work out our shit at some point, but that was dumb of me. I got Seth and Ryan to help organize everything. They're gonna think it's their fault too." He sighed and propped himself up, looking down at his wife. "It's my fault, Mary. I didn't prove myself to be trustworthy. Should've known the goddamn dirtsheets would have assumed the worst."

Mary sighed deeply and shook her head, 'Stop blaming yourself, Jon. It's my fault too. I have my insecurity issues to work out. Also, I have to start learning how to face my fears instead of running from it all the goddamn damn time. I gotta do better. Maybe we should gather all our friends together that our close to us and just announce it.'

Jon took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Just not at Christmas or New Year's." He smiled despite his heartbreak. "Though it would be kinda funny to yell it out as everybody's counting down to the new year."

She smiled through her tears and nodded, 'Yeah...New Years is always a special time for me cause ya know that's when we made our...boy.'She shivered at the memory, 'That was such a great night, Jon. One of the best night of my life.'

"Mine too." Jon stroked her cheek. "Plus the first time I got to dance with you was at a New Year's party."

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, 'I was so miserable that night at the party. Everyone was all dancing and having a good time and I didn't have anybody. But when you came I was so damn...happy. You gave me the prom dance I always wanted.'

"Damn. Never thought of it that way." He smiled and sat back on the bed, pulling her into his lap. "You were so beautiful that night. Well, you are every night, but that night you broke my heart, you were so damn beautiful."

Mary laid her head upon his shoulder and took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers together, 'You looked so handsome that night.' She smiled through her tears, 'You gave me my first kiss that night. I mean, it wasn't a real kiss, but it meant so much to me. That night when you drove me back to Cody's I wanted to tell you how I felt. I really truly was, but I figured ya had your own shit going on after just getting...clean and all. Didn't think it was the right time.'

"We made up for all that shit." Jon brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "I don't wanna go into this thinking of all the ways we fucked up. When we get through this, I want us to be able to start over." He saw the look on her face and shook his head. "I know, you might not want to come back, but I'll always want to be with you. That's not going away."

Mary's face crumpled into tears, 'But I'll always want to come back to you. Think about all the times we were apart and made our way back to each other. For all intents and purposes you and I should've never been together, but we are. We always have been. Nick will connect us forever, Jon.'

Jon cradled her head to his chest. "He will. We were connected long before him, though. It's been Jon and Mary for a long time, baby."

Mary's tears wet his chest as they fell down her face, 'You're right. It has been.' She sighed shakily, 'God, it seems we say goodbye together more than I love you.'

Jon smirked and stroked her hair. "Not true. Our wedding night alone must've set a record for 'I love you's." He nuzzled against her hair. "Baby girl, as much as I don't want tomorrow to come, I'm getting tired. So I'm gonna tell you much I love you before I fall asleep."

She kissed his neck and smiled through her tears, 'I love you too, Jon. So much.' She sighed, 'I think I should stay in the other room.'

"Not tonight." He drew in a shaky breath. "Please? It's our last night...for a while. Just give me one more night to fall asleep holding you. I need this, Mary. Please."

Mary sighed in relief, wanting the same, 'Sure. Of course. I need it too. Can I stay in your lap like this? I wanna feel as much of you as I can.'

"Yeah, me too." Jon stroked her hair. "I remember seeing you read a book by that tree in school. I was gonna walk up to you and say something real original like 'What are you reading?' but then some assholes came by and started giving me a hard time. I roughed 'em up and I remember walked by you. I was holding my mouth 'cause one of 'em popped me in the jaw, and you looked up and I almost fucking ran past you 'cause I didn't want to see you looking at me like I was a piece of shit." He laughed and rubbed her back. "Christ, I've been afraid of you for years."

Mary chuckled softly, 'God, I remember that. I remember every single moment I saw you. I saw what they did. I...uh...I went to the Principal and told them what they did. I'm pretty sure they got suspended. I didn't see them for a couple weeks. I followed you that day. I saw you bleeding behind the bleachers. I wanted so much to help you, but I was...afraid of you too. Every single time I tried to sit with you at lunch you stomped off.'

Jon laughed. "God. I ran off 'cause I saw you looking at me and thought you wanted me to scram. So I did." He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Used to think about where I'd take you on dates. I didn't have much, but I figured that place by the lake, where I took you after you graduated. Wouldn't have known what to say, though." He stifled a yawn and hugged her. "Probably would've just babbled like a stupid asshole. Kinda like I am now."

She chuckled, 'Never wanted you to scram. Ya know you should have just asked me out on a date or even talked me. I find it funny ya can face giants in the ring but couldn't even get the gumption to ask a girl out on a date.'

Jon snorted. "Like it's easy to ask the girl of your dreams out on a date. Shit. Getting thrown around like a rag doll is fucking cake compared to that shit."

Mary kissed his shoulder, breathing him in, 'You always put me on a pedestal and you shouldn't.'

"Baby, you do the same with me." Jon closed his eyes and sighed. "But I'm never gonna stop looking up to you. I'm gonna make damn sure Nick does too. I want him to be like you."

She smiled into his skin, 'I don't know about that. Our baby has aspirations to be a wrestler just like his daddy. He already knows the difference between a face and a heel.'

"Well, he'll be a super fan." Jon rubbed her arm. "I want him to be more like you, though. I'm a mess, baby."

She sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around him, 'Stop belittling yourself, Jon. Nick looks up to you. He's always going around saying how his daddy is cool. I have to practically pry your tee shirt off of him just to clean it. He wants to wear it everyday. He has posters of you all over his walls. You're his role model. Not me. I wouldn't have it any other way. The world will be a better place to have another one of you in the future. You're such a good man. You truly are.'

"He's not gonna be a wrestler," Jon replied gruffly. "No way in hell." He grunted and kissed her forehead. "It's a phase, you know. Once he gets older and sees all the stuff you've done to help people it's gonna change."

Mary snorted, 'What if he doesn't, Jon? One day he's gonna be old enough to do what he wants. He might do it with or without our consent. I think it's wonderful he wants to be like his dad.'

Jon groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Fuck. I seriously can't think about that right now. My brain feels like it's gonna explode as it is."

Mary chuckled, shaking her head, 'God forbid a man has to think after sex.'

"I'm serious!" Jon glared up at the ceiling. "In all fucking honesty, I'd rather him become Kenny G."

Mary snorted. "No you don't."

He paused. "No, I don't."

They laughed and Jon kissed her forehead. "I love you, you know. No matter what happens. You're the best person I know."

Mary smiled and kissed his cheek, 'So, are you.' She sighed, 'Maybe we should get some sleep. It's getting...late. ' Tears filled her eyes once again, knowing this very well may be the last time they ever spend like this.

"I know." He kissed her and held her close, sighing. "It'll be okay, Mary. It has to be."

She nodded, 'Yeah...I hope so, Jon.'

"It will be," he promised, closing his eyes. "I swear it. We've been through so much. Still love each other. Always will. Always."

Mary smiled and whispered, 'Always.'She kissed his neck, curling up into his lap, 'Goodnight, butthead.'

He snorted. "Goodnight, smartass."

She smirked and buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes. They would be okay. They had to be. Not only for their sanity, but for everyone else around them.


	36. Chapter 36

Mary was busy making last minute preparations for the dinner party. She was putting the table placements on the table as well as placing the utensils in the appropriate spots. In all honesty, she has been doing the same thing for almost two hours now. She needed something to do with her hands and keep her busy. She needed anything to take her mind off the events that were transpiring tonight.

Thankfully, Kasey and Cody had taken Nick to the Coney Island for the weekend. They knew about the separation for about two weeks now. Surprisingly, they had taken it considerably well. They had known them since they were kids. They knew how much they loved each other. They understood that this arrangement was only temporary. At least they hoped so anyway.

She looked in the mirror at herself, smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress. She must have changed her clothes over a dozen times. She just didn't know what to her. She didn't feel right wearing a party dress. This was not exactly a celebratory gathering. Nor did she want to look casual. She chose to wear a simple spaghetti strap cocktail dress and nude pumps. Her hair was put up in a messy bun and her makeup was minimal, just some mascara and lipgloss. She wanted to put up appearances. She wanted to show her friends that she was handling this in a mature manner, that she wasn't breaking up over this. Even though she was dying inside.

Almost every night she has cried herself to sleep. She lies in bed looking at the picture of their wedding day. She doesn't understand how it has come to this. They were supposed to have their happily ever after. Things were not supposed to turn out this way. She knew in her heart this was the right thing to do, for everyone involved. Things were going to turn out alright, she was sure of it. They were meant for each other. They were in love. They just needed to focus on their issues as individuals. They would come out of this stronger in the end. She clung to that hope. It was the only thing she had left anymore.

Jon had moved out a little over two weeks ago. He had rented a one bedroom apartment a little over five miles away, wanting to be as close to them as possible. She doesn't see him nearly as much as she would like to on account of his hectic schedule, but maybe it's best that way. They needed a clean break. Easier said than done, right?

Mary looked up at the clock and sighed deeply. It was almost eight in the evening. People were supposed to be arriving soon. She kept the gathering minimal. They only invited their closest friends such as Seth, Ryan, Cassie, David, Kat along with Roman and his wife. Sadly, Mary didn't have much friends. Her life of a mother and career woman left her little time for a social life. She vowed to change that very soon.

She jumped when she heard the doorbell ringing, at looked as if someone was already here. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She was so nervous she was physically trembling. This was going to be one of the most difficult things she's ever had to do.

Mary walked over to the door and peeked through the peephole. She sighed shakily when she saw Jon standing there. She wondered why he didn't just walk in, but maybe he felt uncomfortable to do so. This was no longer his home anymore. She took a moment to carefully study him. He was denim jeans, a gray tee shirt and a black Under Armour baseball cap. She frowned, wondering why he didn't even bother dressing up. Maybe this wasn't as important to him as it was to her. He looked haggard and exhausted, looking as if he has not shaved in a few days.

She took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves and opened the door with a smile on her face, 'Hi, Jon.'

He looked her over and frowned, sticking his hands in his jeans. "Hey. Uh. Sorry I didn't dress up. I can, um, run back to the apartment and change if you want."

Mary waved her hand dismissively in the air and sighed, 'It's fine. You can dress however you want. You didn't have to ring the doorbell ya know. You could have just used your key.'

Jon shrugged. "I didn't want to just barge in." He took off his hat and glanced around. "Is anyone here yet?"

She shook her head, 'No, Jon. No one's arrived yet. It's just you and...me.'

"Oh. Right." Jon toward the dining room. "You want me to do anything, or...?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, that's okay. I have everything set up. So...how have you been?'

He scratched at his head. "About as well as can be expected. You?"

She smiled, 'I'm okay. Been busy with work. Nick's been asking for you. He hasn't seen you in a couple weeks. He misses you.'

Jon smiled. "I miss him." He paused and looked down. "Both of you, actually."

Mary sighed, ignoring his last comment. She didn't want to get into this with him, not right now. Not just a few moments before their announcement of their trial separation.

She averted eyes downward, 'I was trying to call you about how you wanted to see Nick. We should figure out a schedule or something.'

"Right." Jon tried to smile. "He's gonna start preschool soon, isn't he?"

Mary scoffed, 'He already did, Jon.'

Jon's smile slipped. "When the fuck did that happen?"

She put her hands on her hips, 'Last week, Jon. I called you like three times to tell you. I even left messages. He wanted to tell you about it. Do you even check your messages or are you too busy for your own son?'

Jon started pacing in frustration. "Fuck. Saw your number and didn't want to...goddamn it. God DAMN it!" He buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "I'm gonna miss everything in his life, aren't I?"

Mary sighed, 'It's okay. And know you're not, Jon. I want you to see Nick. Anytime you want. He's just as much yours as he is mine. I'm never going to deny you of seeing him.' She smiled, 'I took pictures and video on my phone. Wanna see?'

Jon took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Yeah, of course." He managed a smile. "Thanks."

She returned her smile, 'Wanna sit down?"

Jon nodded, 'Yeah, sure.'

He followed her over to the couch, taking a seat next to her. They both managed to keep a considerable distance away from one another.

Mary grabbed her phone off the table and pushed a few buttons and showed him her phone, 'Here's a few photos of me and him before I took him in. Kasey took them.' She chuckled, 'Excuse the tears. I was being such a mom. I was crying the whole time because I realized our baby's growing up.'

"I would have cried too." Jon smiled sheepishly. "Been doing that a lot though, so maybe I'm used to it."

She sighed, sitting back on the couch, 'Are you trying to make me feel guilty, Jon? Cause if you are, don't bother. I already do.'

"I'm sorry." Jon cleared his throat. "Got any videos of him heading into class?"

Mary nodded and pushed a few buttons on her phone, pulling up a video. "Here it is. Nick was totally fine. Some kids were crying but he was excited."

Jon hugged himself and watched as Nick wandered over to a kid wearing a Stone Cold shirt. "I wanted to be there for this. His first day of school."

Mary bowed her head guiltily, 'I wanted you to be there too. That's why I was trying to call you. I called you two days before he started school. I wanted to ask you if ya wanted to come with us.' She sighed, 'I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm just being honest.'

Jon buried his face in his hands and tried to take deep breaths. He'd seen her number on his phone and ignored it, not wanting to feel his heart break into a million pieces by listening to her voice. And because of his goddamned weakness, he missed the chance to share an important milestone with his son. He could never forgive himself for this. Never.

She sighed and scooted closer, tentatively putting her hand on his back, 'Jon, don't beat yourself up over this. He's not mad at you and neither am I.' She let out a small laugh, 'He's just a baby. There'll be plenty of times for you to share other special moments with him.'

Jon hunched over and sniffed. "Yeah, I guess." He glanced at her phone. "Got anything else?"

Mary smiled and nodded, searching through her phone, 'Here's a few of us at the beach with Kat.' She smiled sheepishly, 'Excuse some of the photos of me. Kat likes to steal my phone and snap random crap.'

Jon smiled as he saw pictures of Nick building what looked like a sand dungeon, but then took a deep breath when he saw Mary stretched out on a blanket wearing a bikini.

Mary quickly changed the picture, her face turning red. "Sorry." She cleared her throat and quickly scrolled through other pictures, then grinned. "Oh, look at this one. He already looks exactly like you all the time, but you can really see it here. He wasn't happy about having sand everywhere, so I gave him a bath when I got home."

The picture showed Nick wrapped in a towel, scowling at his pile of dirty beach clothes. Jon shook his head in disbelief. He knew that look. It was the same look he'd often give opponents after he'd knocked them down.

She laughed, shaking her head,'He looks just like you, Jon. He's so handsome' She cupped his cheek and smiled, 'Just like his father.'

Jon looked away, feeling his heart pound. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her, but knowing that she might pull away would be too much to bear.

Mary sighed and bowed her head, 'So...you been seeing anybody?' She cringed and shook her head, 'Sorry, forget I asked that. That's not my business.'

He blinked in surprise at her question. "No. Not seeing anybody. Haven't been with anyone." He glanced at her. "You?"

She shook her head, twiddling her thumbs nervously in her lap,'No, I haven't been seeing anybody.' She scoffed, 'Haven't even tried actually.'

Jon shrugged. He was at a total loss of what to say. Was he supposed to encourage her, tell her that she'd meet a great guy? It was too fucked up and surreal.

Looking at him in that moment, she felt her defenses crumbling.

Mary looked at him wearily, 'I...miss you, Jon.'

There it was. Her moment of weakness. It wasn't as if she was surprised. Shit, it happened even sooner than she thought it would.

He smiled and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. "I miss you, baby girl," he whispered.

She closed her eyes, shivering when she felt his hand on her skin. It feels like forever since she's felt him. She missed hearing him call her that. She missed the sound of his voice, his scent, and his touch. She missed everything about him.

Mary sighed shakily as tears welled up in her eyes, 'Tell me we're doing the right thing. That this is what we need. Please, tell me that.'

"I don't know if I can," Jon said in a broken voice. "I just know that it hurts not being around you. And I think of what it'll be like if you find someone better and it scares the shit out of me."

She scoffed,'That's the thing, Jon. I can't find anyone better because I'm still so in love with you. No one else can compare to you.' She shook her head, 'That's the wrong thing to say right now.'

"Is it?" He took her hand in his. "We can take things slow but not avoid each other, Mary. Who says we have to give up completely?"

Mary looked up at him and was about to respond when she heard the doorbell ring.

She jumped up from the couch, 'Looks like our first guest is here.'

She walked away, sighing in relief. That could not have come at a better time. Crisis averted. For now at least.

Mary smiled when she opened the door, revealing Seth, Ryan, David and Cassie standing there, 'Did you guys all come together?"

"Well, that and your directions sucked ass." Ryan winked at Mary. "He's fucking useless!"

"We're underdressed, aren't we?" David looked at their tshirts and jeans and groaned. "Damn."

Mary shook her head. "Not at all. Come in."

They made their way inside, David and Ryan chatting with Mary and Seth walking over to Jon, who was standing by the sliding glass door and staring out at the backyard. "You okay?" Seth murmured.

"Not really, no."

Seth frowned. "Something's up, I can tell."

Jon sighed. "Well, yeah. That's kinda what tonight's about."

"Shit, man." Seth took a deep breath. "You guys...you guys are healthy, right? And Nick's okay?"

"Yeah, we're all fine." Jon glanced at Mary, who was opening the door for someone.

"Okay, well it can't be that you and Mary are...oh fucking Christ, you've gotta be fucking kidding me."

Jon looked over at his friend in surprise at his sudden change of tone. Seth's eyes were suddenly flashing with anger as he stared straight ahead at the door. "What the fuck, man?"

Seth nodded grimly. "Didn't know she was coming."

Jon watched as Cassie handed Mary a bottle of wine and gave her a hug. "Who, Cass? Yeah, she's cool, plus she's Mary's friend. Dude, what the fuck is going on?"

"Did she come alone at least, or am I gonna have to put up with...oh, nice." Seth smirked as Cassie looked up and frowned when she spotted him. "Yeah. Fantastic."

"Shit." Cassie exhaled slowly and looked away, gritting her teeth. "Dammit, Seth is here."

Mary chuckled. "Of course he's here, he's Jon's best friend. He's my friend too."

"Dammit. Should have asked you if he was coming." Cassie held her head. "I'm fucking stupid."

"Hey, hey." Mary pulled her aside and rubbed her arm. "What's going on?"

Cassie sighed deeply. "He's been giving me shit about my storyline."

Mary scoffed. "C'mon, really? Your storyline?"

"I'm serious! Ever since the writers had me 'dating' Cena, Seth's been really shitty to me, so I called him out on it a few days ago and we sort of had it out." Cassie rolled her eyes. "I don't know what his fucking problem is, but Seth's an asshole. Don't worry, though, I won't let this get out of control."

Mary glanced over at Seth, who was standing by Jon near the kitchen and was staring daggers at Cassie. Jon looked at his friend and his wife and gave her a small shrug.

This was going to be an interesting evening.

The night ran relatively smoothly all things considering. Mary was mostly busy with entertaining their guests and making sure they were well fed. After dinner everyone went into the living room for dessert. She looked at all her friends in the living room. David slightly tipsy flirting with an annoyed Kat. Ryan and Seth were talking animatedly about God knows what and Cassie was sitting on the couch, looking miserable texting on her phone. She saw Jon coming out of the kitchen with another beer in his hand.

She walked over to him, grabbing his arm to whisper in his ear, 'Now that everyone is good and drunk do you think that it's time to tell them?'

Jon glanced around the room. "Yeah, why not?" He took a huge gulp of his beer and sighed, walking with her into the living room.

Mary sighed deeply and stood next to Jon staring at their friends. She looked wearily over at Jon and shared a smile with him. She surprised him by taking his hand, squeezing it tightly. She always looked to him for strength in moments of weakness.

She cleared her throat loudly, getting everyone's attention. She had a small smile on her face, ' I wanna thank everyone for coming tonight. I'm sure you're all wondering why we asked you here.' She sighed, 'There's no easy way to say this so I'm just gonna say it. After some time and consideration Jon and I have decided to...separate.'

Cassie dropped her phone and brought her hands up to her mouth in shock, letting out a small cry. Kat and David seemed stunned, and Ryan looked heartbroken.

"What?" Seth stared at their joined hands, then at the two of them. "You're kidding, right?"

Jon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, man, we're kidding. Ha ha, good joke, right?"

Mary let go of his hand and sighed. "It's not a joke. We're separating."

"Oh god." Kat closed her eyes and shook her head. "Jon, Mary, I am so sorry."

Ryan sat on the couch by Cassie, looking incredibly uncomfortable. "So, uh. Are you, um..."

Mary spread her arms out. "I don't know what's gonna happen. But we are going ahead with this."

"What about Nick?" David asked softly, still looking stricken. "Where's he gonna stay?"

"With me." Mary glanced at Jon, who finished his beer and was headed to the kitchen to get another one. "But of course Jon can see him whenever he wants."

"Why, though?" Seth frowned at Mary. "You two are so in love. Why would you split up?"

Cassie wiped at her eyes and sighed in disgust. "It's none of our business, Seth."

He glared at her. "Well, shit, I'm sorry that I'm concerned about my friends."

"It's not about you!" she hissed at him.

"Don't turn this into you being a hateful bitch!" Seth snapped, and Kat gasped.

Ryan stood up. "Whoa, okay. Everybody's on edge, and..."

"No, Seth's just a fucking asshole!" Cassie stood up and glared at him. "Fuck you! You're supposed to be supportive of Jon and Mary right now, not trying to feed your precious fucking ego!"

David looked at the two of them and backed away. Mary glanced at Jon, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, staring at his best friend in shock.

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Can we all just handle this like rational adults?' She heard Jon snorted as he took a long swig of his beer. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, 'So, you just gonna stand there and get drunk or are you gonna actually contribute to the conversation?'

Cassie scoffed, 'Don't even bother he's just like Seth. They always want to lay the blame on us.'

Seth looked at her increduously, 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

Cassie snorted, 'Take it for what it is.'

Jon stood stood near the entranceway of the kitchen and laughed humorlessly, 'This is a great fucking party.'

Kat waved her hands around. "Okay, okay. Mary, Jon, what do you need from us? I mean, we support you and whatever you choose to do, and we love you both."

Jon snorted. "You've never liked me."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Oh for god's sake, Jon."

Kat sighed. "Jon, I've grown to appreciate how happy you make Mary, and you're a good father to Nick."

"Wow, thanks." Jon gave her a wild grin and took another sip of his beer.

David cleared his throat. "So, uh, should we help clean up, or...?"

"I can clean dishes," Ryan offered.

"No, everything's fine." Mary eyed Cassie. "Listen, if you want to..."

"What the fuck did you mean by blaming you?" Seth demanded, giving Cassie an intense stare.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "God, you're pathetic. Something doesn't go your way and you act like a fucking baby. Christ, be a man for once!"

His eyes widened. "Holy shit, you are a total bitch. What the fuck was I thinking?"

She sneered at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, nevermind, gorgeous. Don't want to mess up your perfect little arrangement." Seth looked at Cassie in total disgust. "You're disgusting, you know that?"

Cassie's eyes shone with tears and fury. "And you're not worth my time, asshole," she growled.

Seth looked away, his jaw clenching. "Real fucking nice," he muttered. He looked up at Jon and smirked. "Fuck, man. The things these girls do to us."

"Don't I know it," Jon muttered, and tossed him a beer.

Mary's eyes widened and she shook her head, 'Really, Jon? You're just gonna keep drink and acting like a jerk?' She rolled her eyes, 'It's nice to see some things never change.'

Jon glared at her, taking a long swig of his beer and wiping his mouth, 'What's that supposed to mean, Mary?'

David sighed, looking at Ryan, 'Uh...I think it's about time for us to leave.'

"Yeah..." Ryan got up and nodded at Kat. "You wanna go?"

She looked at Mary. "I don't know if..."

Mary spread her arms. "It's okay. I'm sorry."

Kat smiled. "Don't be, it's fine." She glanced at Cassie. "Um, do you want to come with us?"

Seth chuckled darkly and took a sip of his beer. "She probably has plans to get a ride." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Cassie. "Don't you, gorgeous?"

Cassie walked around the couch and stood up to him. "Keep talking like that and I'll kick your fucking ass."

Seth laughed hysterically. "You're ugly when you're mad, you know that?"

Mary stared at him in shock as Ryan, David, and Kat scurried outside, quickly shutting the door behind them. "Seth, what the hell? Why are you acting like this?"

"He's a fucking guy, and he's drinking, so that equals asshole." Cassie smirked. "Every fucking time."

Jon rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you women weren't such ball busters, we wouldn't have to drink."

Seth cackled and Mary glared at her husband. "Oh, so it's all our fault?"

Jon opened his eyes wide, giving her a mock innocent look. "Your words, sweetheart."

Mary gritted her teeth as tears filled her eyes, 'I can't believe you're doing this, Jon. I hate you when you drink, ya know that? This is why I can't do this shit anymore.'

Seth snorted. "I'll take him drunk over how you've left him plenty of times, dollface."

Cassie shoved him. "Don't talk to her that way!"

"You don't know shit!" Seth yelled. "She's broken his heart a thousand fucking times. You women always do this shit. You fuck us over and then get pissed when we call you on your shit!"

"He's got a point," Jon muttered.

"Oh please," Mary scoffed, wiping her eyes. "Maybe if you weren't such selfish jerks..."

"Exactly! Men only care when they're getting laid, and then if it's not that, they want a fucking mom! It's pathetic." Cassie glared at Seth, who was snickering at her. "It's fucking true!"

He nodded and finished his beer. "God, you're a nightmare, you know that? You're just like every other girl, thinking all the guys wanna fuck her."

Jon chuckled. "C'mon, dude."

Seth narrowed his eyes at his friend. "What?"

"You've been obsessed with her since day one." Jon smirked at Cassie's confused expression. "I'm serious!"

"Fuck you!" Seth stared at him in horror. "And you're one to talk about being obsessed!"

Jon glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Holy fucking shit, man." Seth laughed humorlessly. "Go ahead, show Mary the picture I'm sure you're carrying of her. Guess what? I don't take a picture of a girl to the ring, and I never have, and that's because I don't obsess over girls!"

"Bullshit! You've been following her around since the day she walked by our dressing room!" Jon yelled.

"I have not, you stupid fuck!"

"I'm a stupid fuck?!"

"Yes!"

Cassie held her head. "Oh my god, the two of you. What a fucking nightmare."

Mary gritted her teeth and balled her hands into tight fists at her sides as tears fell from her eyes. She looked at her friends fighting and shook her head. This isn't what she wanted. This was hurting everybody.

She stomped the heel of her left foot on the floor, getting everyone's attention, 'Everyone needs to stop fighting...now.'

Jon hung his head, staring at the floor while Cassie took a deep breath and Seth just looked miserable.

"We're adults." Mary sighed. "We're adults and we're not acting like it. It's ridiculous."

Cassie nodded and exhaled shakily. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, and ran outside. They watched as she hurried down their backyard, then stopped and doubled over. Her shoulders shook from her sobs, which they could hear from inside.

Seth looked heartbroken and quickly set his empty beer bottle down and ran out to her, calling her name.

Jon watched him go and set his own empty bottle down, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, Mary."

Mary lifted her hand up and shook her head, 'No, just don't, Jon.' She wiped the tears from her eyes, 'You embarrassed me enough tonight.'

Jon gritted his teeth. "Mary, what the fuck am I supposed to do? I'm in love with you, and I have to act like I'm better off without you. It's fucking killing me! I hate living a life without you in it, it doesn't feel right!"

Mary sighed shakily, pinching the bridge of her nose, 'You're drunk, Jon. I don't wanna get into this with you right now.'

He snorted. "I'm not that drunk. But I'll tell ya what, I'll call a cab back to the apartment, and I'll pick my car up tomorrow. Don't wanna worry ya. How's that?"

Mary shook her head, 'Just stay the night, Jon. This is your house too.'

He stared at her in shock. "Uh. Okay." He glanced around. "I think I still have some clothes in our...your room."

She nodded, 'Yeah, they're still in your drawers.'

"Okay." Jon ran his hand through his hair. "So. I'm gonna go change if that's okay." He rocked on his heels, seeming uneasy. "Did you want me to help you clean up?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, I'm gonna do it tomorrow.' She looked at him wearily, 'Ya wanna hang out and talk?'

Jon nodded. "We should. I'll be right back, okay?"

She gave him a tired smile. "Sure."

He went upstairs and changed quickly, looking around their old room. It took all he had in him not to crawl into their old bed and smell her on the sheets.

If he was ever going to be with her again, it certainly wouldn't be tonight.

Jon went back downstairs and saw Mary sitting on the couch and sat next to her, making sure to give her plenty of space. "I didn't know Seth and Cassie were having a war," he stated. "That certainly made things worse."

Mary took ofF her heels and sighed in relief, 'Well, they're in love, Jon. What do you expect?'

Jon chuckled. "I just thought they were crazy."

She grinned. "Same thing."

"True." He frowned. "Are they still outside?"

Mary shook her head, 'No, she texted me and told she and Seth were headed back to the hotel.'

"Whoa." Jon smirked. "Good for him. He's been crazy about her for years. She's all he fucking talks about half the time."

She shook her head and scoffed, 'Not like that, Jon. Cassie said she's been flirting with him for months, but he's just not getting it.' She grinned, 'Remind you of somebody?'

Jon blinked. "But he said she was dating Cena. And what the fuck, you just said they got a hotel room together. Or is that not what you meant?

Mary rolled her eyes, 'God, are all men oblivious? Cassie isn't dating fucking Fruity Pebbles. She was just practicing for their storyline. Also, I said he was taking her back to the hotel. I didn't say they were fucking.' She scoffed, taking a drink of her wine, 'And you wonder why it took us so long to get together. '

"Well, shit. Everyone's been saying that she and Cena are the real deal. And the way Seth and Cass were going at it earlier, I just assumed they'd be...going at it." Jon shrugged. "Hey, guys don't gossip like girls do. So sue me if I didn't know all that stuff."

Mary let out an exasperated sigh, 'Not everyone handles their issues with sex like we do, Jon.'

Jon frowned. "We have sex because it feels amazing and we love each other. It obviously doesn't solve problems. I'm not dumb, you know."

She looked over at him and sighed, bowing her head in defeat, 'I know you're not.' She dared to look over at him and nearly groaned at the sight of him sitting there wearing gym shorts and a black sleeveless shirt. She's always loved his arms. She's missed the feeling of them wrapped around her and holding her close, making her feel safe.

She sighed shakily, 'You're right it does feel good, Jon.'

"Damn right it does." Jon smiled and leaned his head against the couch. He closed his eyes and spread his arms out, stretching and groaning slightly. Shit, he could fall asleep right there. It had been an exhausting night.

Mary sighed and whispered, 'Jon? I know it's wrong to ask but can you...hold me? I mean, I know you're leaving tomorrow to shoot your movie and we might not see each other and...' She shook her head, waving her hand in the air, 'Just forget it. I've had too much wine.'

Jon opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I'd love to," he murmured, and patted his leg. "C'mere."

Mary gave him a shy smile and crawled into his lap, sighing when he wrapped his arms around her. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'll always want to hold you, Mary."

She nuzzled his neck, breathing him in, 'I'm gonna miss you, ya know that?'

"I'm gonna miss you, baby girl." Jon stroked her hair. "I always do when you're not around."

Mary rested her head on his shoulder and took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers, 'I hurt you all the time and I shouldn't do that. It isn't fair to you or Nick.'

"You're too hard on yourself." Jon sighed and hugged her. "We just need to stop bullshitting ourselves."

She sighed and nodded, 'This is only temporary, Jon. Ya know that right? You know as well as I do that we'll end up back together. We always do. We can't stay away from each other. We tried and failed.'

Jon nuzzled against her neck. "It's you and me, baby girl. Always gonna be you and me." He kissed her shoulder and sighed. "Love you so much."

Mary cupped his cheek and rubbed her nose against his, 'I'm always gonna be your, baby girl. Always. I love you so much, Jon.'

He grinned and stroked her hair. "I'm so in love with you, Mary." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and looked down, afraid that she'd see the desire in his eyes and push him away.

She smiled, ' I'm in love with you too, Jon.' She bit her lip, 'Ya know, I'm not wearing any underwear underneath this dress.'

He licked his lips and raised his eyes, staring at her intently. "You mind if I check?" he growled, running his hand up her thigh. "Might have to run a series of tests."

Mary shook her head and smirked, 'Not at all.'

His heart leapt at the idea of getting to be with the woman he loved and he tried to calm himself. He had to play it cool or he might scare her off. Jon smiled and slipped his hand under her dress, rubbing at her bare hip. "Hmm. You pass the first test." Leaning close, he licked at her neck. "The second test is a little more involved."

She nodded and put on a mock serious face, 'I'll do whatever to pass the test.'

Jon gave her a wicked grin. "Better lay down then like a good girl."

Mary smiled and pouted, knowing exactly what that did to him, 'What if I don't wanna be a good girl?'

His heart skipped a beat and he ran his hands down her legs. "Good girls get rewarded," he murmured, settling himself between her legs. "I was gonna use my tongue to see if you're really not wearing underwear. But if you're gonna be bad..." Jon shrugged. "Might just use one finger and nothing else."

Mary's smirked, 'Well since you're gonna be like that I guess I'll be using my hand instead of my mouth and nothing else.'

Jon smirked. "We'll see about that." Before she could respond he scooted down on the couch and lifted up her dress. He kissed her legs and then moved up to kiss and lick at in between her thighs, smiling to himself when she moaned and arched her hips up.

She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned as he nuzzled her entrance with his nose, 'You don't play fair.'

He chuckled and licked a long line up her, gathering her wetness on his tongue. "Says the girl who didn't wear underwear under her sexy dress." Jon kissed and licked at her, teasing her with his fingers.

She arched her hips and let out a guttural groan when she felt his mouth on her.

Mary gasped when he rubbed her clit with his thumb and chuckled softly, 'It's hot outside.'

"Outside?" She managed a small laugh. "You wanna take this outside?"

He grinned up at her. "Why not? You always said you wanted to walk around naked outside. You won't be walking, but you'll be naked."

Mary covered her face with her hands and laughed, 'You're crazy.'

"So...that's a yes?" He moved up and nuzzled at her neck, grinding against her.

Mary looked up at him and all of the sudden she came to the stark realization that this was wrong. They shouldn't be doing this. Not after what they had agreed upon.

She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away, 'Jon, we can't do this.'

Jon nodded and caressed her cheek. "We'll stay inside, baby girl." He smiled and stroked her hair. "Anything you want, Mary."

Mary sighed, shaking her head, 'No, I mean we can't do this.' She sat up, pushing her dress back down.

He frowned and put his hand on her leg. "Mary, it's okay. Stop acting like we're doing something wrong."

She shook her hand, sighing deeply, 'But we are. This isn't what separated couples do, Jon.'

"But we're not the same as them," he protested. "We know we love each other. We're still gonna do this but do we have to torture ourselves while we're still in the same house?" Jon tried to pull her into his lap and froze when she nearly recoiled. "Fuck, Mary, you don't have to make me feel like a piece of shit!"

Mary jumped up from the couch and hugged herself, 'If we do this it's just going to complicate everything.' She sighed, 'This is my fault. I take full responsibility for this.'

Jon rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fuck you, you know that? I'm surprised you stopped me before you got off first." He stomped over to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers. "Feel free to go fuck yourself, sweetheart," Jon yelled before heading into the guest bedroom and slamming the door behind him.

Mary's eyes widened as she watched him walk away. It took everything in her not to knock on his door and yell at him for talking to her that way, but she didn't have the energy to fight with him. It had been a long and exhausting night. All she wanted to do was get out of this uncomfortable dress and into her pajamas and go to bed. She would deal with him in the morning.

Mary was lying in bed when she was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on her door. She looked at the digital clock on her bedside table and sighed seeing that it was two in the morning. She got up from her bed and groggily shuffled her feet over to open the door.

Mary sighed when she sat Jon standing there, 'What do you want, Jon? It's the middle of the night.'

Jon grunted. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your wifely slumber?" He smirked and looked her over. "Ya look cute. Not that it matters, right? Can't fucking touch you. Oh wait. I can, though, when it's convenient. Right?"

She looked down at her spaghetti strap nightgown, wishing she had enough sense to grab her robe. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked him over. His hair was a mess, looking as if he were continuously running his hands through it. Most of it was obscuring his eyes, which were hazy and bloodshot.

She shook her head, sighing, 'You're drunk, Jon. Go to sleep.'

"You trying to get rid of me?" Jon laughed. "Figures. That sums it up, right?" He sighed and leaned against the wall. "You're right. It is late. It's late and I can't fucking sleep 'cause you got me all fucked up. Story of my life."

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed, 'Isn't that what this separation is about, Jon? So I don't fuck you up anymore?'

"Oh, boo fucking hoo." He glared at her in disgust. "How did you think tonight was gonna go, anyway? I mean, yeah, the thing with Seth and Cassie was fucking weird as hell and I'm sure that's gonna play out for some interesting shit backstage for a while, but you...it's like you're constantly surprised that I'm fucking unhappy about this shit!"

She ran shaky hands through her hair, 'You have to stop depending on me for your happiness, Jon.'

Jon laughed hysterically. "Holy shit, you're fucking crazy. Look, my job makes me happy, okay? But I'm in love with you and I hate not being around you and not being with you. And you act like that's a fucking sickness of mine."

Mary crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, 'Ya really wanna do this now, Jon? Really?'

"Know what? Yeah, I fucking do. Maybe Seth's right and I am a stupid fuck, but I'm not gonna act like everything's great and we shouldn't be together when it's obvious we love each other." Jon narrowed his eyes at her. "Why did you even want me to stay tonight?"

She shrugged her shoulders, 'Cause as I said, this is your house too, Jon. I didn't want you driving after drinking and it's difficult to get a cab around here. I...wanted you to stay.'

"So why can't we be together?" Jon glared when she scoffed. "I'm fucking serious. You led me on and then pushed me away. Even if we still go ahead with the separation we can still...I'm not gonna be around for a while! Why can't we enjoy some time together tonight?"

Mary shook her head and sighed, 'Fun, Jon? Really? You're fucking drunk.'

Jon spread his arms out. "Mary, why are you busting my balls? Shit, I had a few drinks, but I'm not drunk!"

She scoffed, shaking her head, 'Yeah, a few, Jon. Yeah fucking right. You're fucking slurring your words and can't even stand up straight.'

Jon stood in front of her and crossed his arms. "I'm not an alcoholic. I'm just depressed as fuck. Nice to see that you're just fine with how things are turning out."

Mary sighed and gritted her teeth, 'You think I'm fine, Jon? Well then fuck you if ya think that.'

"Yeah, fuck me. That's pretty much the summary of our marriage, right? Fuck me. 'Fuck Jon, he's a piece of shit.' Am I right, Mary?"

She rolled her eyes and spread her arms out, 'Then if I make you so fucking miserable then just fucking divorce me then, Jon.'

Jon laughed humorlessly. "That's the thing, sweetheart. You break my heart over and over and I'm still in love with you. I still want you and I want to be with you. I always will. So fuck me." His eyes filled with tears and he looked away. "I just wish..."

Mary's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, 'You wish what, Jon?'

"What does it matter? Doesn't matter what I want or that I feel like I'm fucking dying." He sighed and held his head. "Christ. Fucking mess."

She sighed and took a step forward to hold his face in her hands, forcing him to look up at her, 'Stop beating yourself up, Jon.'

"What for?" he mumbled.

Mary sighed and stroked the sides of his face, 'Cause ya shouldn't. This is all my fault. Not yours.'

"No, it's not. It's my fault, Mary. You've always been strong and smart and fucking level-headed. I've always brought you down. It just hurts knowing you're doing the right thing." Jon gently took her hands off his face and squeezed them, then turned and quickly walked away, wanting to get back to the guest room before she saw him crying.

Mary sighed and watched him walk away. The right thing for her to do would be to just let him walk away, but she loved him deeply. We tend to not think rationally when love is concerned. She could hear him sniffling and saw his shoulders heaving up and down, indicating to her he was crying.

She ran up to him and gently grabbed his shoulders, 'Jon, wait. Please don't go. I'm sorry.'

"Just go," he moaned, pulling away from her and stumbling into the guest room. He fell into the bed and sighed, blinking in surprise when she sat on the bed next to him. "Mary, you've got nothing to be sorry for, okay?" Jon wiped at his eyes and groaned. "You're right, you're right about everything, I'm a total fucking mess. You're better off without me."

Mary shook her head as tears fell from her eyes, 'But I'm not, Jon. You're not the problem...I am. It's me who needs to work out their shit. I'm so insecure that I blame you for shit you don't do. I'm never satisfied and keep you at arm's length because I'm so fucking afraid that you're gonna wake up and realize you can do better than me.'

Jon snorted. "Why the fuck can't you see how goddamn amazing you are?"

She shook her head, 'No, I'm not, Jon. You've always put me on a pedestal ever since we've been young. I'm not amazing I'm awkward. I have trust issues and I'm not the prettiest girl in the world.' She wiped the tears from her eyes and bowed her head, 'I just know that one day you're gonna realize it one day and I'm gonna lose you to someone better.'

"Christ." Jon sat up and stroked her hair. "Mary, baby. You're beautiful, smart, and strong. You're funny and sexy as hell and you're a decent person. You work hard to make sure kids have a good life. You're a great mom and a great wife. I'm in love with who you are, not who I think you are. I'm never gonna look for anyone else and I'm damn sure not gonna love anyone else. If I put you on a pedestal it's 'cause I can see how fucking incredible you are." He grinned and cupped her cheek. "If you can't see it, that's your own fucking fault."

She gritted her teeth and sighed deeply, 'I hurt you all the time and I hate that I do this to you. You deserve someone who doesn't have all these fucking issues. Someone who isn't fucking damaged and bitter.' She bowed her head, 'You deserve a normal woman, Jon.'

"You hurt me when you push me away. And as for issues, look who you're talking to." He kissed her cheek. "I deserve a good woman and I'd like to think I deserve you."

Mary shook her head, 'But I don't deserve you, Jon. I never did. All these years I've done nothing but hurt you. I caused you pain. This isn't how normal and good women treat their husbands and the men that they love.'

"You've made me so happy," Jon murmured, cupping her face in his hands. "You think I'd stay with someone who treated me bad? I love you so much. Our wedding day was one of the best days of my life, and so was when Nick was born and the doctors told me you'd be okay. You've made my life worth living, Mary. You know you have."

She smiled through her tears, 'You made me happy too, Jon. You've given me everything I ever wanted. I don't understand why I do this. I don't trust people, Jon. Men especially.' She sighed deeply, 'I want to so bad. I do, but it's just...I always keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.'

He shrugged. "It's understandable. A lot of it's my fault." Jon sighed and kissed her forehead. "I do love you, Mary."

Mary sighed, 'None of this is your fault, Jon. You've done nothing but love me and I shit on you for it.'

"I haven't exactly been a saint, Mary." Jon tentatively put his arms around her. "Should've been a better husband. Shit, a better boyfriend. I was fucking awful at it."

Mary buried her face in his neck, 'No you weren't, Jon. You always good to me. Always. Ever since we were kids. You're such a good man. A wonderful husband and father.'

Jon shook his head and pulled her into his lap. "Baby, I wasn't. I was a jealous mess. In a lot of ways I still am. Not proud of it, but the idea of another guy touching you makes me wanna scream. I gotta get over that shit, I guess. I don't know. I just always felt like we belonged to each other, even before I met ya. Used to watch you read under that tree and kinda made sure no one gave you a hard time. Didn't want anyone to make you unhappy." He chuckled. "Didn't realize I'd be doing that myself most of the time."

She laid her head on his shoulder, 'Jon, I always wanted you. Always. I used to watch you too. All the time. Even before we knew each other I wanted you. I always belonged to you and always will.'

Jon kissed the top of her head. "Can I please just hold you for a little while?" he asked in a small voice. "We don't have to do anything, I just like holding you."

Mary nuzzled his neck and kissed his cheek, 'Yeah, you can. I love the feeling of your arms wrapped around me.'

He settled against the pillows, holding her in his arms and rubbing her back, smiling when she hummed in appreciation. "I love it too," he murmured.

She threw her leg over his and cuddled closer to him, 'You feel nice.'

Jon breathed slowly, not wanting to get excited by her closeness. "So do you." He closed his eyes and gently squeezed her, grinning when she laughed softly. "You laughing at me, smartass?" he teased, stroking her hair.

Mary giggled and kissed his neck, 'Maybe, butthead. Just thinking about that time we went iceskating when we were young and you kept falling on your ass. That was hilarious seeing a six foot four wrestler trying to iceskate.'

Jon huffed. "Well, I'm glad it was so entertaining for you. What about the time we went for a walk in the park and you fell in dog shit? Now that shit was funny. Right after we moved in together too, so I had to deal with the stink all the way home."

Mary rolled her eyes and laughed, 'It was on my ass too. Remember I asked ya to wipe it off with a paper towel so my jeans wouldn't stain?'

"And I told you to just take em off so I could throw 'em in the washer and you got all freaked out and said you weren't gonna get naked in front of me." Jon scowled. "That wasn't fun to hear. But yeah, if I remember correctly, I got some detergent and just poured it on you, and you started yelling so I ran." He snickered. "Holy shit, you were pissed off."

Mary laughed and stroked his chest, 'Then I got ya back when I hid your towels while you were taking a shower at the gym.' She grinned at his surprised expression, 'Oh yeah, that was me.'

Jon groaned. "Oh, man. You know some of the guys thought I was hitting on them, 'cause I kept asking them to get me a towel or let me borrow theirs? They would say, 'Sorry, man, I like girls' and they'd run off. I got all pruney 'cause of you."

Mary giggled and draped her arm her arm over his stomach, 'Oh God, I'm sorry but that's fucking funny. Kasey thought I was just looking for a reason to see you naked.'

He smirked. "Were ya?"

She grinned, 'I was always looking for a reason to see you naked, Jon.'

He chuckled. "You could've just asked, you know. Didn't have to go stealing clothes and shit like that. I'm surprised you didn't pull that when we were living in our apartment. Coulda made things really interesting."

Mary rolled her eyes, 'I couldn't just ask to see you naked. Besides, you could have just asked me too, ya know?' She grinned, 'Remember I walked out into the kitchen wearing a towel when I didn't think you were home? Holy shit, the look on your face.'

"Uh, yeah you could have asked. And yes, I remember that. Nearly gave me a fucking heart attack, missy."

Mary buried her face in his neck and smiled into his skin, 'Did you think about me in the towel that night, Jon?'

"Hell, I didn't even wait 'til that night. Remember how I said I had to use the bathroom and ran off? What do you think I did in there?" He laughed and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm surprised you didn't hear me."

Mary gasped at his admission, 'You did?'

"Well, yeah. Came so hard I nearly passed out. I think I lay there on the bathroom floor for a good ten minutes before I could even move again." Jon smiled at her expression. "What? I'm serious. Always came hard when I thought of you. Still do."

She laughed, 'I never understood how you could want me so much.'

Jon shook his head. "I never understood why you'd want me. As for you, you're so damn sexy that it's fucking..." He waved his hand around and let it fall back on the mattress. "It's indescribable, baby."

Mary caressed his stomach, kissing his neck, 'You wanna know why I find you so sexy?'

Jon smiled. "Yeah, 'cause I honestly have no fucking clue, baby. You're so fucking hot it's crazy. You're way out of my league."

She snorted and sat up, cupping his cheek in her hand, 'I love your eyes. They're so blue and yet get this beautiful shade of green when you get excited or angry.' She stroked his chin, 'I love your dimples when your smile.' She brushed her fingertips over his lips, 'I love your smile and that smirk of yours...so sexy.' She ran her hands down his arms, tracing his biceps, 'Love your arms. When they're wrapped around me they make me feel so safe and protected.' She stroked his chest, 'You have the most beautiful body I've ever seen. I love that you're so much taller than me. When you stare down at me with that smirk of yours I get so fuckin wet it's not even funny. So fuckin hot and sexy, Jon.'She smiled, 'But what's the sexiest thing about you is your love and strength. You have such a capacity to love. You have such a big heart. You're wrong ya know. You're not out of my league. You're in a league all your own. So beautiful and sexy. '

His heart pounded at her words and he sat up, taking her face in his hands. "You're too damn good to me, you know that?" he whispered. "Must've done something right in a past life to deserve having you in this one."

She rested her forehead on his stroking his face, 'You deserve to be treated good.' She took a deep breath, 'You're the sexiest man I have ever seen in my life ya know that?'

Jon chuckled and stroked her cheek. "Now who's talkin' crazy?"

Mary smiled, 'Not crazy. Just honest.' She sighed, 'Are you really drunk, Jon?'

Jon frowned and shook his head. "Didn't even drink those beers. Look." He nodded at the nightstand, where he'd left the unopened bottles. "I figured it would piss you off, so I've just been laying here trying to sleep. Couldn't, obviously."

She looked at the bottles and smiled, 'Shit, Jon. I'm sorry. I'm an asshole.' She bit her lip, 'Want me to stay here and keep you company?'

"Of course I do." He stroked her hair and smiled. "And you're not an asshole. You're right, I get upset, I drink. It's not good, but I'm gonna work on it." He kissed her cheek. "You gotta stop insulting yourself, baby."

Mary smiled softly and sighed, 'So...what do you wanna do?'

"We can talk." Jon took her hands in his. "I miss that. Call me a sap all you want, but I do. Always loved talking with ya."

She nodded, 'Me too.' She pointed to his lap, 'Is that seat taken?'

He beamed and patted his leg. "Always available for you, baby girl."

Mary sat in his lap and sighed in content, 'Much better.' She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, 'So...what do ya wanna talk about?'

He nuzzled against her and smiled. "How about we talk about how goddamn beautiful you are?"

She laughed softly, a slight blush tinging her cheeks. She nuzzled against his neck, breathing him in, 'You always smell really good, ya know that?'

He took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of her against him. "You've got the most amazing smile," he murmured, tracing his finger down her neck. "I remember the first time you smiled at me. Felt like I was gonna die, my heart was beating so fast. It still does that every time you smile at me." Jon took her hand and placed it over his heart. "See?"

Mary caressed his chest, sighing, 'I've always loved your eyes. The only time I ever feel alive is when you look at me. The first time you ever looked at me I never felt so alive in my life.' She ran her fingertips over his brow, whispering, 'You're still the only one who makes me feel that way.'

He smiled and stroked her cheek. "I love your eyes. I've gotten lost in them so many times, baby girl. I'm the luckiest guy alive 'cause I get to look into those eyes and see love there. It's the best feeling in the world."

Mary blinked away tears and ran her fingertips over his lips, 'Love the sound of your voice. So deep so masculine. It's the sexiest sound in the world. I especially love your words cause I know you mean them.' She buried her face in the crook of his neck, 'Can listen to you talk to me forever.'

Jon ran his fingers through her dark strands. "Love your hair. Always used to think about touching it. Drove me crazy. I remember one time you fell asleep on Kasey's couch after we stayed over to watch a movie and I sat next to you and smelled your hair. I felt like a pervert, but I couldn't help myself. You smelled like...sunshine. You woke up and smiled at me, and I almost told you I was in love with you right then."

She gasped, 'God, you should have. I was so in love with you then.' She smiled, 'I love your lips. I remember in our apartment we were eating ice cream watching one of your old matches. I wanted to kiss you so bad, but ended up chickening out. I just wiped ice cream off your chin.'

"Wanted to kiss you then," he whispered. "Still think about our first kiss. You tasted like strawberries and vanilla. Why do you think I kept buying strawberry ice cream? It reminded me of your taste. Made me want to taste you again. Taste you all over."

Mary took a deep breath, 'I loved wearing your shirts when you were working. They smelled like you. I would lie in bed and pretend it was you wrapped around me.'

Jon cautiously rested his hands on her hips. "Used to take some of your perfume and lotion and put it on one of my pillows. I'd jerk off and pretend you were in my bed and I was inside of you. My god, I'm surprised you never heard me, Mary. Used to say your name. Couldn't help myself."

Mary wrapped her arms and legs around him, settling further in his lap, 'I would get off while wearing your shirts and fold them and put them in your drawers. I used to have to bite the pillow to muffle my screams.'

Jon breathed deeply, running his hands up her sides. "One time we were watching tv and you sat in my lap. I was so fucking hard I was sure you were gonna say something. I could feel how warm you were, Mary. Almost came in my pants."

She gasped and smiled, 'I remember that. I felt it, but you didn't say anything so I didn't either. Figured it was a male reaction.' She grinded into his lap, unable to help herself, 'I was so wet that night. Baby, I came on your lap that night. I was fidgeting...do you remember?'

"Yeah," he whispered, holding onto her hips and thrusting up a bit. "Fuck. You were driving me crazy. Got me so fucking hard. You were making these noises and oh fuck...I just thought you were bored or something...Christ, you were so warm. Thought I felt..." Jon closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Tell me. Tell me how you came. I need to hear it."

She rolled her hips in his lap and bit her lip to stifle her groan. She could feel his hard cock against her panties and she knew he could feel how wet she was.

Mary tightened her legs around his waist, 'I could feel how hard you were. I was so wet and turned on I couldn't help myself. I kind of moved my body against you pretending I was trying to get comfortable. I imagined you inside me as I rode your cock right then and there. God, I thought you knew. I came so good for you that night, baby.'

"Fuck." Jon dug his nails into her hips and breathed heavily. "Oh god, I felt it. I thought I was imagining things, but I felt it. Felt you move and oh god...almost came. I got wet for you, baby. Did you feel me?" He began panting and rolled his hips. "Do you feel me now, baby girl? Feel how hard I am?"

Mary grinded onto his lap and nodded, 'Yeah I do. God, you're so hard right now. Just as you were then. Did you fuck yourself that night? Tell me what you did.'

He grinned. "You know I did. Fucking came twice." Jon reached up and rubbed her breasts. "Think you can make yourself come again just by grinding on my cock, baby girl?" He rested his hand over her stomach. "Try it. Imagine that I'm deep in your pussy. I'm fucking you hard and you're so wet, my cock just slides into you so fucking easy...you feel that, baby girl?"

She grinded harder into his lap and buried her face in his neck, panting into his skin, 'Oh God, I'm so wet. You're so fucking hard. Fuck, I can feel how hard you are. I'm so fucking horny, baby. I need to come. Shit, need to come.'

"That's it, yeah. Come for me. Come on." Jon thrust up and growled. "Feel it, baby girl. Come on my cock." He looked up at her and grinned. "Maybe then I'll fuck you for real. You want me to fill you up? Wanna take my come deep inside you?"

Mary grinded furiously on his cock, his words spurring her on. She clutched at his hair at the nape of his neck. She panted into his neck, 'Fuck, you even feel good like this. Want you. Need you. Oh God.'

Mary bucked her hips and her movements became less organized. Her breath was labored. Her heart was pounding. She was shaking on top of him, coming so hard she swore she were dying.

She shrieked, crying out, 'Oh fuck. Oh God, Jon!.' She whimpered, not having the semblance of mind to form another coherent sentence.

Jon felt her orgasm through their clothes and gasped. "Oh fuck, yes." He pulled her off briefly to tear off his clothes and then hers, then pulled her down and slid himself inside her. "Oh god!" He arched up and gasped, feeling her tremor and shudder around him.

She let out a cry when he got inside her. She clawed at his back as she rode him in a steadfast pace, desperate to feel him.

Mary rested her forehead on his, 'Oh shit. You feel so good. Fuck yeah. Oh god.'

He captured her mouth in a kiss and broke away to lick at her neck. "God, I love you. Love being in you. Fuck, you're so wet for me."

She grinded harder on top of him and moaned, 'Love you so much. Love it when you're inside me. Hurts so fucking good, baby. You get so hard and big for me.'

"You're the only one who gets me this big, baby girl. Would've done this if I'd known you came for me, baby girl." Jon kissed her neck and thrust up into her. "Had no idea you wanted me."

Mary bucked her hips against him and bit and sucked at his neck, 'I always came for you. Always. I remember you fell asleep on the couch next to me and I fucked myself right next to you. I couldn't help myself. Always wanted you so fucking bad.'

"You've always got me, baby girl." Jon ran his hands over her breasts. "Fucking always. I'm never gonna stop loving you or wanting you."

She clutched at his shoulders and whispered in his ear, 'Wanna fuck you hard, baby. Wanna fuck you so hard you won't even remember your name. You want that, baby? Want your wife to fuck you hard?'

"Fuck yeah, I do." He bit at her shoulder and pinched her nipples. "Fucking do it, I dare ya."

Mary smirked and pushed him down so he was lying flat on his back. She turned around with her back facing him and impaled herself on him once again. She dug her nails into his thighs as he bounced up and down on him as fast as she could. She made sure she rolled her hips and grinded herself on him every time he was deep inside her. The bed was creaking loudly so loudly the sound reverberated off the walls.

His head lolled on the pillow and he whimpered helplessly as she rode him, his nails digging into her hips. "You're gonna make me come, baby girl," he warned her, bringing up a hand to drag his nails down her back.

She gasped and shook her head, 'You don't come until I say so. Want your hard cock inside me as long as I can.' She bucked her hips and whimpered, digging her nails harder into the skin of his thighs, 'Fuck, yes. Want it harder, baby? I always tell you to fuck me harder. Tell me how bad ya want it. Tell me.'

He groaned and bent his knees, arching up into her. "Yeah, fuck me harder. C'mon. Fucking give it to me."

Mary smirked and slowly began riding him, wanting to tease him, 'Beg me for it. Wanna hear you tell me how much you need it.'

Jon growled and ran his nails down her lower back. "Fuck me like the bad girl you are. C'mon. I need it, baby girl."

She turn around with him still inside her and leaned down to grab his hair, tugging it forcefully as she rode him furiously and feverishly.

Mary bent down and whispered in his ear, 'Fucking you is so much fun, ya know that? Scream for me, baby. Wanna hear you scream.'

Jon grabbed one of her hands and bit at her fingers. "Give me a reason to scream," he growled.

She grinned and scratched her nails down his chest and writhed on top of him as she bit his left nipple. She kept it in her teeth and swiped her tongue over it, soothing the sting. She moved to the other nipple and repeated the same action, knowing how much it drove him crazy.

Mary reached down between them and gathered some of her juices on her fingers and stuck her fingers in his mouth, wanting him to taste both of them.

He growled and snarled as she bit and licked at him, then grunted with pleasure at the taste of both of them. God, she drove him fucking wild. "We taste fucking great," Jon groaned.

She nodded and smiled as she groaned, 'Damn fucking right we do. You want my ass, baby?'

"I want every fucking part of you." Jon grinned and thrust up into her. "Think you can handle me? You got me big and hard."

Mary smirked, 'Don't threaten me with a good time, baby. I want it rough tonight. Want you to fuck me so hard I feel you for months.'

"Do whatever you want to me," he moaned, running his hands all over her body. "I'm all fucking yours."

She bucked her hips and moaned aloud, 'Wanna mark you. Wanna fucking mark you all up so whenever you look in the mirror you'll know what I did to you.'

Jon sat up and sunk his teeth into her shoulder, biting and sucking at the skin until he left a deep red mark. "You're mine," he growled, licking at the bruise. "All fucking mine, every inch of you belongs to me."

Mary growled and grinded harder on him. She sunk her teeth into his neck and sucked his skin into her mouth. She took his skin between her teeth and licked the wound with her tongue. She could taste a hint of blood on her tongue and licked her lips, moaning in satisfaction, 'You belong to me, baby. You're mine.' She sunk her teeth into his shoulder and kept sucking his skin as she rode him.

Jon grasped at her and moaned at the heady combination of pain and pleasure until he started to feel his orgasm build. He pushed her off of him and laid her on the bed, crawling in between her legs and running his tongue all along her entrance.

She wrapped her legs around his neck and clutched at his hair as she arched her back, moaning, 'Fuck, yes. Feels so good, baby. Fucking go wild, baby. Get your face all up inside me.'

Jon growled and used his tongue and fingers on her, wanting her to lose control. He needed it. He was desperate for her to scream his name while he tasted her. She was everywhere and he could still feel her on him, and it was so overwhelming it nearly made his heart burst.

Mary arched into him and moaned his name. She clutched at his hair as she writhed against him.

She gasped and let out a choked sob, 'Harder...more...want you to take me over.'

He grunted and began sucking on her, thrusting against the mattress.

Mary thrashed on the bed and shrieked and grinded against him. He was making her lose her fucking mind. She couldn't breathe her heart was pounding so fast. She couldn't tell him to stop. She needed this. She needed him.

Mary dug her nails into his scalp, 'Take me over, Jon. I want it to hurt. Wanna show you that I belong to you.'

He pulled away and licked at her stomach, biting at her waist and moving up until he grabbed her legs and brought them up to her chest, then entered her quickly and forcefully. "Love fucking you," Jon grunted, biting at her neck and riding her hard.

She hissed and moaned as he entered her. She dug her nails into his shoulders and sank her teeth in his neck. She grinded against him, whimpering helplessly into his skin.

Mary bit his ear, whispering, 'Harder, baby. Make it hurt. Want you to take me over. Want you to fucking rip me apart with your cock. Love it when you fuck me.'

Mary smirked, 'Do whatever the fuck you want, Jon. I belong to you. Want it rough. Please, baby. Love you so much. Please.'

"You want me hard, huh?" Jon picked her up and carried her to the wall, biting at her neck. "Gonna get me hard. Anything for my beautiful wife." He bit at her shoulder and snarled as he fucked her, driving into her hard and deep.

Mary wrapped her legs tighter around him and scratched her nails down his back as hard as she could. She grinded against him and bit into his shoulder, soothing the sting with her tongue.

She grabbed his hair to whisper in his ear, 'Harder. Want it to fucking hurt so good, baby.'

Jon brought her hips down with each thrust, grunting when he could feel himself slam against her cervix. "Tell me how good that feels. Tell me you love it. Tell me you love me."

She moaned and whispered in his ear, 'Oh God, it feels so fucking good. Feels like you're tearing me apart. I love you inside me, baby. Best feeling in the world. I love you. Oh fuck, I love you so much. I love you, Jon.'

"You're gonna come, aren't you?" he growled. "Gonna squeeze me tight, huh?"

She writhed against him and gasped, smirking, 'I don't know. Gonna make me?'

Jon grinned and grinded against her. "Bet you thought of this when you sat in my lap, huh? Wanted my cock deep in you. Wanted me rough that night, didn't you? Bet you know you could get me to fuck you harder than I've ever fucked anyone."

Mary dug her nails into his shoulders and moaned as she arched her back, bringing him deeper inside her, 'I sure fucking did, baby. I'm the only one who can handle you like this, aren't I? Tell me. Tell me how much you love fucking your wife hard.'

"You were made for me, baby girl." Jon kept riding her hard, breathing into her neck. "You're so perfect for me. I love you so fucking much. God, I love fucking you. I feel alive when I fuck you, baby. It's like I can't breathe unless I'm a part of you."

Mary cupped the back of his head and grasped his hair tightly as she kissed his deeply. She broke her lips away from his and whimpered into his mouth, 'God, I love you too, baby. Love you more than anything. I don't feel whole until you're inside me. Love you so much. You're my whole world you know that? Always have been.'

"I'm in love with you," he moaned, his body flush with sweat. "You're my world too. God, you're everything. Love being surrounded by you, it's fucking unreal, baby girl."

She writhed against him and bit her lip, trying to hold off her orgasm. She wanted to prolong her pleasure as long as possible. This very well could be the last time she feels him this way again and wanted to get all she could od him.

She grunted in frustration, digging her nails into his shoulders, 'Fuck, it's not enough. It's always not enough. I want you to fucking devour me. I'm in love with you so much, Jon.'

"Never enough," he agreed, and picked her up and held her close. He got on his knees and lay her on the floor, then began fucking her hard and fast, driving her into the carpet. "Always need more, it's never enough, need you forever. I'm so in love with you, I'm gonna fucking die from it, Mary. God, you're everywhere and I always want more."

Mary wrapped her legs around his waist and arched against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her entire body was covered in sweat and so was Jon's. His hair was drenched with sweat, falling into his eyes as he stared down at her so intensely she was sure she stopped breathing.

She moaned when he hit her cervix, 'I love you so fucking much. So in love with you, baby. It's taken my soul over. You're in

my blood. You're gonna be apart of me forever. God, I love you I don't know what to fucking do. You drive me so fucking crazy.'

"You're my entire life," he gasped. "You're fucking everything, I need it, I need this. If you didn't love me I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I'd lose my fucking mind, Mary."

She scratched her nails down his chest and groaned, 'Don't have to worry about that, baby. I love you so fucking much. You have me. I belong to you.'

"You're the best part of my life, you know that?" Jon whispered, pushing deep into her. "Everything good in my life came from you. Everything."

Mary moaned, arching into him, 'You too. Never truly existed until you came along. You know that?'

"It's how I feel about you." Jon grinded against her and nuzzled into her neck. "I still remember my vows, Mary. Still mean 'em. I'm gonna take your love with me everywhere I go, because you've always had my heart and I have yours. I'll..." Jon's voice hitched but he continued. "I'm gonna keep us together no matter what happens. I'm gonna make you proud of me...gonna be a good husband and father...I'll be yours forever, forever, Mary...I'm still so in love with you and I always will be...I'm meant to be with you. Always."

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck as tears fell from her eyes. She buried her face in his neck as she sobbed, 'God, I love you so much. I can never let you go. No matter what. You're my soul, baby. My heart and soul. I love you.'

"When we've been separated before, I felt like I was missing a part of me. Like it got ripped out." Jon held her tight and sighed shakily into her shoulder. "Hurt like hell. I was like a fucking zombie. I'll do it again if you want, but I have to come back to you. I'm in love with you and I need you. I need you, I don't care if it's pathetic."

She nodded, 'You'll come back to me because I'm gonna come back to you. I was the same way, baby. I was just going through the motions. I need you in my life. I am so in love with you it hurts. Jon and Mary. Forever and always.'

He smiled and wiped a few strands of hair from her forehead. "Forever, baby. Always you and me."

Mary smiled through her tears, 'I'll always be your baby girl, ya know that? Always.'

"I'm so damn lucky," Jon murmured. "I've got the best woman in the world. I'm blessed."

She cupped his cheek and smiled, 'So am I, baby. You're the most beautiful thing I ever seen.'

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "You should look in a mirror more often, baby."

Mary laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder, 'You always were a sweet talker.'

He gazed at her and shook his head. "Just telling the truth. You're beautiful, Mary. I can see the good in you when I look at you. You've got so much beauty in you. It's like a miracle. You inspire me every day, baby. You always will."

Mary blinked away tears and smiled up at him, stroking his face, 'So do you. Every time I look at Nick I see you in him and I'm so damn thankful he looks exactly like you. He's got your beauty Jon. The world needs more beauty like yours in the world.'

Jon chuckled. "I want him to be like you, Mary. That's what the world needs, more people like you." He kissed her and sighed, rolling his hips against her.

She moaned and grinded against him, 'You don't give yourself enough credit, baby. You never did. I hope he becomes the fraction of the man you are. You're such a good man.'

"If there's anything good in me, it's because of you." He pulled away and picked her up, laying her on the bed, then crawled over her and pushed himself back inside her. "God, I love you," he whispered, kissing her neck.

Mary wrapped herself around him and buried her face in his neck, 'I love you too, Jon.' She let out a shaky sigh, 'God, I'm really gonna miss you.'

He shook his head. "Don't think about that now. Just feel me, okay?" He pushed deeper into her and shivered when she squeezed around him. "Do that again, baby. Make me feel good. I want us to come together."

She squeezed around him as hard as she could and moaned his name when she felt him hit her cervix, 'Fuck, you feel so good. Gonna need this for the rest of my life.'

"You're gonna get it, baby. It's you and me." His jaw dropped when she squeezed him again. "Oh fuck, that's good. God, you're gonna make me come. You're gonna feel me come in you, baby."

Mary squeezed him again tighter this time and moaned aloud. She slowly grinded against him, in sync with his movements, 'Shit, me too. Wanna feel you come inside me. I wanna come on my husband's cock.'

He began shivering, feeling his orgasm approach. "God, baby...oh fuck, gonna come hard. You're gonna feel it, baby. You feel so good, so tight...perfect."

Mary trembled and nodded, 'Me too, holy shit. Oh God...feels so good...oh yeah...oh shit...'She squeezed herself on him and grinded furiously against him, wanting him to feel everything. She let out a choked sob as trembled and convulsed underneath him, 'Oh fuck. I'm coming so hard. I'm squirting on your cock, baby. You feel that...oh God...oh fuck yeah!'

Jon whimpered and grinded into her, screaming her name as he spilled into her. He shuddered helplessly and moaned, wanting to savor every moment of this. He had no idea when he'd get to be with her again, and he'd be thinking of this moment for months to come.

"I love you," he moaned, resting his head on her shoulder.

She stroked his back as she came down from her orgasm and kissed his neck, 'I love you too, Jon. So much.'

"I know." He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Thank god." Jon sighed and nuzzled against her, not wanting to pull out yet. "Can you stay here tonight? Please? I wanna hold you."

She shook her head and rolled her hips, 'I don't mind. I love feeling you inside me, Jon.'

He brushed his lips against hers and gazed at her. "You're the love of my life, Mary."

She blinked away tears and held his face in her hands, 'And you're mine, Jon.'

"Good." He kissed her nose and smiled. "So beautiful."

Mary stroked the sides of his face, trailing her hands down his neck, 'So are you, baby. God, so are you.' She arched her back, not being able to keep still when he was still inside her.

Jon grinned and licked at her neck. "You feel good, baby. I got you all wet."

She lightly scratched her nails down his neck and writhed against him, 'You did. You always do.' She smirked, 'Just like I'm getting you hard again.'

He chuckled. "Can ya blame me? Damn." Jon sighed and ran his hands over her hips. "You feel so good. So warm and soaking wet."

Mary rolled her hips and licked his ear, gently biting it, 'What are you gonna do about it, Mr. Good?'

He hummed, pretending to be thoughtful. "I don't know. I filled you up pretty good already. Not sure if I got anything left in me."

She nodded, acting as if she were serious, ' Okay then guess I'm gonna have to take matters in my own hands. You can sit and watch.'

He raised an eyebrow at her. "That sounds pretty good, actually. Maybe you could show me what you used to do in your room while you thought about me."

Mary grinned and ran her hands down his chest, 'Ya want that, huh? Wanna watch me get myself off don't you, baby?'

Jon nodded eagerly, wriggling under her. "Yeah, fuck yeah I do."

She smirked and gently pushed him off her. She laid down on the bed and spread her legs as far as they could go, opening herself up to him. She began to rub her clit with her thumb as she inserted two fingers inside of herself.

She arched her back and moaned, 'God, feels so fucking good. I used to wear one of your shirts as I was doing this. One you used to wear all the time. It smelled like you. Mmm...shit yeah feels good...used to pretend your tongue was deep inside me, getting me wet. Just like I am now.'

He sat back and watched her, feeling himself begin to stir. "Damn, you're hot. Wish you'd left your door open while you did this. Could've walked in on a good show." Jon licked his lips. "Feel your tits, baby. Wanna watch you feel yourself up."

Mary grinned and grabbed her left breast. She lifted up to her mouth and bit and sucked on her nipple, groaning into her skin. She kept working her fingers inside her as she tweaked and squeezed her nipples. She quickly switched hands and grabbed her other breast to suckle on her nipple as she worked her fingers deep inside herself.

"Fuck." Jon grabbed himself and began stroking. "God, you're fucking hot as hell. I remember coming home from the gym and went to take a shower, and you must've just gotten out 'cause it smelled like you, that soap you use...I had to sit in the tub and jerk off twice so I wouldn't fall and break my neck. Had to bite my arm so I wouldn't scream. You drive me fucking crazy, baby."

Mary groaned at his words and added another finger inside of her as she rubbed her clit, 'Fuck God, that's so goddamn hot. I loved fucking myself in your bed. I would bury my face in your pillows cause they smelled like you and would ride my fist. I got your sheets so wet, baby. I had to change them. You thought I was just being nice, but I wasn't. My pussy juice got your sheets soaked through.'

Jon growled and crawled toward her, settling on top of her and licking at her neck. "You can get the real thing now if you want," he purred.

She let out a throaty chuckle and ran her foot down his chest, 'Didn't I promise you a lap dance? The thought occurred to me I never got to do that for you.'

"Mmm." He ran his hand up her leg and dragged his nails over her skin. "That sounds damn good."

Mary ran her hands down her arms, squeezing his biceps, 'I got some lingerie I never got a chance to try out for you, baby. Wanna have some fun before you leave tomorrow?'

He grinned and squirmed eagerly. "Definitely! Should we go in the other room, or...?"

Mary smirked, 'How about the kitchen? There's chair and a stereo in there.'

Jon began giggling and hugged her. "You are seriously fucking amazing, you know that?"

She stroked his back, burying her face in his neck, 'I just love you is all. So ya wanna maybe get dressed? Ya know so the lapdance won't be weird? I mean, I'm the only who's supposed to get...naked.'

"Weird?" He giggled again and kissed her shoulder. "Aw, wait. Do I like not get to touch you or anything?"

She smirked and nodded, 'Well...Yeah. That's the whole point of a lapdance, silly!'

"Aww." He pouted and squirmed. "So when do I get to touch you?"

Mary kiss behind his ear and whispered, 'Not until I say so.'

He sighed dramatically. "Well, then. I guess I could agree to that." He smacked her on the ass and grinned at her. "Let's see what you got, baby girl."

She pushed him off of her and sat up in the bed, wrapping a sheet around herself.

Mary gave him a wink and a sultry smile over her shoulder, 'See ya in the kitchen, handsome.'

She walked out of the bedroom, leaving him sitting on the bed looking up at her in bewilderment.

Jon put his jeans and tee shirt back on and made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer and popped it open, taking a long swig as he sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. He put the chair in the middle of the room, giving her enough space to do her thing.

Time seemed to drag on as he anxiously awaited his wife to make her presence. He jumped slightly startled as he heard her whisper his name in his ear. She must have sneaked into the kitchen without him knowing. He grinned. She always was a sneaky little thing, which is what he loved about her.

Jon turned his head and his eyes widened in shock when he saw what she was wearing. His heart began pounding out of his chest and his palms were sweaty. He was rendered speechless by her beauty.

When he finally regained some semblance of mind, he shook his head in disbelief, 'Jesus...fucking...Christ.

Mary giggled and walked up to him. "You like?"

He grinned and reached for her. "Gimme a kiss. Wanna taste you, baby."

Mary put her hands on her hips and shook her head, 'Now baby. There's no tasting the merchandise.' She wagged her finger in front of him, 'No touching either.'

Jon looked up at her and gave her a boyish grin. "But I wanna!"

Mary arched her eyebrow, 'I figured you would say that, which is why I made to sure to bring...this.' She took her other hand out from behind her back and dangled a belt in front of him.

She grinned at the stunned expression on his face as she stretched the belt in her hands.

Mary walked behind his chair and grabbed his hands, wrapping the belt around his hands, binding them to the back of the chair.

"Holy shit." Jon chuckled as she tested the belt to make sure he couldn't get loose. "You are one sexy bitch, you know that?"

She rested her hands on his shoulders and ran them down his chest as she whispered in his ear, 'So fast or slow. Husband's choice.'

He arched an eyebrow. "I gotta choose one?"

Mary rolled her eyes and playfully slapped his shoulder, 'Well, what kind of music, silly? I'm sure ya been in a lot of strips clubs. What kind of music would ya like?'

Jon shrugged. "As long as it's not Kenny G we're good."

She nodded and walked over to the stereo, her stilettos clicking against the floor, 'So, any preferences?'

His eyes travelled all over her body. "Anything you want, baby. Anything."

Mary nodded and searched through the stereo. She grinned when she found the perfect music. It was slow, sensual, but with a thumping and erotic rhythm.

She pushed play and grasped the countertop and began swaying her hips with her back toward him.

Mary looked at him over her shoulder and pouted, 'Ya like it so far, baby?'

He pulled against the belt and grunted. "C'mere...wanna feel you."

She slowly gyrated her hips and bent down, sticking her ass in the air.

Mary ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head, 'No, baby. I wanna dance a little first. Just sit back and enjoy the show. You earned it.'

He took a deep breath and looked at her, a slow grin forming over his face. Damn, he was a lucky guy. After this was over he was gonna have to talk to her about this separation thing. No way could they live without each other. It wasn't just the sex, even though that was fucking awesome. They were crazy about each other.

But right now she was showing off that hot little body of hers and he wanted nothing more to feel her soft skin on his. "You're so damn beautiful, you know that?"

Mary smiled and walked over to him, making sure to keep a considerable distance between them. She wanted to tease him a little bit more, make him beg for it. She loved seeing him happy. She wanted him to be the only one who saw her like this.

She sensually ran her hands through her hair and bent down on the floor and gyrated her hips as she made her way back up.

Mary wiggled her ass in front of him, whispering, 'You're a hot motherfucker ya know that? You should feel how wet I am right now for you.'

Jon stared at her and licked his lips. "You were pretty damn wet before, baby girl. God, I remember the first time I touched you. The first time I slid inside you...you were so fucking wet for me and you always are, baby. I love that I get you hot."

She turned around and ran her hands all over her body and bit her lip, moaning, 'Shit yeah ya do. I bet you're big and hard for me right now, huh?' She kept swaying her hips as she looked down at his crotch, smirking, 'Yeah, you fucking are. Wanna see my tits, baby?'

He nodded eagerly and ran his tongue over his teeth. "Show me. Show me everything, baby girl."

Mary grinned and reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. She slowly took it off, wanting to make a show out of it. She covered her hands over her breasts and turned around with her back facing him as she threw her bra over her shoulder to land into his lap.

She looked over her shoulder at him, giving him a pout, 'Ya enjoying yourself so far, handsome?'

"Uh huh." He squirmed in the chair. "Lemme see, baby. Show me what you got."

She grinned and spun around, dropping her hands from her breasts. She cupped them in her hands as she wiggled her hips as she bent her legs, going all the way down to the floor.

Mary met his gaze, saying in a sultry tone, 'Ya see the wet spot on my panties, baby? Ya got me soaked through.'

"Come here and let me feel it," he growled.

Mary smirked and walked over to him, sitting down in his lap. She grasped his knees and grinded down on his lap, letting out a guttural groan. She made sure to lean herself over so he couldn't touch her.

'Ya feel that, baby boy?' She whispered raggedly.

"Fuck yeah." He groaned and arched his hips up, desperate to feel her. "Need more, more."

She gasped out and grinded harder into his lap, 'You're hard as shit,baby. Feels good. So good it's enough to make a girl come.'

Jon moaned and gazed up at her. "You gonna come on my dick again, baby? Gonna come without me even being in you?"

Mary grinned and shrugged her shoulders, 'I'll stop moving if you keep moving. Think you can sit perfectly still while I get myself off?'

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I can. Won't be easy, but yeah."

She gasped and nodded, 'We'll see about that.' She slowly rolled her hips and moaned softly, 'Shit, you're hard as a fucking rock. This is what I was thinking about sitting in your lap that night, baby. This is what got me the fuck off. Feeling your cock against my pussy. Making it wet.'

"Nearly gave me a fucking heart attack that night, baby." Jon gritted his teeth, trying not to move. "I thought you were grossed out and trying to move away from me."

She snorted and grinded her pussy harder on his jean laden cock and moaned, 'How could I be disgusted by the sexiest man I ever laid eyes on?'

He chuckled. "Baby, I had no idea you thought of me that way. Damn, I remember what you were wearing. You had this tight little shirt on, I could see your tits and fuck, I got hard. You're so fucking sexy, baby girl."

Mary groaned when her sensitive clit hit against the zipper on his jeans, 'I wore no bra on purpose. I wanted you so fucking badly that night. You had no shirt on. Fuck, I wanted to lick your skin and taste you. Got me so wet had to change my panties...twice.'

"God, you could have had me. You could have had me anytime." Jon groaned while she grinded on him. "Almost kissed you, you know. I thought you came but wasn't sure, and you were breathing kind of hard and sighing, and I wanted pull you close to me and kiss you. I was afraid you'd laugh at me."

Mary shook her head and sat further into his back. She lolled her head on his shoulder and turned her head, burying her face in his neck.

She licked his neck, whispering in his ear, 'Wanted you to kiss me then. I always want you to kiss me. Shit, I came so hard on your lap that night. I was biting my lip to keep from groaning. Do you remember? You were lifting your hips up.' She smirked, 'Ya knew I was getting off, didn't you? Tell me the truth.'

Jon let his head roll back and he moaned, his fingers curling helplessly. "God...don't even remember doing that. Wanted you so bad. Baby, if I knew you were getting off I would've ran my hands all over you and fucked you all night."

She let out what sounded like a gasp and a moan as she heard his words, 'And I would have let you. Shit, I would have rode you so fucking hard in your lap that night. So fucking hard.'

"Would've licked you all over, then bent you over the couch and fucked you 'til you screamed, then I would have turned you over and rode you...I was dying to have you dig your nails into my back while I drove my cock into you." Jon took a deep breath. "God, I still want that. I'm always gonna want that."

Mary grinded furiously into his lap, wanting him to feel how wet and turned on he was, 'And you're gonna get it. I would have sucked you off that night, ya know that? Would've have taken you so deep in my mouth I'd choke from it, but I would spit up and come back for more.'

Jon gasped and thrust up, unable to help himself. "Let me fuck you. Have to fuck you again, have to be in you."

She shook her head and rolled her hips, 'Not done yet, baby boy. You just sit back and enjoy the ride. Tell me. Tell me what ya would have done to me that night on the couch. Wanna hear it as I get myself off.'

"Would've put my face in between your legs and gone at you until you couldn't fucking move. Would've turned you around so you could suck me off while I ate you out." Jon grunted and tugged at the belt. "Please...gotta fucking get inside of you."

She smirked, feeling a swell of pride that she was the only one who could make him lose control like this. She vowed to be the only one from here on out.

Mary kissed his neck, whispering in his ear, 'Can I keep the heels on while you fuck me?'

"God yes." Jon squirmed, arching up to feel more of her. "Please...now. Need it."

Mary grinned and got up from the chair. She quickly undid the belt, freeing his hands and walked over to the countertop.

With her back facing him, she looked at him over her shoulder, giving him a pout, 'You want it. Come and get it, handsome.'

"Fuck." Jon quickly shed his clothes and yanked her panties down, gripping himself when she stepped out of them and pushed her ass out more. With his free hand he held onto her hip and guided himself inside her, both of them moaning when he was pushed in as far as he could go. Jon rolled his hips against her, holding tightly onto her, then dug his nails into her skin and began fucking her with hard quick thrusts.

Mary gripped the counter and arched against him, moaning,'Harder. Come on, baby. Fuck me.'

He leaned forward and licked at her neck. "You love how I fuck you, don't you, baby? Love getting fucked hard."

Mary moaned and rolled her hips, 'Damn right I do. Fucking love every minute of it. But I'm the only one who can handle you, aren't I, baby?"

"That's right." He licked at her neck again and grinded against her. "Hold on tight, baby. Gonna fuck you hard."

Mary grinned and held the counter top tightly, 'Don't threaten me with a good time, baby.'

He grinned and dug his nails into her hips. "Gonna make you feel every bit of me, baby." He gritted his teeth in determination and began pounding into her, making her cry out with each thrust. This was the exact fantasy he'd had when he saw her in that dress at New Year's. Now it was a reality, and she was loving every second he was inside her. Jon grunted and rode her harder, feeling her wetness drench his cock.

Mary grinded against him and cried out,'Oh fucking God! Feels so good. Harder, baby. Shit you feel so good.'

Jon reached up and tugged at her hair, driving into her harder and faster. "You gonna come on my cock like a good girl?"

She arched against him and smirked,'Not a good girl, remember. I'm your dirty baby girl. Aren't I?'

"Fuck yes." He grinded against her, rotating his hips. "Goddamn, you're fucking wet for me. I get you hot, don't I, baby girl?"

Mary gasped and nodded,'Damn fucking right you do. I turn you the fuck on, don't I, baby? No one gets you as hard as I do.'

"That's right." He pushed into as hard as he could. "Feel that? Feel how big you get me, baby? I never got this big with anyone else. You get all of me every time."

She met him thrust for thrust and cried out as he hit her cervix,'Come on, baby. Fuck me like the dirty girl I am.'

Jon groaned as he felt himself push against her. "Oh fuck, I'm so deep in you...fuck, I can feel everything." He clawed at her sides and rode her hard. "So fucking tight, baby."

Mary groaned and gripped the counter top tighter as he rode her,'Pull my hair and smack me. Come on.'

"Fuck, you're hot." He growled and pulled at her hair. "You like it rough, don't you, baby girl?"

She moaned and nodded her head, 'Damn fucking right I do. Fuck yeah.'

"Love you so fucking much." He smacked her ass and grinded against her. "You're my bad little girl."

Mary whimpered and gasped, 'Damn right I am.' She groaned when he smacked her ass again, 'Damn, that's good.'

"Tell me how good I feel," he hissed. "Need to hear it."

Mary whimpered and gasped,'Fuck, you feel so fucking good I feel like I'm gonna die from it. You're so fucking big and hard inside me, but I take it cause you're mine. So fucking sexy I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind.' She arched against him and rolled her hips,'Shit, so fucking big.'

"You make me big," he moaned. "God, you're perfect. Feels so good...I'm getting close, baby. I'm yours, baby girl. You've got all of me, forever."

She moaned and nodded,'Me too. God me too. Turn me around, baby. Wanna see your face when you come inside me.'

Quickly he pulled out of her and turned her around, picking her up so she sat on the countertop. She scooted forward and wrapped her legs around him, gasping as he entered her.

"I love you so much," he whispered. "Love feeling you. You're so perfect."

Mary wrapped her arms and legs around him and grinded against him,'I love you too, baby. God,Iove you so much. I got you all fucking wet, didn't I?'

"Damn right you did." Jon scratched at her lower back while he rode her. "You're the only one who's gotten me like this. You're everything to me."

She licked and bit at his neck and writhed against him,'I'm yours, baby. Always have been.' She moaned and bit her lip,'Fuck, you're hard as shit.'

"I'm close, baby," he whispered, reaching up to massage her breasts. "I'm so fucking close."

Mary dug the heels of her shoes in his back and nodded, whimpering,'Me too, baby. Shit, me too. Gonna squirt all over your cock. Ya want that, huh?'

Jon's breathing quickened and he gripped her tighter. "I'm gonna come, baby. Gonna get you wet."

She kissed him deeply and broke her mouth from his to lick and bite at his lips as she rolled her hips over and over,'Shit, baby. Feel that. That's me starting to come for you.'

Suddenly he gripped her and shouted her name as he came inside her, his body trembling from the force of his orgasm.

Mary trembled and clawed at his back as she came. She squeezed him tight, milking him for all he was worth as she clutched at him, shouting out his name.

He leaned against her and held onto her, shaking uncontrollably from pleasure and emotion. How could he live without her or this connection they had? It was more than sex. When he was with her he felt like he was loved and protected. She gave him life in every sense - hers, their child's, and his own.

"I love you," Jon whispered shakily, clutching at her. "I love you so much, I love you, I need you."

Mary sighed shakily as tears filled her eyes. She stroked his back, whispering,'Jon...please. Don't do this.'

He broke down and sobbed, still inside her. "I can't help it. I love you so much. You're everything to me."

She buried her face into his neck as she cried,'Please...please stop saying that. You're making it harder.'

"I don't want to make it easier! It's fucking killing me." Jon sniffed and held her tight. "Why don't you want me?" he asked in a small broken voice.

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed,'Don't want you, Jon? What do you think this is '

"God, I don't know." He withdrew from her and lowered his head, rubbing his face. "I don't know anything. I don't."

Mary slowly got off the counter and got down. Her knees were shaky and she had to grip the counter for support. She covered her face and sighed.

'This was a mistake, Jon.'

"I know, I know! I'm your mistake, I fucking know that!" Jon staggered away into the guest room and slammed the door, resting his back against it and burying his face in his hands.

She watched him walk away and sighed deeply, shaking her head. She washed herself up and changed into her nightgown and made her way to the guest room. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep without at least having some closure between them.

Mary turned the doorknob and frowned when she saw him sitting on the bed naked with his face buried in his hands.

She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him, cautiously placing her hand on his back,'You're not my mistake, Jon.'

"Don't touch me, Mary," he groaned. "I can't take this. Fuck, it might be easier if you hated me. How the fuck am I just supposed to walk away from you?"

Mary snorted,'You sure liked me touching you a few moments ago, Jon.'

"I thought we were gonna patch things up," he mumbled. "I didn't think it was one last screw. Wish I'd known that."

Mary glared at him,'What does that mean? You wished you would have known?'

He sighed deeply and looked at her, his eyes red from crying. "Was it just sex to you, Mary? Is that all you wanted?"

She shook her head and looked at him in horror,'God no. Why would you think that, Jon?'

"'Cause you still don't want me," he muttered, crawling under the sheets and pulling the blanket over him. "Thought you changed your mind 'cause you said you love me, but you still wanna split up. Even after we've proven how much we love and want each other. So yeah, forgive me if I'm a little confused and bruised up here."

Mary sighed and rested her hand on his shoulder,'I don't wanna split up, Jon.'

"That's not what you said a minute ago," he mumbled, remaining on his side with his back to her. "You said we made a mistake."

Mary laughed and stroked his back,'A girl can change her mind, right?'

Jon closed his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her, thanking her for giving them a second chance, but he couldn't take her changing her mind again and sending him packing.

She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through his hair,'Do you want to give us another chance, Jon?'

"Of course I do," he mumbled. "I never wanted to split up in the first place. I don't want to be without you, Mary. I'm in love with you."

Mary smiled and cupped his cheek,'I'm in love with you too, Jon.'

Jon sighed as she curled against his back, hugging him. "Mary, are you sure? What if you wake up tomorrow or a week from now and tell me you've changed your mind? I can't take that, baby."

She kissed his neck, hugging him tighter,'Not gonna change my mind. I love you too much and can't be without you anymore. I don't want a life without you in it, Jon.'

He turned and looked into her eyes. "You mean that, Mary? Or are you saying that 'cause you feel bad?"

Mary scoffed and kissed his forehead,'Stop that shit, will ya? I love you and I wanna be with you. For good this time.'

He cuddled close and rested his head on her chest. "This was a weird night. First the party, then sex, then crying. We know how to live it up, huh?"

She cradled his head to her chest and laughed,'Yeah, well. We don't always do things normally, do we? ' She grinned,'The sex was great though.'

He smiled and kissed her chest. "Always is." He nuzzled against her. "Love being with you, Mary."

Mary stroked his hair,'I love being with you too, Jon. You're never gonna lose me. Not again. I can't do this anymore. I have to be with you.'

"Good." He smiled and rubbed her back. "Now I can sleep normally. Can't sleep when you're not with me."

She smiled, 'I know the feeling. Ya wanna live with me and Nick again?'

He nodded. "I wanna be with my family."

Mary smiled and nodded,'We want you here too. We can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this to you anymore. It's not fair to either you or Nick. We need to stick together.' She smiled and cupped his cheek, 'It's you and me. Jon and Mary. Forever.'

Jon nuzzled into her hand and smiled, 'Forever.'

He lie there, stroking her hair hoping it was for keeps this time. Then again, it was them. They both had a tendency to fuck things up when things start to become too perfect.


	37. Chapter 37

Mary sipped her wine and sighed. It had been a long crazy day. She'd had to run errands for most of the day, but the most of the craziness didn't start until that afternoon, when her six year old son decided to make her life just that much more interesting.

Nick understood that his dad was wrestling, but couldn't quite grasp the idea that he couldn't watch it on tv. When he thought he was being punished, he threw a huge tantrum until Mary sat him down and went through every single channel to show him that they both had to wait a few days to see Smackdown. Nick then scowled in his room for a while until dinner time, then insisted on sliding down the stairs like a slug and nearly hitting his chin on the floor.

Mary had scolded him, but Nick just kept laughing as he thought the idea of being a slug was hilarious. After dinner, he demanded that they watch Batman cartoons until he got tired, and then Mary had to drag him up to his room since he was still in slug mode. Mercifully, he'd fallen asleep almost as soon as he got into bed.

She took another sip of wine, looking online for Smackdown spoilers and hoping that this slug thing was temporary when she saw Dean Ambrose trending on Twitter. After all the trouble they'd had with dirtsheets, Mary tried to keep to Twitter for wrestling information, and the immediacy of the site helped to squash false rumors. Seeing her husband trend wasn't anything new, so she click on the link to see more information.

A few people were tweeting about his match with a few other guys. It was him, Dolph, and David versus Seth, Ryan, and Alex. CM Punk was the special guest referee and apparently he was favoring the heels, which was pissing Seth off. It sounded good, but then Mary saw a tweet that made her pulse race.

"Oh man...I'm at the Smackdown taping and Dean Ambrose just fell off the announce table...this looks bad..."

Mary put her glass down and scrolled through the tweets, desperate for more information. Maybe that fan was mistaken, or spreading bullshit. Sometimes people did that.

She saw a few other tweets that made her heart pound.

"EMTs are out, Dean Ambrose is injured. Not kayfabe, folks."

"Ambrose fell onto the table, might have broken his arm. He's screaming in pain."

"Yikes. We're not gonna see Dean Ambrose for a while. Hope this wasn't his last match!"

Mary took a deep breath. #AmbroseInjured was now trending. With shaking hands she picked up her phone and called Cassie. She'd gotten friendly with the divas champ, and one of the things Mary liked about her was that Cassie was a straight shooter. Plus she always watched every match, and would know what was going on.

Cassie picked up almost immediately. "Mary. I was just about to call you."

"What happened?" Mary whispered, gripping the table.

"He was supposed to fall directly onto the table, but he fell short and his arm hit the edge of the table. It might be broken or it's his elbow. I don't know yet, but I'm gonna keep you posted, okay?"

Mary hugged herself and shivered. "Okay. Thank you." She hung up and buried her face in her hands, trying not to cry.

The plan was to fall on the table so that Alex could powerbomb him through it. Somehow Jon didn't space his landing right and a stunning pain shot through his left arm.

Everything went white.

Jon could hear himself screaming and felt his legs kick at the floor. The crowd faded in the background and for a short while he was able to focus on the EMTs telling him to lie still so they could examine him. He gritted his teeth and rolled onto his right side, burying his face in the crook of his arm.

"It's gonna be okay," someone said, and Jon shut his eyes.

After what felt like hours Jon was backstage, the medic team swarming around him. He blearily looked up at them and glanced around, registering the concerned looks of his co-workers and friends. Someone had a camera and they pointed it at him, and Jon scowled and looked away.

"Get away from him." Seth pushed the camera away and stood next to Jon, putting his hand on his right shoulder. "You're gonna be fine, man."

Jon gritted his teeth. "Tell that to my elbow."

"Okay, so you're out for a few weeks."

"Might be a few months."

"Fucking Barrett came back from the same shit, so will you." Seth crouched down and looked him in the eye. "You got a family. It's not like you're gonna be pissing your time away in some shit ass hotel or an empty apartment."

Jon managed a small smile. "You and your fucking optimism."

Seth smirked. "Nah, I just tell it like it is."

Cassie walked up and handed Jon her phone. "Hey. Been talking to your wife. Don't yell, she already knew what was up. Can't get anything past her."

Jon snorted. "No kidding."

She laughed. "Call her. She's worried sick."

Seth beamed up at her. "You're kinda awesome, you know that?"

Cassie smiled shyly. "Yeah, well, back at ya." She turned and walked off before Seth could respond.

Jon watched her go and gave Seth a knowing grin. "Charmer."

"We'll see." Seth winked and patted Jon's knee. "Call your wife."

Mary sighed in relief when her cellphone rang, knowing it was Jon.

'Jon? Oh my God. Are you okay?' She asked him, her voice filled with worry.

He winced as a medic continued to examine him. "It's not good. I'll live. But I'm gonna be out for a while." Jon sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mary."

Mary scoffed, sitting down on the bed, 'Don't apologize to me, honey. I'm just glad you're okay.' She let out a throaty laugh, 'Besides, I'm glad to have you home. I can play nurse for you. I'll even wear a uniform.'

"Awesome." Jon groaned and wiped at his forehead. "Does Nick know? I don't want him to worry."

She chuckled into the phone, 'No, he's too busy thinking he's a slug.'

"A slug? That's new." Jon closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "They're gonna take me to a hospital. I'll call you later, okay? I'm gonna give the phone to Seth, it'll give him an excuse to talk to Cassie." He smirked at his friend, who gave him a thumbs up. "Love you, Mary."

Mary smiled, 'I love you too, Jon. Please take care of yourself. Nick and I will be here waiting for you.'

Seth took the phone and gave Jon a pat on the leg before leaving him to find Cassie. "Hey, Mary. Look, he's gonna be fine. He's pissed, though, as you can imagine. This shit happens. As you know."

She sighed, 'Yeah, I know. But he's not as young as he used to be and needs to realize that, ya know? He has a family to think about. What if he took a bump the wrong way?' What if he landed on his head?'

"Well, he's not gonna do this forever, but it's a part of this business. Shit, if you look up any one of us you're gonna see a shitload of injuries." Seth sighed. "I hear you, though. Just be easy on him, okay? He's gonna be stressed and probably really cranky. You know how he gets when he's upset."

Mary laughed and nodded, 'Oh, I will. You forget I've been putting up with him since we were kids. I think I can handle a little crankiness. I wanna thank you, honey for being there. You're a really great friend. To us both.'

"Hey, you guys are my family." Seth knocked on Cassie's door and beamed when she opened it. "Hey, Mary, here's Cassie. Cassie, it was really cool of you to let Jon use your phone. You're fucking awesome." He handed her the phone and winked at her before walking away.

Cassie smiled to herself and put the phone to her ear. "Hey. Everything okay? You need me to do anything, Mary?"

Mary sighed deeply, 'Is everything okay, really? I mean you know how the boys are. Covering for each other and all that shit. But is Jon really gonna be okay, Cass?'

"From what I saw, he'll be okay, eventually. I talked to Wade really quick before they brought Jon back here and he said it hurts like a mother but he'll be fine in a few weeks, or months." Cassie smirked. "Know what's funny? When I took that bad bump a few years ago and hurt my knee, they treated me like I was made of glass, but if one of the boys gets hurt, they're like 'Oh, I'm fine, it's nothing'. Men, huh?"

She chuckled, 'Yeah, I hear ya.' She sighed, 'But ya know the drug problems he had in the past. He was addicted when he hurt himself like this way back when we were kids. I'm just afraid he'll fall back into bad habits, ya know?'

"Well, he's got you. And that cute little kid of yours. Seth showed me some pictures and I'm jealous, girly. I'd kill to have a family." Cassie smiled sadly. "But I guess I need a husband first. Anyway, enough about me. Let me know if you need anything or want to talk or whatever. They got me doing all kinds of publicity but if you get my voicemail you leave a message and we'll talk or whatever."

Mary smiled, 'I sure will, Cass. And about that husband thing. I'm sure a special someone is already right in front of your eyes. I don't need to say who cause we're thinking of the same guy.'

Cassie choked out a laugh. "Yeah, well...anyway, yeah, I'm here." She shook her head, feeling herself start to blush. "Goodnight, Mary. Rest up, 'cause you're gonna be playing nurse for a while."

She smiled, 'Yeah, you too. Have a good night, Cass. Ask Seth out for a drink. I'm sure he'll say yes.'

"We'll see." Cassie hung up and smiled to herself. She was about to take Mary's suggestion when Paige appeared in her doorway.

"Hey. Wade told me about Jon." Paige frowned. "Does Mary know?"

Cassie nodded. "Just got off the phone with her."

Paige sighed. "Fucking hate it when someone gets injured. It's scary as hell, isn't it?"

"No shit." Cassie shivered. "Think he'll be okay?"

"Sure. Wade's said it hurt like hell, but he got better and got back in there. But then, Wade's the toughest bastard on the roster, so there is that."

Cassie chuckled. "You might be a little biased, Mrs. Barrett."

Paige smirked. "Perhaps. But sure, people have come back from broken necks. It's a setback."

"Exactly." Cassie thought of what Mary said about Jon and painkillers and frowned. "How painful was it?"

"Well, Wade said it hurt like a damn bitch, so there you go. That means excruciating to us normal folk. But hell, we're used to that sort of thing, aren't we? This isn't frisbee tossing." Paige chuckled. "Stop worrying, love. Everything will be fine."

Cassie nodded. "Definitely." She grabbed her phone and set Mary's number to her priority list, just in case. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she had a bad feeling about this.

Mary was sitting on the porch with Nick sitting next to her waiting for Jon to return home. She had a received a text message from him saying that his plane had landed over an hour and half ago. He should be coming with Seth any minute now.

Her eyes widened when she saw a rental car pulling up into the driveway. She knew without a doubt it was him.

Mary took her son's hand, saying happily, 'Daddy's home, baby.'

Nick's eyes got really big and he started bouncing up and down excitedly, 'Daddy! Daddy!.'

Mary nodded and laughed, 'Yeah, daddy's home.' She bent down upon on knee and took his face in her hands, staring directly into his eyes, 'Now, daddy isn't feeling well so we're gonna have to be extra nice to him. Is that understood?'

Nick nodded his head, but just laughed. What else did she expect? He was a six year old after all. Besides, he took after his father in most cases. He was going to do what he wanted, regardless of what she said.

She stood up straight and held onto his hand as she saw Jon and Seth getting out of the car. She winced when she saw his arm in a sling. She could just by the somber look on his face he wasn't happy. Then again, she didn't expect him to be.

Mary put a smile on her face as she looked at him. He was her husband. For better or worse. Sickness and in health.

She could do this.

Jon was ready to just go to bed and turn off the lights, but when he saw Nick jumping up and down he couldn't help but grin. "Hey, little man!"

Nick shrieked and ran forward, hugging his father's leg. "Daddy! Daddy's home!"

"That's right." Jon reached down with his right hand and stroked his son's hair. "Have you been good?"

His son giggled. "I'm a slug! See?" He got on the ground and rolled up to Seth's feet and cackled manically. "Slug bite!" Nick announced, sinking his teeth into Seth's ankle.

"Ahh!" Seth laughed and picked him up, carrying him into the house. "You little psycho!"

"Sy slug!" Nick insisted, snickering as Seth tickled his sides.

Jon watched them go and frowned. He wouldn't be able to pick up his own son for a while. Fuck, that was depressing.

Mary walked up to her husband, a small smile forming on her face, 'How are you feeling?"

Jon smirked. "Kinda shitty. Glad to be home, though." He rolled his eyes. "They fucking stuck a camera in my face. I mean, they do that to everybody, but Seth had to push them away. I don't wanna do an interview when I hurt like hell, you know?"

She nodded and smiled. She leaned up to brush a stray hair out of his eye, 'Yeah, I know.' She smirked, 'It looked cool though. Very badass, Mr. Ambrose.'

He chuckled. "So you're cool with this but you got mad when I walked into the titantron?"

Mary rolled her eyes, 'That was different. You did that shit a few days before our wedding if I remember correctly.'

"Now THAT looked cool." Jon gave her a sheepish grin. "I'm gonna be a pain in your ass for a while, baby girl."

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, 'Eh, I think I'll live.' She looked at him from under her lashes, 'Besides, I get to take care of you. Give you a little TLC. Ya know, since you're all injured and all.'

He grinned. "Like sponge baths and cool shit like that?"

Mary smirked and leaned up to whisper in his ear, 'Oh yes and massages too. Can't let your...muscles get stiff.'

"Well, you know, sometimes stiffness is a good thing." Jon smirked at her.

"Ow! Nick, cut it out!" Seth appeared in the doorway, looking haggard. "Hey, I don't mean to break up your reunion, but your little slug has been using me as a chew toy. I think I'm gonna split before he does long term damage."

Mary laughed and grabbed her son's hand, 'Oh shut up, Seth. You take crazy bumps off ladders but it scared by a little six year old.'

"Ladders don't have teeth." Seth eyed Nick warily as the little boy snickered and crawled away. "Yeah, you got yourself a little nutcase. You're lucky you're cute, kiddo, or I'd squash ya!"

Nick cackled like a madman. "No way, no way!"

Mary ruffled his hair and laughed, 'He gets the craziness from his daddy.' She heard Jon grunt and laughed, 'Nick, why don't you go say hi to daddy. But remember what we talked about, okay?'

Nick nodded and ran up to Jon to playfully bite as his legs. She smiled as Jon began chasing him around the yard, making him squeal and giggle. It was times such as this she loved the most. When it was just the three of them, as a family. Just as it should always be. She looked forward to having Jon all to herself for a few months. She just wished Jon saw it that way.

Nick ran past Mary and Seth, heading into the house. "I drew Daddy a picture!" he shouted, and began crawling up the stairs while humming and growling.

"Wow. That kid's gonna be the source of a lot of entertainment at recess." Seth patted Mary's shoulder. "Okay, I'm gonna head out. Gotta get my rest." He grinned mischievously. "I got a hot date tomorrow night."

Mary smiled knowingly and nodded her head, 'Okay, you have fun. I'll talk to ya soon.'

Seth nodded and smiled, giving her a kiss on her cheek, 'Count on it.' He patted Jon on the back and the two men exchanged their goodbyes.

Mary smiled as they were left alone, 'So, looks like it's just the three of us.'

Jon smiled and pulled her close. "I'm so fucking lucky to have you and Nick. If I had to do this alone..." He shook his head."Let's go inside."

They went into the kitchen and headed upstairs, stopping by Nick's room to admire his picture of a robot dragon. After tucking him in, they went into their bedroom, where Jon sat on the bed and frowned at his elbow. "I still can't fucking believe I didn't space out the landing properly. Fuck, I've been doing this for years! It's embarrassing."

Mary wrapped her arm around his shoulder and sighed, 'Stop beating yourself up over this, Jon. Even the best mess up at times. This is one minor setback. When you fucking almost tore your nipple off by landing into a turnbuckle did you quit?'

Jon winced at the memory. "No, but shit. Everything's gonna be a challenge for a while." He sighed. "I'm just glad it wasn't my right elbow. I'd be screwed."

Mary grinned, 'God forbid your hand you jerk off with should be injured.'

He snorted. "I'd find a way to jerk off if both my hands were broken."

She smiled and whispered in his ear, 'Or I could just do it for you.'

Jon grinned. "Now we're talking!" He got up and lay on the bed, grinning up at his wife. "So, nurse, what sort of massages can I get?"

Mary crawled on top of him to sit on his abdomen. She ran her hands down his chest, 'I don't know. Where are you the most...tense?'

He sighed. "Oh, I feel tense all over. But maybe you'd be able to get a better idea if you undressed me." Jon batted his eyelashes at her and gave her a huge smile.

She smirked and started unbuckling his jeans and unzipping his pants. He lifted his hips up to help her divest him of his jeans. He toed his shoes off, kicking them off to the side of the bed. He sat up as she took his tee shirt off, making sure to be very careful due to his injury.

She looked down at him wearing nothing but his boxers and licked her lips, 'Hmm...it looks as if a certain muscle is

very...stiff. Want me to take care of it for ya?'

"That would be awesome." He smiled and closed his eyes. "Not sure how much of a help I can be, though, baby. I'm kinda worn out."

Mary frowned and nodded, 'Well then. What can I do for ya, baby?'

He sighed and moved a bit on the bed. The painkillers were starting to take effect and drowsiness was kicking in. It was doubtful he'd stay hard for long. "Sing to me," he slurred. "Wanna hear you sing. Missed you. Missed my family."

She smiled and nodded her head. She lay on top of him, covering him like a blanket as she rested her head upon his chest, 'I've been down to Georgia...I've seen the streets in the West...I've driven down the ninety...Hell I've seen America's best...I've been down the Rockies...I've seen Saskatoon...I've driven down the Highway One just knowing that I'll be here soon...Cause I'm comin home...comin home...' She kissed his chest, 'You're home, baby. You're home.'

"Home," he mumbled, putting an arm around her. "Love you." Fatigue set in and he dozed off, succumbing to exhaustion and the drugs in his system.

Mary pulled the covers up over them and closed her eyes as she tightened her arms around him. He was home, he was safe. They both were. For now at least.


	38. Chapter 38

The next six months went by relatively quickly. Mary had easily adapted to having Jon around the house on a daily basis. It felt nice to wake up and have him there in the morning. She would make breakfast for her boys and then go to work. Jon was still injured so they thought it best not to have Nick home alone with him. He was a very energetic and rambunctious little boy and needed constant supervision and care.

Luckily, Kasey and Cody had moved to New York to be closer to them so they would watch Nick whenever she had work or needed a break. They would also visit Jon on a daily basis and make sure he had everything he needed. Sure, he could move around, but the pain and medications he was on on made him sluggish and immobile at times.

Mary had to admit, she was really starting to worry about Jon. Not only was he becoming depressed. He has become quite complacent as well. At first she had chalked it up to him feeling sorry for himself for botching a move and having to be out of a commision for six months, but she couldn't help but feel as if it were more than that. His moods would change dramatically. In the span of minutes he would be happy and energetic feeling great and the next minute he would be irritable and quick to anger. There would be days when he would lock himself in their room and not come out. She would find him lying in bed watching videos of himself competing. There would even be days when he would forget to shower and shave. He also hardly changed his clothes and would walk around wearing the same tee shirt and jeans for three days at a time. She also noticed that his appetite was practically zilch. He had lost a considerable amount of weight. Whenever she would ask him to eat he would yell at her and tell him to leave him alone. He doesn't even bother with Nick anymore. His son would want to sit on his lap or play with him, but he would just get up and walk away from him, calling him a 'pain the ass.' He would once again lock himself in their room and hide away from her and the rest of the world.

Jon wasn't even interested in making love anymore. He hasn't touched her in over five months. Whenever she would try to touch him he would push her away and tell her he wasn't in the mood. Hell, he doesn't even sleep in the same bed with her anymore. He usually stays up all night drinking beer and watching his old matches. He'll rewind the tapes and keep watching himself over and over. His eyes are glued to the screen as if in a trance.

At first she thought he was just depressed. It was very understandable given his circumstances, but she couldn't help but feel as if it were more than that. His moods fluctuate from moment to moment, he sleeps all day and stays up all night, his blatant disregard for everyone but himself and his neglect and carelessness towards himself. He was exhibiting all the telltale signs. She had witnessed him behaving in the same exact same manner before. The man he is now reminded her so much of the man who was addicted to drugs. She was in denial at first, not wanting to believe he would do that not only to himself, but their family, but she could not help it. It was the only logical reason for his behavior. She could tell just by looking into his eyes he was using again. It was in his vacant and hollow stare. When he looked at her it was almost as if he were someone else, like he was in his own world.

Mary knew that he was most likely addicted to painkillers. He was in pain after all. He had money, status and connections. It would be so easy for him to fall back into bad habits. He always seemed to be high. His eyes would be glassy and bloodshot. His speech would be slurred and he swayed when he walked. She didn't see the bottle of painkillers anywhere, but she knew he had them. He was also drinking heavily as well. Painkillers and beer were a lethal combination. She was so frightened that she would wake up one day and found him dead or even worse. Nick would be the one to find him.

Jon's carelessness was not only affecting himself, but everyone around him. He rarely went out, lost contact with his friends and didn't even seem to want to be bothered with her or Nick. She could just up and leave him, but she refused to do that. She had run enough. She wasn't going to abandon him. Not when he needed her the most. One thing's for certain though. She had to help him quickly. He may not survive very long with the condition he is in. Whenever she tried to help him though, he would always refuse her help telling her to just leave him alone. How can you help someone that doesn't want help for themselves?

It was a Saturday afternoon and Mary had just gotten back from work. She had to run into the office for a few hours and write up a report pertaining to a new case her agency was currently investigating. Cody had agreed to come over their house to watch Nick because Jon was not in the right frame of mind to be watching their son. It was a harsh but true fact. Their son had a father who was too drunk and high out of mind to take care of him. He was really turning into the cliched wrestler. Many of his friends and colleague have died this way, falling victim to their own demons. She just wished he would get help before it was too late.

She walked into the house and looked around warily. It was so eerily quiet you could hear a pin drop. She made her way further into their home and her eyes widened by what she saw. Toys were scattered everywhere on the floor and her knick knacks and China was littered throughout the floor in pieces. There were empty beer bottles everywhere, placed on countertops and upon the table, as if they were placed exactly where they were drinking them. She could smell the distinct smell of tobacco smoke and a cloud of it hung heavily in the air. The smell of stale beer, sweat and grime permeated her nostrils, making her feel sick to her stomach.

Mary felt an overwhelming sense of dread within this moment. Fear clutched at her heart. Something was very wrong, she could feel it. It was too quiet and too still.

Her eyes widened when she heard the sound of Nick crying. She followed the sounds until they got closer and found herself in the recreation room. She covered her mouth and gasped when she saw Nick sitting on the floor crying his eyes out. The television was on, turned to some children's channel that played cartoons all afternoon. His face was covered in chocolate and his clothes were dirty as if he was playing outside all day long. His arms and legs were completely covered in mud and his shoes were covered in dirt. He looked as if he had been rolling around in dirt all day. Maybe that's exactly what he had been doing.

Tears filled her eyes as she walked over to her child and bent down on her knees before him.

Mary smiled sadly and cupped his face in her hands, 'What's wrong, baby? Where's your Uncle Cody?"

Nick sniffed and wiped his nose with his arm, 'Cody went home. Daddy said leave.'

Her eyes widened, 'Daddy told Cody to go home? Is that what you said?"

Her son nodded his head.

Mary took a deep breath, exhaling it shakily, 'Where's daddy now, baby?'

Nick pointed up to the ceiling, 'Daddy's sleeping"

She shook her head as fury filled her eyes. She could not fucking believe his recklessness. He had chased Cody away making him think he could take care of his son when in actuality he couldn't even take care of himself. She wanted to kill him for his carelessness. This was the final straw. It was bad enough she had to witness it on a daily basis, but for their own son to be neglected in such a way made her heart ache. He was behaving just like his mother and father. This had to end. If she hadn't come home sooner there was no telling what would have happened to Nick.

Mary sighed. She couldn't think about that now. She could not let Nick know how deeply saddened and angry she was. He didn't deserve to see his parents suffer. She didn't want this for him. She wanted him to have the parents they never had. She wanted for him to have all the love and nurture they always yearned for, but never received. Nick shouldn't have to live with a father that was fucking high all the goddamn time. If any would have come into their home and had witnessed what was transpiring their son would have been taken away from them. They would be deemed as unfit parents. Well, at least one of them would be anyway.

She smiled at her son, stroking the sides of his face, 'Mommy is going to say hi to Daddy, baby. You stay here and watch cartoons and then I'll give you a bath. Don't go anywhere, okay? '

Nick sat down on the floor and nodded his head, 'Kay, mommy.'

Mary smiled through her tears and ruffled her son's hair affectionately. She kept her eyes locked on him as she left the room.

As soon as she walked out of the room, she let the tears that she had desperately been holding in fall from her eyes. She didn't want her son to see her tears. She wanted to remain strong for him. If Jon couldn't be, she had to show him at least one of his parents could hold it together.

She looked at the flight of stairs and gritted her teeth in anger. Her hands balled into tight fists at her sides as she made her way up the stairs. She was getting sick and tired of his bullshit. She would be damned if she let him kill himself. Not when he has everything in the world to live for.

When she walked into their bedroom, her eyes widened and she gasped aloud in shock. He was sprawled out on the bed passed out. A half drunk bottle of beer was between his legs. He was wearing the same dingy black tee shirt and denim jeans he's been wearing for the past three days. His stringy unwashed hair was falling into his eyes. His unkempt beard made him look rough and haggard. His injured arm was still wrapped up in a sling and his other arm was lying over his stomach.

Mary cautiously walked over to him and gently shook him as not to alarm him, 'Jon? Wake up.' When he didn't wake up, she shook him harder, 'Jon? Wake up...please.'

Her heart began racing at lightning speed as the tears fell down her cheeks. She was so fucking scared. He wasn't even moving. His chest wasn't even rising or falling. His face was ghostly pale and his skin was flushed with sweat. He smelled like stale beer, tobacco and sweat. He looked...dead.

She rested her head upon his chest and sighed in relief when she heard his heartbeat. Good, he was just sleeping. At least she hoped that was the case anyway. He very well could have overdosed himself into a drug induced coma. She had read enough horror stories and had witnessed enough drug addicts in her past to know that every well could have happened.

Mary crawled on top of him and grasped his shoulders, shaking him as hard as she could, 'JON! WAKE THE FUCK UP...PLEASE WAKE UP!'

She gasped when he let out a strangled breath and his eyes popped opened. She let out a deep breath a relief washed over her. She was so fucking glad he was awake.

Good...they had a lot to talk about.

It felt like he was in a fog, or drowning. Mary was glaring down at him and Jon rolled onto his good arm, groaning as he felt dizziness set in. "Go 'way," he muttered, closing his eyes again. Fuck, all he wanted to do was sleep.

Mary held his face in her hands, shaking him, 'Jon, wake the fuck up or I swear to God I'll kill you my damn self.'

He managed a snort. He was already dead. "Quit shaking me, bitch," Jon growled, pushing her away. "Leave me alone."

Mary grabbed him by the shirt, pulling his weak body up and she slapped him as hard as she could in the face.

She gritted her teeth in anger, 'Wake the fuck up, Jon. It's Mary. Your wife.'

Jon hissed at the pain and pushed her away, crawling up the bed and glaring at her. "I'm awake! Fuck." He wiped at his face and groaned. "Need something..." His hand dropped to his side and his eyes rolled to the ceiling. "S' bright in here."

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head, 'Get used to it, Jon. You've been in the fucking dark too long. Where is Nick right now? Do you even know?'

Jon cringed. "With Cody...downstairs." He grunted and rubbed his eyes. "He's fine. Calm down."

Mary scoffed and grasped his shoulders, violently shaking him, 'Wake the fuck up. You told Cody to go home and got high and drunk out of your fucking mind. You came up here and left Nick alone. Alone, Jon! He could have got hurt.'

Jon curled his lip in disgust and shook his head. "Not alone. Wouldn't do that. He's fine."

She snorted, 'No, he's not, Jon. He was sitting in the rec room by himself covered head to toe in dirt.' She slapped him again, 'Wake the fuck up!'

Jon snarled and brought his hands up to his face. "Stop fucking hitting me!"

Mary shook and continued to slap him in he face, 'No, not until you wake up! Wake the fuck up!'

He stood up and batted her hands away, staggering into the bathroom. Mary followed him and put the lights on, making him wince. He bent down and put his head under the faucet, letting water run over his face and hair. It was cold and made him shiver, but it felt good. Jon rubbed at his face. When was the last time he took a shower?

After a few moments he turned the water off and stared blearily into the mirror. "I'm awake," he muttered.

Mary walked into the bathroom and stood behind him. She crossed her arms over her chest and sneered, 'You disgust me, Jon.'

He grunted and held onto the counter, feeling woozy. "What day is it?"

She scoffed, 'It's Saturday, Jon.' She shook her head, 'You're a fucking waste of space ya know that?'

"Yeah..." He sat down on the bathroom floor and rubbed his forehead. "Should fucking end it. Too much of a coward."

Mary fell down upon her knees before him and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'You ending it would make you a coward. Do you really wanna leave me or Nick here alone? I'm not fucking leaving you. Not anymore. Do you understand me? I love you. I'm gonna help you.'

"I'm already dead," he mumbled, and closed his eyes, wanting to succumb to the sleep that kept creeping up on him.

She sighed deeply and got up off the floor. She reached over into the tub and turned the shower on, making sure it was at its coldest. Using all the strength she could muster she lifted him up into the tub under the shower.

She crawled on top of him, not even caring that her nice work clothes were getting soaked. She kept shaking him, 'Wake up, Jon. Please, don't do this to us. We need you. We love you.'

Jon shivered and curled up in the tub. "Let me die," he groaned, hissing as the freezing water hit his injured elbow. "Let me die!"

Mary cupped his face in her hands and rested her forehead upon his as she sobbed, 'Don't do this, Jon. Not now. Not when you have everything to live for. Don't give up...please. If you die so will I. I didn't die on you that day in the hospital. Don't you die on me. We have a deal, remember?'

Jon nearly convulsed from the freezing cold of the water and the day's events rushing back to him. He opened his eyes wide and stared at Mary in horror. "Nick...oh god, Nick...my baby..." Jon began sobbing and tried to crawl out of the tub. "Need to...need to make sure he's okay...oh god, oh shit..."

She grasped onto his wet tee shirt, pulling him back to her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, 'It's okay, Jon. Nick's okay. He's watching cartoons. He's fine. Please, stop this. I'm so fucking sorry for treating you so bad in the past. Just stop this...please.' She began sobbing uncontrollably into his neck, overcome with emotion.

He burst into tears and pulled her close, sobbing into her neck. "Please help me. Help me. I don't wanna die. Please..."

Mary stroked his drenched hair and smiled through his tears, 'I'm gonna help you, baby. Just as I did before. Not going to leave you alone. Never again. Do you understand me?'

"Don't let Nick see me." Jon winced and turned away. "God, he's seen enough. I've ruined his life."

She shook her head, 'No, you didn't, Jon. No you didn't. But if ya keeping doing this you will. You don't wanna be another cliched drugged up and washed up wrestler, do you?'

"'Course not." Jon sat up and groaned. "Fuck. I fucked up again. How...?" He grunted and rested his head against the tile. "Fucking mess."

Mary slapped him across the face again, causing his head to snap back. She gritted her teeth in anger as tears fell from her eyes, 'How fucking could you? Why the hell would you fucking do this to yourself, huh?'

"Don't know," he mumbled, and shivered, hugging himself with his good arm. "Maybe 'cause I'm useless and fucking stupid."

She shook her head sadly, 'You're not useless, Jon. You're not.' She stroked the sides of his face, 'You just need help. That's all. You had a setback, but you're not stupid. If you give up then you are. Do you understand me?'

He nodded and closed his eyes. "What happens now?"

Mary sighed deeply, 'I'm going to call Cody to pick Nick up and then we're gonna get you clean.'

"Okay." His eyes flew open. "Don't let Nick see me. I've done enough fucking damage...he's gonna need fucking therapy for this shit." He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Christ. Fucking shitty excuse for a father."

She shook her head, 'I won't, Jon.' She snorted, 'I don't want Nick to see you like that either, which is why you're staying up here until Cody comes and gets him. You're gonna get a shower, shave and have some coffee and then we're gonna get you clean. Just like we did before. We're not leaving this house until you're clean and sober. How does that sound?"

He nodded and looked up at her, his eyes watering. "I'm sorry, Mary."

Mary sighed, 'Don't say sorry, Jon. Just fucking get your shit together.' She stared directly into his eyes, 'But if you fuck up like this again I will take Nick and disappear forever. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah." He coughed and shivered. "Should call Cody. Unless he fucking hates me now." Jon closed his eyes. "Haven't talked to Seth in forever."

She snorted, 'Haven't talked to anybody in forever, Jon. Even your own wife.'

"I know, I know." He sighed and rubbed his hair. "I'm fucking gross...I gotta take a shower or bath or something."

Mary scrunched her nose in disgust, 'That you do. Take a shower and fucking shave. You look like a fucking hobo.'

Jon nodded and got to his feet, peeling off his clothes as his wife watched and sighed.

"Okay, I'm going downstairs to check on our son. Are you okay by yourself?"

Disgust welled up in him. God, she was talking to him like he was a helpless child, and it was all his own fucking fault. "Yeah, I can manage."

Mary shook her head sadly, 'You're so skinny, Jon. Why the hell did you do this to yourself? Why?"

"I don't have answers, Mary." Jon held his head and groaned. "Please...go see Nick. He's by himself, probably scared as hell."

She scoffed and nodded her head, 'Well you better have some answers by the time I get back.'

Mary shook her head and sighed deeply. It was obvious he didn't have anything else to say. She wondered if he ever will.

After giving Nick a bath in the downstairs bathroom, she changed him into cleaner clothes and called Cody to come and pick Nick up.

She was sitting on the porch watching him run around the yard, kicking a soccer ball around. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. He was the person she worried about most of all. He looked up to Jon. He was a hero, the person he aspired to be when he grew up. He would always watch his father on television and try to reenact the moves onscreen. That is the way she wanted Nick to see Jon. Strong and larger than life. He had to be a good role model for his son. She refused to let their son grow up with a deadbeat drug addicted and alcoholic father. They had been victims to their own parents carelessness. She would be damned if Nick grew up as she did.

Mary stood up when she saw Cody's car pull up into the driveway.

Cody got out and stretched his arms out as Nick ran over to him. He picked him up in his arms and walked over to Mary. He gave her a sad smile as tears welled up in his eyes.

'Ya gonna be okay here with him?' Cody asked her.

Mary nodded and sighed, 'Yeah, I'll be fine.' she scoffed, 'I've done this before, ya know?"

He nodded and sighed deeply, 'You shouldn't have to.'

She shrugged her shoulders, letting out a small laugh, 'Well, I am.'

Cody leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered in her ear, 'Call me if things get out of hand alright?"

Mary nodded, 'Yeah, sure.'

She kissed both of Nick's cheeks and gave him a big smile, 'You be good for Uncle Cody okay, baby.'

Nick nodded, 'Kay, mommy.'

Mary ruffled his hair affectionately, 'I love you, baby. Daddy told me he loves you too.'

Nick's eyes got big, 'Daddy sleeping still?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and she shared a knowing look with Cody, who bowed his head in shame.

She nodded her head, 'Yeah, daddy doesn't feel well.'

Nick frowned, 'Will you make him feel better?"

Mary laughed, 'I'll try, baby. Now you go on with Cody. I bet he and Aunt Kasey have some fun stuff planned for ya.'

Cody nodded his head, 'Darn right we do. We're gonna go to the movies and see 'Batman.' That seems like fun right?"

Nick nodded and clapped his hands excitedly.

Cody laughed, 'Alright. Well we better get going or we're gonna miss it.' He looked at Mary somberly, 'Call me if you need to. No matter what time.'

Mary smiled, 'Sure.'

She said her final goodbyes to Cody and Nick and watched them on the porch. She kept her eyes fixated on the their car as it went down the driveway. She waited until it disappeared from view.

When she got into the house she immediately put on a pot of coffee and began cleaning up the living room. She was putting the empty beer bottles into a trash bag when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and saw Jon standing in the archway of the living room. His shoulder was resting against the wall and his arms were crossed over his chest. He was clean shaven and had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a gray tee shirt. He looked clean and sober. Just as he should, but he was far from being clean. He wasn't even close. Shit, he probably took five painkillers before he came down here. She could also not help but notice how skinny and sickly he looked. His skin was so pale he was almost gray. His cheeks were sunken in and he had heavy bags under his eyes. He looked like death warmed over.

Mary looked at him, sighing deeply, 'Why, Jon? Why would you ruin yourself this way?'

Jon sighed and wiped at his forehead. "I felt fucking useless, laying here like an invalid. I was a goddamn burden to you and I couldn't even do normal shit without help. I'm supposed to be a goddamned wrestler, a fucking pro, and I fucked it up."

She walked over to him and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, 'Baby, you are a pro. Everyone is entitled to a mistake. Even some of the best wrestlers botched moves.' She scoffed, 'Some even fucking died because of it. Look at Stone Cold. He fucking broke his neck and still wrestled. Edge a fucking Hall of Famer had to retire early because of his back. I don't understand why you fell back into old habits.'

Jon wrenched himself away and took a deep breath. "If I can't provide for my family, then I'm a fucking failure. I'm a failure just like everyone said I'd be."

Mary scoffed, 'No fucking way. This self-pity shit stops now. I'm not fucking kidding, Jon. You're not a failure. You're not. But you right now being a drug addict and alcoholic. That makes you a failure. Giving up and lying down and dying makes you a failure.'

"How is it self pity if it's true?" Jon demanded. "Christ, I don't want to be an addict! It's just, I don't feel anything when I'm on shit, I don't feel like I'm a pathetic fuck and I don't feel constant pain." He sighed shakily and covered his face. "Fuck, I don't feel anything."

She grabbed him by his tee shirt and slapped him as hard as she could, 'Do you fucking feel that or are you too high out of your goddamn mind?' She stared deeply into his eyes and gasped in shock, 'You're fucking high now aren't you, Jon? Did you take Oxys when you were upstairs? Did you?' She shook him, 'Tell me the goddamn truth!'

"Fucking yes!" He shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.

Mary snorted in disgust and pushed him, 'You're so fucking pathetic and disgusting. Look at you. I'm so fucking ashamed of you. You're a fucking piece of shit, ya know that? You're right. Maybe Nick does deserve better.'

"No, no." Jon slid to the floor and sobbed. "Please, no. He's my baby. My baby boy." Jon covered his face and whimpered, his shoulders shaking with his cries.

She fell onto her knees before him and wrapped her arms around him, 'That's why you gotta get clean. He needs you, Jon. He loves you. I love you so much.'

Jon pulled her close and sobbed uncontrollably. It killed him to know that he hurt his family - the people he loved more than anything. He had to get clean. He had to let Nick grow up believing that Jon just had a bad case of the flu or something.

After a while Jon wiped at his face and tried to breathe normally. "I'll do anything, Mary. Anything to make this right. I swear it."

Mary nodded and held his face in her hands, 'We can start by you giving me all the drugs you have in the house. I don't want that shit around our son. We're not our mothers. I also emptied all the beer and liquor down the drain. Can you do that for me?'

He nodded and pointed upstairs. "In the bathroom, under the sink. Behind the extra bottles of shampoo. In my bag, next to the duct tape. And in our bedroom, in the top drawer. Under my socks." He looked blearily at her. "I don't think there's anywhere else, but if there is, I don't remember."

Mary took the bottles and opened the toilet lid and dumped out every single bottle and flushed the toilet.

She threw the empty pill bottles on the bed, 'Looks like you're all out. Sucks, huh?'

Jon held himself and shivered, staring blankly at her.

She walked over to him and grasped his shoulders, gently shaking him, 'Jon? Are you with me? Talk to me.'

"What am I gonna do?" he mumbled, staring at the empty bottles. The thought of being without anything, not even a couple of pills was scary as shit. He wasn't sure if he could take it.

She held his face in her hands, staring directly into his eyes, 'You're gonna get through this, Jon. I'm gonna help you. I love you so much. Never gonna leave you.'

He smiled in relief. "Thank god for you, Mary. I'd be fucking dead without you." His face crumpled and he sobbed. "I don't fucking deserve you."

Mary rested her forehead upon his and sighed, 'This self pity bullshit has got to stop. I stopped that shit and so should you. We deserve each other. Look how far we've come to be happy. Do you really wanna ruin that all for a lousy high?'

He shook his head. "No. I don't wanna ruin anything." He sniffled. "I don't know what the fuck to do. It's like I'm either high or feel like shit." Jon groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Can I get some water?"

She nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him into the bathroom. She turned the faucet on and filled a cup with water, handing it to him.

Mary snorted at the expression on his face, 'Get used to it, buddy. You're not leaving my sight until I know you're clean.'

Jon ducked his head and sipped at his water. "What else?" he mumbled, staring down at his feet.

Mary crossed her arms over her chest, 'That's for you to decide, Jon. What do you wanna do? Besides getting high and drunk of course.'

He grunted and finished his water. "I wanna not be a piece of shit. 'Cause if Nick sees me like this..." Jon shuddered. "No. Not gonna let that happen. Fucked up enough."

Mary nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. She frowned. He had lost so much weight.

She kissed his chest, 'He won't. He's still young. It's not too late. Ya just gotta stop this now.'

"I am. I'm gonna." Jon wiped at his eyes. "I should probably...start making phone calls or something." He groaned. "People probably think I'm already dead."

Mary shook her head and snorted, 'You're not calling anybody, Jon. I hid our cellphones along with any other types of communcation to the outside world. I can't risk you calling somebody to give ya more fucking drugs.

"Jesus." Jon took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Sure, yeah." He groaned and slumped against the wall. "Wanna go to sleep."

Mary grabbed his tee shirt and slapped him,'Oh no you're not. You've been asleep these past six fucking months. Time to wake the fuck up.'

"What do I do, then?" he shrieked, his eyes wide and darting around the room. "What do I do, what do I do now? I don't fucking know! I have no idea how to fill my time! Help me! Help me do something ! I have to do something!"

Mary shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't know. You tell me, Jon.' She scoffed, 'I would say do me, but we both know you couldn't get it up even if you tried. You're so fucking doped up.'

He crossed his arms and curled his lip in disgust. "Fine, then. Can I watch TV, is that okay?" His frown dissolved. "I'm fucking starving." Jon walked into the kitchen and stared at the pantry. "I have no idea...what I even want."

Mary watched him from the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest, 'Do you want me to make you something to eat? You need to eat. You fucking looked like ya did when you were CZW. Not your best look by the way. Do ya know everyone thought ya were a drug addict back then? Kinda ironic ya weren't but are now.'

Jon glumly picked at a couple of grapes from the fridge. "My pants don't fit. They keep falling down." He closed the fridge door and stared into the pantry. "Do we have any bread? I can make a sandwich."

Mary walked over to the pantry and grabbed the loaf of bread and threw it on the table, 'Here theres lunchmeat in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Make yourself a sandwich. I'm not your fucking maid.'

"I said I could make it!" Jon scowled and opened the fridge, pulling out the lunchmeat. He set it on the counter and sighed. He had no right to get annoyed with her. Clearly he was the one who was fucked up, not Mary. "Sorry," he mumbled, assembling his sandwich and taking a bite.

She sat down at the table and stared at him, 'Sorry, I'm just shocked is all. You're actually doing something for yourself. It's a bit...startling.'

Jon grunted and finished his sandwich, then started making another one. "I'm gonna get clean. I swear it."

Mary nodded and smiled, 'Yeah, you are. Cause you're not leaving this house til you do, Jon. Cody and Kasey have Nick. I took off a week from work. You're stuck with me, buddy.'

Jon finished his second sandwich and nodded. "Mmkay." He frowned. "What if I'm still fucked up after a week?"

She shrugged her shoulders, 'Then I'm contacting Vince and Hunter. They'll know how to get ya help. Drug addicted wrestlers is nothing new to them.'

Jon's eyes grew wide and he shook his head. "I'll get clean. I'll do anything." He opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, opening it and guzzling most of it down. "Christ." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Can't remember the last time I ate something."

Mary sighed deeply, 'Neither do I. The last time I made you a plate of food you threw the plate at me telling me to go rot in Hell and leave you alone. I just stopped bothering after that.'

"I don't even remember that," he mumbled. "When was that?"

She scoffed, shaking her head, 'It was two weeks ago actually. You were sitting in the rec room watching another one of your matches. I made dinner and brought it to you, begging you to eat it and you took the plate of food and threw at me. The plate missed my head by a fraction of an inch.'

Jon flinched. "Jesus. I could have..." His eyes grew wide. "Maybe you shouldn't be here. I can get one of the guys here...what if I hurt you again?"

Mary sat back in the chair and shook her head, 'No fucking way. It's you and me. I'm not afraid of you. I was the one who helped you get clean the first time. I'm gonna be the one who does it again. You're not getting rid of me that easily, buddy.'

"I could hurt you," Jon muttered. "What if something happens, Mary? This is different from last time! I'm stronger now. I might do something horrible." He shuddered. "Fuck, if I hurt you, I want you to kill me. I'm serious."

She scoffed and shook her head, 'You forget I lived with my rapist and a drug dealer for over five years. I think I can handle you. Besides, I think you're more of a danger to yourself than me.'

Jon wandered past her into the living room and slumped onto the couch. He picked up the remote and turned off the TV, staring blankly at the floor. "I have no idea why you're even still with me."

Mary followed him into the living room and stood in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest, 'Because I love you, Jon. That's why. For better or worse. In sickness and in health. What kind of wife would I be if I abandon you when you need me the most?'

"A smart one." He looked up at her and frowned. "I love you, Mary, but this is gonna get bad. It's gonna get much worse before it gets better."

She nodded, 'I know that. But I can handle you.' She scoffed, 'I'm the only fucking person who can. If you put your hands on me I'll knock you the fuck out.' She snorted, 'I doubt it would take much at this point. Just as I said before, I lived with my rapist who would beat the living shit outta me for years. I think I can handle some emaciated drug addict.'

Jon's face fell at her words. "I'm such a piece of shit. You don't deserve this."

Mary gritted her teeth and glared at him, 'Don't you fucking dare tell me what I deserve. I deserve you, Jon. But this, who you are now. I don't deserve this. You better fucking pay up cause you owe me big fucking time.'

"I will." He nodded eagerly. "Gonna make this up to you, I swear."

She sat down next to him on the couch and nodded, 'I know you will.' She grabbed his hand and frowned when she felt how cold and clammy they were. His entire body looked flush and had his forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat, 'You okay?"

"N-no," he stammered, shivering uncontrollably. He doubled over in pain and whimpered. His heart felt like it was gonna burst out of his chest. "Dying," he gasped, and began shuddering violently.

Mary scooted closer to him and began stroking his back soothingly as she whispered, 'No, you're not, Jon. But if ya keep doing this to yourself you will die. Do you wanna die and leave Nick and I alone?"

Jon shook his head and grunted from the pain. His body was nearly convulsing and he felt like he was going to pass out.

She muttered a curse and crawled into his lap. She grabbed his face and stared into his eyes, 'Fucking stay with me, Jon. Don't fucking let this control you. You're stronger than this. Fight it. Fucking fight it for us, Jon. You can do this.'

Everything blurred and Jon felt his eyes roll back in his head. There was a soothing darkness on the edges of his mind and he gave into it, feeling himself start to slip, wanting to be unconscious.

Mary sighed deeply and began shaking him as hard as she could and slapped his face, 'Fucking wake up, Jon. Wake the fuck up. If you don't wake up I'm gone. I'm leaving with Nick and you'll never fucking see us again.'

Jon whimpered and batted at her arms. "Mom, stop, please. Don't wanna sell tonight. I'm tired. Let me sleep. You're hurting me."

She shook her head and scoffed, shaking him again and slapping him, 'I'm not your fucking mother, Jon. I'm Mary your wife. Wake the fuck up, you fucking bastard.' She shook him and gritted her teeth, 'WAKE UP!'

With a shriek Jon pushed her aside and began crawling away. "You're hurting me! Mom, stop, please! I'll go, just stop hitting me!" He curled up on the floor and shivered, his eyes darting around the room.

She jumped down onto the floor and crawled over to him. In her desperation she grabbed his tee shirt and kissed him deeply. She tore her lips away from his and smirked at his shocked expression , 'Would your mother fucking kiss you like that, huh?"

Jon shook his head and held his hand to his mouth. "Mary..." He rolled onto his back and grimaced, holding his stomach. "Fuck...feels like someone swung a hammer into me."

Mary settled onto the floor and gingerly lifted his head onto her lap. She stroked his hair, whispering, 'It's okay, baby. Mary's here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, baby. I love you so much. I'm not leaving you ever again.'

Jon shivered and clutched at her. "Hurts. Hurts like hell."

She nodded and continued stroking his hair, 'I know, baby. I know. But you gotta fight through it. What do you need? What can I do for you to make you feel better?'

He sobbed and pulled at his hair. "Don't know, don't know..."

Mary ran her hands through his hair, 'Want me to hold you?"

He nodded and gritted his teeth. "Please."

Mary wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair, 'I'm here for you, baby. Mary's here. I'm never gonna leave you. Love you so much.'

It was the next day and Mary was asleep with Jon. It had been a relatively quiet night. Jon had pretty much slept the entire night, but did get up a few times to get some water or go to the bathroom. She made sure to escort him each time, not wanting for him to leave her sight. Sure, he was angry and told her he didn't want to be treated like a child, but she made it clear to him until he was clean this is how it was going to be from here on out.

He was sleeping in the bed and looked so peaceful she didn't want to wake him. She decided to go downstairs and make some coffee and breakfast for the two of them. She was in the mist of cooking breakfast when she heard him screaming her name. Her eyes widened and she beelined it up the stairs. It looked as if he was up.

Yesterday was a blur. He remembered eating and feeling like shit, but this morning he woke up with a headache that felt like it was gonna kill him. A couple of Oxys would take care of it, but he couldn't found any pill bottles in his hiding places.

Mary. The fucking bitch took his shit.

"MARY!" He ripped through his bag, throwing it and the contents all over their room. "Get your fucking ass up here now! Fucking cunt!"

Mary ran into the bedroom and her eyes widened. The entire bedroom was ransacked and he was throwing their stuff all around.

She sighed, shaking her head, 'You're not gonna find any pills, Jon.'

He snorted and flipped their mattress over. His head was pounding and his hands kept shaking and he felt like he could rip the house apart in a matter of seconds. "You have five fucking seconds to get me my shit!" Jon screamed, pulling the drawers out of their dresser.

She crossed her arms over her chest and snorted, 'What ya gonna do in five seconds, Jon?'

Grabbing the nearest dresser, he flung it in her direction and sneered when she ducked. "That's your fucking clue, bitch!"

She chuckled and shook her head, walking over to him.

Mary slapped him across the face, 'Fucking get a grip, asshole!'

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her against the wall, grinning wickedly when she winced. "How's that for a fucking grip?" he drawled, digging his nails into her skin.

Mary kneed him in the groin, causing him to fall down onto his knees. He clutched at his stomach as he groaned aloud in pain. She hated to hurt him, but she had to defend herself. It was ironic she learned that move from him. He had taught her some defense moves when she was younger. She was surprised she remembered them, but there are just some things you never forget when faced with danger.

She fell down upon her knees before him and held his face in her hands, 'You gonna behave?'

He swatted at her and growled. "Fucking bitch! You're gonna fucking pay for that!"

She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could and stroked his hair, whispering soothingly, 'Ssh, baby. It's okay. It's all right. Just calm down. I'm here. I'm here.'

Jon snarled and sunk his teeth into her arm, growling in primal satisfaction when she yelped in pain. Mary pulled at his hair until he released her, and then punched him in the jaw. He whimpered and crouched on the floor, wailing and hugging his knees to his chest.

Ignoring the pain in her arm, she crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She stroked his back and gently rocked back and forth.

Mary kissed his neck, whispering, 'It's okay, baby. It's alright. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you so much.'

"Mommy, please." Jon grabbed onto her hands and whimpered. "I don't like him, I don't wanna work for him, he's mean. I'll make money some other way, please..."

Mary smiled through her tears and nodded her head, 'You don't have to work for him, Jon. You don't. You just need to get better.' She ran her hands through his hair and cradled his head to her chest as if he were a child, 'Just get better, my baby.'

"Mmkay, I will." Jon closed his eyes and faded into an uneasy sleep.

Mary lie there on the floor with him and stroked his back as he fell slept. They had made it through another hour. Hopefully the both of them would get through this intact. He was sweating so profusely his hair was drenched and his tee shirt was soaked through. She ran her fingers through his sweat drenched hair and smiled sadly. He looked so peaceful. Even in such a weakened and emaciated state he was beautiful. He will always be beautiful to her, that will never change. No matter what he said or did to her she will never stop loving him. They have been through so much to be together. She would be damned if he ruined the beautiful life they built together. Her eyes widened and gasped aloud as he began to stir. He was awake again. She wondered what she would have to endure this time.


End file.
